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Lake County Stormwater Management Commission Newsletter

October 2025

Stormwater Summit a Success

On September 25, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Illinois Extension hosted the Stormwater Leadership Summit at the Chicago Botanic Garden, with Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) as the summit’s key sponsor. The sold-out event helped area communities address stormwater challenges such as increased flooding, water quality, erosion, infrastructure stress and the unpredictable patterns of stormwater that require local intervention.

The seven-hour summit allowed attendees to walk away with knowledge and practical tools to address and respond effectively to their local stormwater problems, which was overwhelming identified as flooding. The day included presentations about asset mapping, subarea plans, flood and sewage vulnerability, hazard mitigation planning and floodplain management, watershed planning and more.

SMC also hosted a booth at the summit's resource fair, which helped attendees address their stormwater challenges. SMC is proud to help sponsor a full day event to educate many local communities on how to effectively manage and mitigate their stormwater issues, today and in the future!

Get Winter Ready with SMC!

Winter Best Practices Workshops

There's still time to register for this year’s Winter Best Practice Workshops! A mix of virtual workshops for Public Roads and Parking Lots & Sidewalks are still being offered through November.

Public Roads

• Wednesday, November 12, Virtual

Parking Lots & Sidewalks

• Tuesday, October 14, Virtual
• Thursday, November 13, Virtual

Register for these workshops at: saltsmart.org/workshops

Discount registration costs are available to watershed workgroup members. Email Ashley Strelcheck for more information. Attendance at these workshops counts towards meeting MS4 permit requirements. 

Lake County Calibration Workshop

Lake, DuPage and Cook Counties will be hosting FREE in-person calibration events in November. This is an opportunity for agencies to bring their winter maintenance vehicles to be calibrated with Force America. One-hour timeslots will be available. Click on the event below to register!

• November 4, 2025: Lake County Calibration Event
  Location: Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT), 600 W Winchester Road, Libertyville, IL, near the LCDOT salt dome
• November 5, 2025: Cook County Calibration Event
  Location: Cook County Department of Transportation & Highways (DOTH), 8900 West 135th Street, Orland Park, IL
• November 6, 2025: DuPage County Calibration Event
  Location: DuPage Division of Transportation (DOT), 140 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL

Wetland Mitigation Projects Request
for Proposals (RFP) Now Open

Lake Michigan Watershed

The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for wetland mitigation projects within the Lake Michigan Watershed in Lake County, IL, using funds collected in the SMC Wetland Restoration Fund (WRF). The mitigation acreage goal is 5.49 acres, at a minimum, and approximately $785,862 of WRF funds are available.

Eligibility is open to any landowner (public or private) whose ownership property lies within the Lake Michigan River watershed in Lake County, IL. The deadline for submission of proposals is Friday, October 31 at 11 a.m. (CST).

The complete RFP is available on our website.

Fox River Watershed

The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) is also issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for wetland mitigation projects within the Fox River Watershed in Lake County, IL, using funds collected in the SMC Wetland Restoration Fund (WRF). The mitigation acreage goal is 1.86 acres, at a minimum, and approximately $201,717 of WRF funds are available.

Eligibility is open to any landowner (public or private) whose ownership property lies within the Fox River Watershed in Lake County, IL. The deadline for submission of proposals is Wednesday, December 3 at 11 a.m. (CST).

The complete RFP is available on our website.

Grant Opportunity

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is now accepting applications for the Green Infrastructure Grant Opportunity (GIGO) until November 5. This program funds projects that construct green infrastructure best management practices (BMPs) that prevent, eliminate, or reduce stormwater runoff into Illinois’ rivers, streams, and lakes.

Learn more about the green infrastructure grant

Friendly Reminder For Fall

As the brightly colored autumn leaves begin to fall—don't forget your part in keeping leaves clear of storm drains. Storm sewers are designed to drain rainwater to prevent flooding. Leaves and grass clippings can clog storm drains, resulting in slow drainage, pooling water and in some cases, flooding. When large amounts of leaves are transported into waterways and watersheds it can also negatively impact the ecosystem.

Leaves transported through storm drains to rivers, lakes, and streams decompose in the water, releasing phosphorous. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient in plant development but can be harmful in excessive amounts in water. High levels of phosphorous stimulate the growth of algae, increasing the potential for algae blooms and depleting water oxygen levels, which can be harmful to fish and other aquatic species. 

Remember these tips:

• Sweep grass clippings, leaves and other debris off the street and away from storm drains

• Leave the leaves to decompose, compost them, or dispose of all yard waste properly with paper yard bags

• Never dump leaves or branches in streams or lakes

• When it snows, try to shovel ice and snow away from storm drains to maintain a clear opening