SMC Wins Green Ribbon Award
for DCEO Project
We're excited to announce the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) received the 2025 Green Ribbon Award from the Friends of the Chicago River (FOCR) at the Chicago River Blue Awards on January 30 for the Talbot Avenue Drainage Improvement Project located in Shields Township.
The Green Ribbon Award recognizes projects that demonstrate a high level of river-sensitive design and consideration for the Chicago-Calumet River system and surrounding watersheds.
SMC staff members Ernesto Huaracha and Ashley Strelcheck attended the ceremony to receive the Green Ribbon Award. SMC is honored to share the spotlight with several other area agencies also receiving Green, Silver or Blue Ribbon Awards for projects, programs, and studies!
 About the Talbot Avenue Drainage Improvement Project
The Talbot Avenue Drainage Improvement Project is located in Unincorporated Shields Township, north of the Talbot Avenue and Green Avenue intersection. The project consisted of uncovering almost 100 linear feet of storm sewer and expanding the existing channel into a modified two-stage channel design to allow for increased flood storage and capacity to the drainage system. Native, low-growing plants were added along the channel slopes, along with a maintenance path to protect and preserve the site over time.
This resilient, green infrastructure project is along an important upstream area of the Chicago-Calumet River system. Using nature-based engineering strategies increases stormwater storage capacity by expanding the channel and installing native plant vegetation. The project also creates new habitat for pollinators and reduces downstream flooding to protect residents. This project was completed in October 2024, with funding provided in part by the Watershed Management Board (WMB), Stormwater Infrastructure Repair Fund (SIRF), Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) grant and Lake County SMC Fund Sources.
Learn the latest about SMC DCEO Funded Capital Improvement Projects on our website.
Register for the HOA Workshop and Vendor Expo!
Our 2026 Homeowners Association (HOA) Workshop is coming up soon but there’s still time to register to attend! The free HOA Workshop and Vendor Expo will be on Wednesday, February 25, at the University Center of Lake County in Grayslake.
Join our free event if you’re an HOA or property owner who wants to learn more about maintaining detention ponds, wetlands, natural areas, and other drainage infrastructure. The Vendor Expo will include maintenance, engineering, and ecological consulting companies who will provide educational information. The HOA Workshop presentations will feature knowledgeable speakers and experts to share more. Grants and funding opportunities will also be discussed. This will be a hybrid event.
Vendor Expo: starts at 3:30 p.m. and is available to in-person attendees only
HOA Workshop Presentations: start at 5:30 p.m. and are available to attend in-person or via Zoom
This event will be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Anyone needing special assistance should contact Sharene Gould Dulabaum at least one week prior to the event.
DECI 101 Training Now Online
Did you miss the Designated Erosion Control Inspectors (DECI) 101 Training Webinar in January? If you missed this training created specifically for new and prospective Designated Erosion Control Inspectors, the recording and training slides are now available.
Learn what the DECI program is and how it functions, how one becomes a DECI, what the responsibilities of a DECI are, and how to maintain one’s status. It also includes a question and answer session.
See You at the Fox River Summit
The 14th Annual Fox River Summit will be Thursday, March 12 at 8 a.m. at Veterans Terrace, Echo Park in Burlington, WI. SMC will be presenting. Come hear us speak if you’d like to learn more about watershed planning.
Join us at the summit to enjoy speakers sharing about aquatic plant management, the economic benefits of conservation, oak conservation, surface water chloride conditions and more!
Register now
Goodbye to our 2025 Interns
Last summer, the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) welcomed three interns to assist our department with our work. They did a wonderful job assisting the team and made a big impact. Thanks for all your hard work at SMC!
Jonah Frank
As a summer Planning and Regulatory Intern, Jonah Frank was part of a two-person field crew who inspected outfalls in accordance with SMC’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program. Under the guidance of our Stormwater Coordinator, Anna Niedzinski, the team inspected outfalls and reported on any potentially illicit discharges they found in the field.
In the office, he helped fill gaps in the SMC Permit database. Under the supervision of Senior GIS Analyst, Jeff Laramy, Jonah waded through our vast permit file archives and mapped several hundred locations to help fill in data gaps. Thank you, Jonah, for all your help, and we wish you all the best as you complete your studies at the University of Illinois!
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Samantha Ceisel
Samantha Ceisel joined SMC as a Program Management Intern for six months, and consistently demonstrated a high level of professionalism and an ability to take on complex work in support of SMC’s flood hazard mitigation programs and projects.
She supported a range of efforts focused on reducing flood risks across Lake County, including preparing grant applications, supporting project management and grant administration across a range of projects, and coordinating with project partners and stakeholders. She also played an important role in Lake County’s five-year Community Rating System (CRS) recertification, where a limited coordination task evolved into a broader review of how County activities align with CRS requirements and where improvements could be made.
Samantha’s contributions strengthened how flood risk reduction and CRS-related efforts are supported both within SMC and across our communities. Her contributions will continue to provide lasting value, and we are grateful for the impact she made during her time with us. We wish Samantha the very best as she takes the next steps in her professional journey!
 Sarah, back of kayak, and Samantha, front of kayak, at an SMC field excursion.
Sarah Skolozynski
Sarah Skolozynski joined SMC as a Planning and Regulatory Intern for six months, working on outfall and field inspections during the beginning of her internship. Her work then expanded to include drafting watershed meeting minutes, meeting coordination, researching grant funding, and developing annual newsletters for the Des Plaines River Watershed Workgroup (DRWW) and the North Branch Chicago River Watershed Workgroup (NBWW).
She also assisted with documents and publications connected to the NPDES MS4 permit language reference, Illinois EPA BMP field inspections in the North Branch Chicago River watershed, registrations, hosting duties, calibration coordination and more for the Winter Best Practices Workshops and Events, and adult and youth education and outreach events.
SMC will miss Sarah’s enthusiasm in the workplace, her attention to detail, and her go-getter attitude that made working with her a pleasure. Thank you for all your hard work and we wish you the best of luck in the future!
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