Bangs Lake Project Completed
The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC), the Lake County Board and the Village of Wauconda marked the completion of the Bangs Lake Outfall Improvement Project with a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 18 in Wauconda.
This investment in infrastructure will benefit residents and visitors by helping alleviate flooding to more than 70 properties and eight roads in Wauconda. As heavy rainfall events have become more common, flooding and road closures have increased in this area. This project will help limit those disruptions, along with the stress and uncertainty flooding brings, for area residents and businesses.
The Bangs Lake outfall includes 6,450 feet of storm sewer and channels from the outfall structure at Philâs Beach to the municipality limits at IL Route 176. The project included almost 4,000 feet of stream improvements, along with a new lake outfall structure, retaining wall, storm sewer, and box culverts.
Learn more about this project
Watch highlights of the ribbon cutting ceremony with this video.
Reserve Your Spot for the Upcoming Hydric Soils Class
The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission and Lake County Forest Preserves are proud to announce they will be hosting the Illinois Soil Classifiers Association's (ISCA) Field Indicators of Hydric Soils, Part 2 on August 6 and 7 at the Central Permit Facility, located at 500 W. Winchester Road in Libertyville. This two-day training course teaches Field Indicators of Hydric Soils referenced in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual for the Midwest and Northcentral-Northeast Regions.
Day one will start with an overview of soil formation, landscapes, water flow, local glacial activity, and field indicators of hydric soils with ISCA Soil Scientists at the Central Permit Facility in Libertyville. The afternoon will be spent in the field describing and identifying field indicators of hydric soils.
Day two will be a full day in the field at two Lake County Forest Preserves sites to observe and identify field indicators of hydric soils in sandy soils.
Come prepared with field equipment and dressed for field work, rain or shine. Attendees will receive 12 Professional Development Hours for attending. The course cost is $500. Registration is limited to 50 people to allow attendees to get more individual attention.
If you have any questions, please contact Mea Blauer at 847-377-7701 or email iblauer2@lakecountyil.gov.Â
Meet Our New Intern, Zoe!
Welcome Zoe Schaaf, SMCâs newest intern! Zoe joins us as a recent graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago with a Bachelor of Science in Earth and Environmental Science. In her role as Stormwater Coordinator Intern, sheâll support the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program, and the watershed workgroups for the Des Plaines River and North Branch of the Chicago River. This will include assisting with outfall inspections on behalf of the County, supporting at public meetings, helping to write reports, and a variety of other tasks.
Zoe enjoys hiking and camping in her spare time. She also enjoys baking, including yummy chocolate chip cookies that SMC staff will gladly taste test. Welcome to the team, Zoe!
Thank You for Attending the
2026 Lake-McHenry MS4
The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) and McHenry County Planning and Development partnered to offer municipalities and watershed stakeholders the second annual Lake-McHenry MS4 Workshop on May 15. Over 185 participants attended this three-hour event focused on effective green infrastructure either at the Lake County Central Permit Facility or via Zoom.
Presenters included Jeff Edstrom from the Illinois EPA, Jack Pizzo, founder of Pizzo & Associates, and Madelyn Craft from the University of Illinois Extension, along with Brad Andresen from the Village of Algonquin and Robyn Flakne from the Village of Glenview providing regional case studies. The workshop provided an overview of successful green infrastructure practices, available grant opportunities, and best management practices.
Thank you to all the speakers and attendees who participated in-person and virtually to help make this workshop successful! The presentation slides are now available on the event workshop webpage. Please contact Anna Niedzinski at SMC or Scott Kuykendall, McHenry County Planning and Development, with any questions or to provide feedback about the workshop.
Chicago River Day Clean-Up
Chicago River Day was held on May 9. It's meant as a fun volunteer day to impactfully improve the waterway by installing new native plants, and removing trash and invasive plants. Over 2,800 volunteers at 88 different sites along the river worked to move closer to a litter free Chicago-Calumet river system. Thanks to all who helped with the clean-up efforts and we'll see you again next year at Chicago River Day!
SMC was a proud co-sponsor of Chicago River Day. It's an event the team looks forward to and is another way to help keep our waterways clean.
 Chicago River Day volunteers with the piles of trash they collected.
Free Business Workshop
Register now for the Lake County Local Emergency Planning Committeeâs Private Industry Workshop on July 15 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Central Permit Facility in Libertyville. The program will feature speakers from SMC, the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and more.
Connect with other local industries, and emergency management and response partners to strengthen your organizationâs preparedness while learning how your business can support community resilience during emergencies. It's also a great way for municipalities to connect with local businesses. Reserve your spot for a free opportunity to learn, network, and collaborate with local emergency planning professionals.
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