GEOTUBE (Grass Island Wetland Restoration Project)

1
GEOTUBE(Grass Island Wetland Restoration Project)
Fox Waterway Agency
45 S. Pistakee Lake Rd Fox Lake, IL
60020 [phone] Fax [phone] www.foxwat
erway.com
Grass Island is located in Grass Lake, within
the Chain O Lakes in Lake County, Illinois.
Over the past 25 years, Grass Island has eroded
away. In August 1999, in cooperation with the
Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago
District and Wetland Experimental Station (WES),
the idea to create wetlands using dredged
sediments was born. The project was unique
because not only were fine sediments to be used,
but the entire project would be created
in-lake. Funding would be a joint effort, with
IDNR allocating capital funds through state
acquired Capital Bond Funds, and the FWA
providing all labor and operations costs through
user fees. The 27-acre geotube restoration
project involved the use of approximately 6,700
linear feet of geotextile tubes of 37.5 foot
diameter into which dredged lake bottom sediment
was inserted. The tubes created a perimeter berm
to for an enclosed space to which additional
dredged soils were added. When materials reached
specified grade levels, native vegetation was
planted, and the area became a refuge for birds
and plants. To secure the perimeter, due to
damage from human impacts such as snowmobiles,
boats and other debris, as well as natural
impacts due to ice , wind and wave action, 2005
marked the start of a perimeter protection effort
with over --- tons of riprap shoreline
protection. The protected island is a permanent
solution. It is an example of applying practical
engineering techniques to a natural system to aid
in the recovery of critical habitat, while also
serving as a confined disposal facility for
dredged lake sediment.

TYPE
Wetland Restoration and Confined Disposal
Facility
LOCATION
Antioch, IL Grass Lake
PARTNERS
IDNR USACE USFWS
FUNDING
ILCapital Bond Funds (IDNR) WES (USACE) User Fees
(FWA)
PROJECT DESIGN/ CONSTRUCTION
HDR Engineering Smith Engineering Patrick
Engineering Hey Associates
COMPLETION DATE
Scheduled 2009
COST
2.5M plus
Fox River / Chain o Lakes Success Story
CHALLENGE
SOLUTION
RESULTS
A dual-challenge of restoring valuable habitat
for the State-endangered Forsters Tern, while
also creating a confined disposal facility for
drying sediment
Eco-friendly perimeter supporting wetland and
upland habitat built upon a dried sedimentation
base.
The Forsters Tern have returned as well as a
variety of other birds, while containing over
200,000 yds3 of dredged sediment.
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PAPE ISLAND
Fox Waterway Agency
45 S. Pistakee Lake Rd. Fox Lake, IL
60020 [phone] Fax [phone] www.foxwat
erway.com

• Pape Island is immediately adjacent to the main
  navigational boating channel for boats traveling
  north and south between the lakes of the Chain
  OLakes and the Fox River. Excessive wave
  activity caused both by boating and wind fetch
  across Pistakee Lake had caused severe erosion of
  the Pape Island shoreline. Other unique strains
  to the island are ice floes and stacking, ice
  expansion and an annual eighteen-inch plus winter
  drawdown.
• In 2001, in collaboration with over 17 Federal,
  State and local partners, V3 Consultants was
  hired to do a comprehensive evaluation of
  alternative bio-engineered bank stabilization
  measures. Comparative effectiveness for
  shoreline stabilization of the island was
  established with respect to the following
  parameters high wave action due to wind fetch
  and high boat traffic, icing in the winter, high
  flood flows during spring and early summer
  months, and an eighteen-inch drop in water
  elevation due to winter draw down procedures.
  Five stabilization methods were ultimately
  chosen, as follows
• Joint Planting Method consisted of a
  fortified rip-rap toe and base with both an
  emergent planting zone interspersed with live
  stake woody planting zones.
• Vegetated Gabion Basket Method consisted
  of vegetated gabion baskets surrounding the
  rip-rap rock toe and base with both an additional
  emergent planting zones and live stake woody
  planting zones.
• Log and Rootball Revetment Method is
  similar to joint planting with the addition of
  buried log tree trunks with root balls structures
  directed towards the lake. These root balls
  provide a physical break to the wave action
  before it reaches the shoreline while also
  providing habitat benefits for fish, small
  animals and aquatic insects.
• Lunker Structure Method is similar to the
  joint planting method with the addition of large
  square concrete boxes buried into the rip-rap
  with emergent planting zones and live stake woody
  planting zones providing vegetative stabilization
  to the shoreline on top. Fisheries habitat is
  provided as the boxes create a submerged undercut
  bank shelter area.
• Concrete Block Method consists of a
  fortified rip-rap rock base with a concrete block
  mat placed from the toe to the top of the river
  slopes. Emergent plantings and live stake woody
  plantings occur within the void space of the
  concrete block mat to provide vegetative
  stabilization to the shoreline.

TYPE
Bio-engineered Shoreline Stabilization
LOCATION
McHenry, IL Pistakee Lake
PARTNERS
Illinois Dept of Natural Resources US Army Corps
Engineers-CHGO US Fish and Wildlife Lake Co
Stormwater Lake Co PlanningDevelopment McHenry
County PD
FUNDING
IL Capital Bond Funds (IDNR) User Fees (FWA)
PROJECT DESIGN/ CONSTRUCTION
V3 Consultants V3 Construction FWA staff
COMPLETION DATE
2004
COST
1.2M
Fox River / Chain o Lakes Success Story
CHALLENGE
SOLUTION
RESULTS
Restore a severely eroded shoreline at one of the
busiest and most traveled parts of the Fox River
Chain OLakes waterway.
Showcase five (5) bio-engineered shoreline
stabilization methods that can effectively
withstand highly erosive conditions.
A natural and diverse ecosystem has been
re-established and is aesthetically pleasing,
while also preventing further erosion.
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ACKERMAN ISLAND
Fox Waterway Agency
45 S. Pistakee Lake Rd. Fox Lake, IL
60020 [phone] Fax [phone] www.foxwat
erway.com
Ackerman Island is the original three-cell
re-useable hydraulic dredge drying site built in
the early 1980s. Throughout its use, it had
experienced severe shoreline erosion along its
west and northwest shorelines that had impacted
the structural integrity of the levee system
surrounding the cells. The Fox Waterway Agency
secured Smith Engineering to re-engineer this
island for modern use.
TYPE
Shoreline Stabilization and Dewatering Site
LOCATION
Antioch, IL Nippersink Lake
With funding from the IDNR, the rehabilitation of
the island was completed. Improvements include a
new access road to allow trucks/equipment access,
outfall pipe modifications, restructuring of the
weir (de-watering structure), access platform for
sampling, and a complete bio-engineered bank
stabilization improvement. Soils, channel bottom,
geotechnical investigations and wetlands
delineation and associated permitting. In
Spring/Summer 2007 we completed our Ackerman
Island Dewatering Facility Improvements
Project. The project consisted on contracting
shoreline stabilization along the west and
northwest sides with 2,123 cy of clay. 0.6
acres of tree removal, 1,128 tons of rip rap,
933 cy of topsoil, approximately 6 root wads,
and 875 sq yd of seeding, upgrading the access
road to the island, and reconstructing the weir
(de-watering outlet structure).
PARTNERS
IDNR USACE
FUNDING
IL Capital Bond Funds (IDNR) User Fees (FWA)
PROJECT DESIGN/ CONSTRUCTION
SEC Group, Ltd. Copenhaver Construction
COMPLETION DATE
October 2007
American Public Works Association Chicago Metro
Chapter Lake Branch Environment Less Than 2
Million 2008 Project Of The Year Award
AWARD
COST
1.2M
Fox River / Chain o Lakes Success Story
CHALLENGE
SOLUTION
RESULTS
Restore sediment drying site for ongoing dredging
activities, using ecological features to enhance
the aesthetic appearance for recreational boaters
in this heavy traffic area and for habitat
enhancement.
Eco-friendly perimeter utilizing bio-engineered
techniques. Used native and meadow plantings,
maintained the natural tree buffer, and
incorporated fish cover through root balls.
Commercial grade reusable site, which co-exists
with nature. A rookery of eagles, blue herons
and other water birds, as well as high quality
fishing habitat.
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CHAIN OLAKES STATE PARK
Fox Waterway Agency
45 S. Pistakee Lake Rd. Fox Lake, IL
60020 [phone] Fax [phone] www.foxwat
erway.com
The Fox Waterway Agency (FWA) required a
22-acre wetland restoration to be conducted to
meet mitigation requirements for a boat slip
dredging operation being conducted on the Chain
OLakes State Park property. The dredging was
granted approval under the Interagency Wetland
Policy Act and was authorized to impact 0.69
acre of jurisdictional emergency wetland within
the Park. The Illinois Department of Natural
Resources provided oversite of the project
prepared by others. Native species, hunting and
site access restricted the time available for
the construction activities. The mitigation
includes enhancement of approximately 3.7 acres
of existing wetland and restoration. Wetland
acreage restored in excess of that required for
this project will be used as wetland mitigation
credit by the FWA for future obligations.
The restoration/enhancement activities were
initiated in January 2004, following a selection
of a suitable parcel in within the park. Year
one (1) of the five(5) year management and
monitoring period began in 2004. Pre-planting
management activities including herbicide were
conducted to prepare the site for the seeding
with native wetland grasses and wetland buffer
plants. A drain tile investigation was conducted
to determine the most appropriate method of
abandonment to meet the permit performance
standards imposed on the project. Several drain
tiles were abandoned to modify the groundwater
and allow for the growth of the re-introduced
native species.
TYPE
Wetland Restoration
LOCATION
Spring Grove, IL Chain OLakes State Park
PARTNERS
IDNR USACE USFWS
FUNDING
IL Capital Bond Funds User Fees
PROJECT DESIGN/ CONSTRUCTION
Burke, LLC
COMPLETION DATE
2004
COST
600K
Fox River / Chain o Lakes Success Story
CHALLENGE
SOLUTION
RESULTS
Mitigation for a 0.69 acre parcel of wetlands
that needed removal during construction of the
L-10 facility.
Through multiple interagency cooperative efforts,
mitigation for this public project was allowed to
take place on state propertythus restoring
valuable wetland acreage at Chain OLakes State
Park, while complying with regulations for
mitigation.
Year 2008 Annual Report showed that the wetlands
are established and mother nature is bouncing
back.
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COOPERS FARM
Fox Waterway Agency
45 S. Pistakee Lake Rd. Fox Lake, IL
60020 [phone] Fax [phone] www.foxwat
erway.com
In a partnership between the Illinois Department
of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Fox Waterway
Agency, the development of the Coopers Farm
dredged sediment dewatering soils farm will allow
reuse of tens of thousands of tons of eroded
topsoil from Wisconsin and northeast Illinois
that settles in the Fox River and Chain O Lakes
annually. Removing this sediment/soil will not
only improve the water quality of the lakes, but
will also restore navigability thereby increasing
recreational opportunities and property values.
Having this site designed as a reusable
dewatering site, will insure that these lakes and
channels are maintained well into the future.
While these soils have been used by landscapers,
developers and numerous Villages and
municipalities in the Lake and McHenry county
area for several years, it is intended that this
site will allow a potential revenue stream for
future water quality projects through the
marketing of these clean soils. To insure the
highest degree of safety and environmental
soundness, the Agency has designed this Sediment
Storage and Dewatering Facility (SDF) beyond
required standards for its intended use. Within
this State-owned 23-acre former agricultural
field, this SDF design will include two earthen
dewatering cells (approximately 7.11 acres in
total size) for storing and dewatering dredged
sediment/soils from multiple sources (i.e. Grass
Lake, Lake Marie and associated connecting
channels) and an area for soil stockpiling,
blending and processing (approximately 2 acres in
total size) to support beneficial reuse of the
sediment/soils. The Agency intends the site to
be sustainable and the cells reusable. Periodic
removal, likely on an annual basis, of the
accumulated sediment from the storage cells will
allow recovery and reuse of the cells, as well as
annual cell integrity inspections. The current
tree line and canopy cover leading to the cells
will be maintained, providing a screen from
street view, with the exception of the
driveway.
TYPE
Soils Recycling Facility
LOCATION
Antioch Township, IL
PARTNERS
FWA LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS IDNR
FUNDING
IL Capital Bond Funds Mud-To-Parks Program
Design Elements Description
Earthen Dewatering Cells Cell 1 Avg. 3.81 acres for up to 73,730 CY of total sediment storage Cell 2 Avg. 3.30 acres for up to 56,270 CY of total sediment storage.
Sediment Recovery And Recycling Area Approx. two (2) acres of the site will be used to support recycling of the recovered lake sediments for beneficial purposes.
PROJECT DESIGN/ CONSTRUCTION
HDR Engineering Copenhaver Construction
COMPLETION DATE
Target - December 2010
COST
880K
Fox River / Chain o Lakes Success Story
CHALLENGE
SOLUTION
RESULTS
Fund the removal of sediment entering the Chain
OLakes at a rate at least equal to the 60,000 CY
received annually from Wisconsin.
Use existing and vacant State owned property, and
seed monies from Illinois capital funds, to
create a facility to beneficially reuse sediment
and create a funding source.
The site will have potential to remove/sell
130,000 CY of lake sediment creating a 1.5M
revenue stream annually.