Will County News

  Bald eagles have become an increasingly common sight in Will County in the last decade.  Bald eagle flying over the Kankakee River in Wilmington: On April 4, 2023, the Forest Preserve District of Will County reported the arrival of one eaglet.  The District reported: "The confirmation came on Monday, April 3, from volunteer Joel Craig, who was checking on the nest where eagles laid eggs in late February. This is one of two active nests in the preserves we are monitoring, and the eagles in this nest laid eggs about a week before the eagles in the second nest. " The District reminds the public that: "eagles and their nests are federally protected and human interference could cause them to abandon the nest and their eggs. The National Audubon Society recommends being at least 330 feet away from a nest. That's about the length of a football field. In order to protect these birds, we never publicly disclose nesting locations. If you should come across a nest, be s...

Presentation from the Illinois State Water Survey, Groundwater Science Section regarding the deep sandstone aquifers in Will County and nearby areas.  While the City of Joliet plans to switch to Lake Michigan water by 2030, the declining water levels still present a challenge to surrounding communities:

By Ann Baskerville Wilmington's South Island Park, located just off of historic Route 66, is a great place to observe bald eagles.  As temperatures drop, bald eagles fly south to find open water.  For the past three years, I have spotted bald eagles in the trees on the western bank of the Kankakee River in Wilmington.  Here is a video I took on December 22, 2018 of a bald eagle leaving the tree and flying over the river:

Will County residents likely associate Brandon Road with the bridge that provides an alternative to I-80 or the downtown Joliet bridges over the Des Plaines River-- the river that connects the Illinois River to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and, ultimately, Lake Michigan. The recent discovery of an Asian Carp nine miles from Lake Michigan in the Calumet River, however, has drawn attention to the Brandon Road Lock and Dam and its importance in the fight to keep Asian Carp from reaching the Great Lakes.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed a study regarding how the Brandon Road Lock and Dam could be improved to stop Asian Carp from continuing north on the Des Plaines.  The White House, however, has delayed the public release of that study. Map showing the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in relation to the presence of Asian Carps in the waters near Lake Michigan.  Map courtesy of Prairie Rivers Network, which created the map with data from ...

April 20, 2017 At least one new baby bison has joined the herd at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie:

The first baby bison have been born at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie!!

Will County Forest Preserve Programs, from the Forest Preserve: Forest Preserve District Offers Bird, Boat, Farm and Photo Classes PLAINFIELD –  This year’s final two sessions of “ Lake Renwick Bird Viewing ” tours will be held from  10 to 11 a.m.  on  Wednesday, Aug. 12 , and  8 a.m. to noon  on  Saturday, Aug. 15 , at the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Lake Renwick Heron Rookery Nature Preserve, located on Renwick Road, 0.5 mile east of Route 30. On  Aug. 16  the preserve, which was closed except for the tours as the birds were nesting, will reopen for general use from  8 a.m.  to sunset through  Feb. 28 . Registration is not required for the bird viewings; the program is for ages 7 and older. NAPERVILLE  – A “ Riverview Farmstead Tour ” is scheduled for  6 to 8 p.m.  on  Thursday, Aug. 13 , at the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Riverview Farmstead, located on Book Road, south ...

The Environmental Law and Policy Center issued the following release today after a ruling by Federal Judge Jorge Alonso: "Chicago—The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued a strong decision declaring the federal and state transportation agencies’ approvals of the proposed Illiana Tollway to be illegal. “The Federal Court decision is a big victory for the Environmental Law & Policy Center and our clients and for sensible transportation planning and priorities,” said Howard Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “We are very pleased the Federal District Court has ruled in our favor, which should bring the boondoggle proposed Illiana Tollway to an end.” The Federal District Court held that the Federal Highway Administration’s and Illinois Department of Transportation’s approvals of the final Tier One Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) were “arbitrary and capricious and in vio...

The Forest Preserve District of Will County's  Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville documents the history of the 1700's in the land that is now Illinois.  The museum features exhibits on the Great Lakes Fur Trade and the Potawatomi Native Americans.  The museum recently added a mural by artist  Jeanine Hattas Wilson.   Museum Supervisor Chris Gutmann sent Wilson photos of items on display at the Museum, including its birch bark canoe, and she incorporated them into the mural. The scene is set on the Des Plaines River, as is the museum, and a Potawatomi summer lodge sits across the river in the mural’s background. “That’s definitely my favorite thing to do, working in a museum and public spaces,” she said. “Using murals is a great way to tell historical stories. You want to capture a feeling for a moment. You’re capturing the story in one shot.” The mural cost $9,900 and was paid for with funds from the Forest Preserve's operating fund. Video of the...

By Ann Baskerville Federal Legislation transferring land that was the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant from the Department of the Army to the National Forest Service in 1995 outlined scientific, environmental and land use education and research as founding purposes for Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.  Midewin is fulfilling its mission this summer, partnering with colleges, high schools, and conservation groups to bring together young people from diverse backgrounds for a common purpose: restoring the native prairie at Midewin. North Lawndale College Prep and YCC students remove invasive species at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie High School Programs Midewin hosts two summer work programs for high school students, the Youth Conservation Corps and the National Forest Foundation North Lawndale College Prep High School Program. The Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is made up of six high students from communities near Midewin, including Wilmington, Kankakee, Brai...

By Ann Baskerville Prairie Volunteers and Boy Scouts spent a Saturday morning helping Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie staff take native prairie plants out of winter storage.  According to Midewin botanist Jennifer Durkin, native prairie seedlings are housed in bunkers during the winter because the seedlings are still developing a strong root system and can not handle harsh winter weather.  The same characteristics that made the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant bunkers good places to store ammunition make them ideal for storing baby plants.  The bunkers's solid concrete covered by earth creates an insulated space that allows the plants to survive even the drastically low temperatures we experienced this winter. Ammunition bunkers in Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.  Native prairie plant seedlings are stored in a bunker through winter. Native plants stored inside a bunker at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie Volunteers form an assembly line to...

The U.S. Forest Service will be holding an Open House on Wednesday April 3, 2013 for community members to come and learn more about the proposal to establish a bison herd on Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.  Staff and partners from the National Forest Foundation will be available to explain more about the proposal, the environmental assessment process, and answer questions.   The Open House will be held between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. at the   Midewin Welcome Center-- 30239 S. State Route Illinois 53, Wilmington, IL. The Forest Service at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (Midewin) is proposing to establish a small herd of bison on the Prairie and will be preparing an environmental assessment for Bison Herd Establishment in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  In partnership with the National Forest Foundation (NFF), Midewin is proposing to develop a bison grazing area on approximately 1,200 acres. ...

Updated info presented at an August 2013 Meeting at the Will Township building: Updated Maps of Illiana Corridor B3 (June 2013) Here are the maps showing the proposed B3 route for the proposed Illiana Expressway.  Maps are from the Illiana Corridor Study Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Add caption Map of the proposed Illiana Expressway Corridor B3 route through Symerton and crossing Cedar Road Map of the proposed Illiana Expressway Corridor B3 route as it connects with I-57 and goes south of Peotone Map of the proposed Illiana Expressway Corridor B3 route as it travels south of Beecher Map of the proposed Illiana Expressway Corridor B3 near the Illinois-Indiana State Line Map of the proposed Illiana Expressway Corridor B3 route as it connects with I-65 in Indiana Go HERE for an interactive map of the B3 Corridor.

UPDATE 2: April 2013 Public Meetings on Tier Two of the Illiana Corridor Study Here are the maps showing the proposed A3S2 route for the proposed Illiana Expressway.  Maps are from the Illiana Corridor Study Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Proposed Illiana Expressway A3S2 corridor from I-65 in Indiana, north of Lowell, Indiana Illiana Corridor A3S2 alignment south and east of Beecher, Illinois Illiana Corridor A3S2 as it goes north of the proposed Peotone Airport Illiana Corridor A3S2 as it travels south of Pauling Road Proposed Illiana Corridor A3S2 as it travels south of Manhattan, Illinois  Illiana Corridor A3S2 as it travels north of Elwood, Illinois and near Channahon, Illinois to connect with I-55

The Bloom Biodiesel Bus was recently on display at the Will County Earth Day Event at Lockport's Dellwood Park. The bus runs on biodiesel created by Bloom High School students as part of the Honors Chemistry Curriculum.  The students turn waste vegetable oil into biodiesel, a 5-step process, displayed below: For more information on this program, visit its website: www.bloombiodiesel.com

Hundreds of attendees enjoyed a variety of exhibits by local groups at the Earth Day Event at Dellwood Park sponsored by  Citizens Against Ruining the Environment . Here are some photos of the event (you can click on the pictures for a larger view):