The Wetlands Initiative

TO RESTORE THE WETLAND RESOURCES OF THE MIDWEST.

ON-THE-GROUND RESTORATION - DURING 2023 THE WETLANDS INITIATIVE'S ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION WORK CONTINUED TO GROW ACROSS ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. THE FIELD RESTORATION TEAM AT TWI'S 3,000-ACRE SUE AND WES DIXON WATERFOWL REFUGE IN NORTH-CENTRAL ILLINOIS MADE PROGRESS ON MULTIPLE FOCUSED HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECTS. WITH STATE GRANT FUNDING FOR ENHANCEMENT OF THE RARE WETLAND HABITATS AT THE 26-ACRE DORE SEEP NATURE PRESERVE WITHIN THE REFUGE, RESTORATION TECHNICIANS WORKED TO MANAGE INVASIVE CATTAIL AND AGGRESSIVE WOODY SHRUBS THAT HAD BEGUN TO DOMINATE THE SEEP. IN 2023, TWI'S ALSO COMPLETED THE VIOLET MEADOW TRAIL AND RESTORATION PROJECT, WHICH TRANSFORMED 292 ACRES AT THE REFUGE'S NORTH END TO HEALTHY, HIGH-QUALITY WETLAND, WOODLAND, AND PRAIRIE HABITATS. TWI HAS CREATED A LOW-IMPACT GRAVEL HIKING TRAIL LEADING THROUGH THIS SPECIAL AREA, CULMINATING IN A LOW BIRDING/VIEWING PLATFORM THAT OVERLOOKS THE MARSH. AT MIDEWIN NATIONAL TALLGRASS PRAIRIE IN WILL COUNTY, THE LARGEST PROTECTED OPEN SPACE IN THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN REGION AND THE NATION'S FIRST NATIONAL TALLGRASS PRAIRIE, TWI COMPLETED THE SEVENTH AND FINAL YEAR OF A MASSIVE 2,000-ACRE HABITAT RESTORATION EFFORT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION AND THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE. AFTER MANY ROUNDS OF NATIVE PLANTING AND CONTROL OF INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES, A VAST LANDSCAPE OF NATIVE WETLANDS AND PRAIRIES HAS BEEN REESTABLISHED, BENEFITING RARE INSECTS, BIRDS, AND WILDLIFE AND OPEN FOR PUBLIC ENJOYMENT WITHIN THIS PERMANENTLY PROTECTED SITE. LATER IN 2023, TWI COLLABORATED WITH THE FOREST SERVICE AND OPENLANDS TO PLAN AND SECURE FUNDING FOR THE FIRST STAGE OF THE GRANT CREEK STREAM RESTORATION AT MIDEWIN, A MULTI-PHASE PROJECT THAT WOULD INVOLVE MIDEWIN'S FIRST STREAM RE-MEANDERING AND COULD ULTIMATELY BECOME THE LARGEST WATERSHED RESTORATION COMPLETED IN THE CHICAGO WILDERNESS REGION.FINALLY, IN 2023, TWI'S COLLABORATIVE PROJECT WORK ACROSS THE URBAN BI-STATE CALUMET REGION EXPANDED SIGNIFICANTLY. WITH OUR PARTNERS, TWI BEGAN NEW PHASES OF PLANNING, ON-THE-GROUND RESTORATION, AND/OR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WORK WITH NEW MAJOR FUNDING ACROSS THREE DIFFERENT SITES IN SOUTHEAST CHICAGO AND AT MULTIPLE PARCELS ALONG THE WEST BRANCH OF THE LITTLE CALUMET RIVER FLOODPLAIN CORRIDOR IN NORTHWEST INDIANA. APPLYING OUR UNIQUE COMBINATION OF ECOLOGY AND ENGINEERING EXPERTISE, TWI DEPLOYED IMPORTANT HYDROLOGIC IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL FACILITATE THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF HEALTHY HEMI-MARSH AT THESE HEAVILY ALTERED BUT IMPORTANT REMNANT WETLAND SITES. THIS WORK INCLUDED INSTALLING WATER CONTROL STRUCTURES AT DEADSTICK POND IN CHICAGO AND THE HIGHLAND ROOKERY AND MLK-SOUTH PARCELS IN NW INDIANA AND SHORELINE MODIFICATION AT INDIAN RIDGE MARSH NORTH IN CHICAGO TO RE-CREATE A NATURAL SHORELINE GRADIENT AND HABITAT TRANSITION ZONE. MEANWHILE, IN 2023 TWI PARTNERED WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY AND THE ILLINOIS INTERNATIONAL PORT DISTRICT TO BEGIN INITIAL RESTORATION STEPS AT SQUARE MARSH, LOCATED AT THE NORTH END OF HISTORIC LAKE CALUMET.

INNOVATION OF NEW STRATEGIES - OVER 2023, TWI'S SMART WETLANDS PROJECT TEAM BUILT NEW HIGH-LEVEL PARTNERSHIPS AND EXECUTED A NEW PROJECT BUSINESS PLAN, ADDING STAFF CAPACITY WITH A NEW ENGINEER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF INCREASING LANDOWNER INTEREST IN FARM TILE-TREATMENT WETLANDS TO REDUCE NUTRIENT RUNOFF. COLLABORATIONS WITH DUCKS UNLIMITED AG-FOCUSED STAFF AND THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE'S PARTNERS FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE PROGRAM ENABLED TWI TO EXPAND OUR OFFERING OF FIELD EVENTS IN 2023 AND TO DRAW NEW AUDIENCES TO LEARN ABOUT ON-FARM WETLANDS FOR WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT. MEANWHILE, TWI'S FIELD OUTREACH TEAM CONTINUED TO IDENTIFY NEW FARMER PROSPECTS, PRESENT TO FARM ADVISER GROUPS TO SPREAD THE WORD, AND PARTICIPATE IN LANDOWNER MEETINGS ACROSS THE PROJECT'S SEVEN-COUNTY FOCUS AREA IN NORTH-CENTRAL ILLINOIS.ALSO IN 2023, TWI PARTICIPATED IN PLANNING EFFORTS THAT WILL SUPPORT FUTURE EXPANSION IN THE USE OF ON-FARM WETLANDS FOR NUTRIENT REMOVAL ACROSS ILLINOIS. WORKING WITH AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST, TWI STAFF CONDUCTED WATERSHED MODELING TO HELP DEVELOP A WATERSHED PLAN FOR THE VERMILION RIVER HEADWATERS. THIS IS A PRIORITY WATERSHED WHERE THERE IS HIGH POTENTIAL FOR VOLUNTARY FARM CONSERVATION PRACTICES TO BE DEPLOYED THAT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE WATER QUALITY. THE WETLANDS INITIATIVE IS INCREASINGLY PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING ITS WORK WITH A FOCUS ON THE POWERFUL ROLE THAT WETLAND RESTORATION CAN PLAY IN ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIETAL ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. THE MIDWEST'S CLIMATE IS ALREADY SHIFTING STEADILY TOWARD MORE-INTENSE RAINFALL EVENTS, LONGER DRY SPELLS, AND IRREGULAR SEASONAL PRECIPITATION PATTERNS. RESTORED FRESHWATER WETLANDS PROVIDE RESILIENCE FUNCTIONS AND SERVICES THAT INCLUDE STORING PRECIPITATION AND RUNOFF, MITIGATING LOCAL FLOOD RISKS, RECHARGING GROUNDWATER SUPPLIES DURING DROUGHTS, FILTERING AND PROCESSING NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTANTS, AND PROVIDING HABITAT REFUGES FOR DIVERSE SPECIES, AS WELL AS SEQUESTERING SOME ATMOSPHERIC CARBON IN HIGHLY ORGANIC SOILS.