LOOKING NORTH: VIEW OF NORTH MILL CREEK RESTORATION AND TRAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, TAKEN NOVEMBER 1, 2018.
GO WITH THE The EVOLUTION of ETHEL’S WOODS
TRANSFORMING AN IMPAIRED LAKE INTO A HEALTHY,
nature’s cleansing process. They hold and store pollutants
MEANDERING STREAM THAT NATURALLY GOES WITH
instead of cleaning them. In terms of water quality,
THE FLOW TOOK YEARS OF WATERSHED PLANNING—
Rasmussen Lake was among the county’s worst, ranking
AND PATIENCE. THE RESULTS ARE QUITE IMPRESSIVE.
second to last.
More than a decade ago, we began a major ecological
Faced with options on how best to proceed—do nothing,
restoration effort to improve water quality and reestablish
dredge lake, restore stream—our Board of Commissioners
the native landscapes of Ethel’s Woods Forest Preserve
chose nature’s way. In 2007, they made the decision
(Antioch). Many discussions by our ecologists and
to restore the original flow of North Mill Creek through
land planners at the start of the project focused on the
Ethel’s Woods. And, they approved measures to remove
preserve’s serpentine-shaped lake.
the dam and slowly drain the lake to allow a new stream
At first glance, Rasmussen Lake seemed possible for recreation use, but beneath the surface were real problems.
channel and floodplain to be constructed, ultimately returning the landscape to a more natural state.
The shallow 58-acre man-made lake, fed by North Mill
When Ethel’s Woods opens to the public in summer 2019,
Creek, was in bad shape. The shoreline was eroded with
we think you’ll agree this hidden gem was well worth the
steep drop-offs. The basin was a mucky mess, packed
wait. Turn the page for a visual timeline of the evolution
with several feet of thick, pudding-like sediment built up
of restoration activity and a sneak peek of the preserve
behind a 600-foot-long earthen dam. Dams are barriers to
under construction. LAK E COUNTY FOR E ST PRE S E RVES
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