Watershed Partnership Formed Through Barrington Area Conservation Trust

The Barrington Area Conservation Trust announced that it has formed the Tower Lakes Drain Watershed Partnership as part of its efforts to protect wetlands in the watershed and to address concerns about the water quality of many of the recreational lakes and streams in the northern Barrington communities.

The goal of the partnership will be to join with municipalities and other conservation organizations in the Tower Lakes Drain to improve stormwater management and water quality through a long-term watershed action plan. The Tower Lakes Drain includes portions of Lake Barrington, Tower Lakes, North Barrington, Port Barrington, Hawthorn Woods, and other municipalities. Timber Lake, Tower Lakes, Lake Barrington and Lake Fairview are some of the lakes in the drain.

“The pending DuMucci proposal and continuing problems with flooding, invasive species, sediment build-up and algae growth in many of these lakes point to the need for a cooperative effort to address these shared issues,” said Karen Yancey, BACT Executive Director.

A watershed plan is a work plan for achieving water resource goals that provide assessment and management information for a geographically defined watershed. It includes the analyses, participants and resources related to development and implementation of the plan. As part of the partnership, the BACT will be applying for grants from both the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (LCSMC).

“For years we have needed a cooperative effort to help restore and improve the Tower Lakes Drain, part of which is in Cuba Township,” said David F. Nelson, Cuba Township Supervisor and past president of the Conservation Trust. “The Barrington Area Conservation Trust has both the staff and expertise to coordinate this effort.”

Stevenson Mountsier, LCSMA chairman, said that the commission would also lend support to the project. “The Tower Lakes Drain is an integral part of the Fox River Watershed and all of its water drains into the Fox River,” said Mountsier. “We want to continue to restore and improve the water quality in the Fox River and all the surrounding lakes in the area and this partnership is a big step in the right direction.”

The Barrington Area Conservation Trust has protected more than 475 acres of open lands in the Barrington Area.   Its mission is to preserve the open space, rural character and scenic, historic recreational and natural resources of the Barrington communities. For more information, go to www.bactrust.org.