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Lily Cache
Lily Cache Wetland Mitigation Bank
104.52 acres restored, 92.14 mitigation credits
Wetland Banker: Land and Water Resources, Inc. (LAWR)
Land Owner: Corridor I Associates
Long Term Manager and Land Owner: Will County Forest Preserve District
USACOE Permit 200000642
Status: Fully Built, Met Final Performance for AMCE & All Credits Released
LAWR teamed up with Corridor I Associates to develop a 100 acre site containing wetland mitigation bank and upland prairie in Bolingbrook, Will County, Illinois. LAWR was responsible for all aspects of the bank from conception, permitting, development, financing, construction, operation, and sales. Corridor I Associates provided the land.
The site, prior to permitting, was a 124 acre farm field primarily within the floodplain of both the Lily Cache Creek and an unnamed tributary to Lily Cache Creek. Lily Cache Creek is tributary to the DesPlaines River. The field was extensively tiled and several small farmed wetland pockets existed on the site. This stretch of both Lily Cache Creek and its tributary had been ditched to allow for farming activities. Additional areas were graded to lower the ground to the proper elevation for wetland creation. The project was initially submitted for permitting in 2000, but then withdrawn due to the fall out of the SWANCC decision by the Supreme Court. The project was re-submitted in 2004, constructed in 2005.
The landowner desired to create two building pads out of the floodplain and the Village of Bolingbrook desired to extend Remington Road through the south end of the site. LAWR designed and built the site to create over 81 acre feet of flood storage, create 2 ten acre building pads, raise the extended Remington Road out of the floodplain, and create and restore the wetland areas. In addition Lily Cache Creek was re-graded to remove the steep side slopes and to create a wider 2 year flood channel and riffle structures were added for aquatic habitat. In addition to all this, the Bolingbrook Park District desired to extend a regional bike trail through the site. LAWR was able to accommodate this request and built an asphalt path through the site.
LAWR was able to create and sell 92.2 acres of wetland mitigation credit to offset wetland impact. 62.3 acres of this credit is being sold to the City of Chicago to partially offset the impacts to wetlands caused by the expansion of O’Hare Airport. The landowner will transfer the land to the Kane County Forest Preserve District, which is obtaining a 92 acre natural area at no cost to the taxpayers.
Management activities at the site included aggressive herbiciding of invasive species, mowing and burning. Over 124 plant species have been identified at the site in the second year of growth. Of these, 65% are native species. The site has achieved moderate to high quality natural area status as defined by Swink and Wilhelm (1994). This bank is currently in operation by LAWR.