BLOOMINGTON, Illinois, October 2, 2007 (ENS) - Restoration and enhancement of Kickapoo Creek in central Illinois today received a grant of $950,000 from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, through a section of the federal Clean Water Act that regulates stormwater runoff.

A residential development in Bloomington, The Grove on Kickapoo Creek, is being constructed in conjunction with the restoration. The headwaters of the creek and the riparian area will be surrounded by and will be a focal point of the planned residential subdivision.

The site incorporates the headwaters of Kickapoo Creek and the restored creek and riparian corridor will be integrated into an adjoining 20 acre park.

"There has been wonderful involvement by all the parties to get to this point and Bloomington will soon reap the rewards," said Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott. "Illinois waterways like Kickapoo Creek are great resources that need to be preserved and restored. I am hopeful that this grant will enhance Kickapoo Creek's natural beauty and benefit the entire ecosystem."

The funding announced today, along with funding from other partners, including the City of Bloomington, allows development of wetland detention within a natural stream design for The Grove residential development.

Runoff from the 480 acre Grove development, with its 196 homes, will be captured in large shallow wetland basins so that even during a 100 year rain event, the runoff is reduced to the flow resulting from a three year rain event.

When complete, the restored creek, native wetlands, trails and park will include over 80 acres. The developers of The Grove, Doud Builders, Inc., are donating this land to the City of Bloomington and the restored corridor will be maintained by the city's parks and recreation department.

Jon Scholl, an Illinois native who now serves as U.S. EPA agricultural policy counselor, announced at today's ceremony that the project has been designated as part of the National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Program, NNMP. This program was developed by the EPA under the Clean Water Act to measure water quality improvements from nonpoint source controls.

Kickapoo Creek is one of only three NNMP projects in the state of Illinois and one of 26 nationwide.

The restoration plan includes wetlands that are strategically placed to intercept overland runoff from the surrounding area and will control downstream impacts during the first flush of stormwater runoff.

In addition, stream sediment transport rates from drainage ditches in the upper 8,000 acres of agricultural row crops must be maintained in the naturalized stream reaches to prevent the loss of wetland plants and excessive sedimentation.

Kickapoo Creek and its tributaries are inhabited by smallmouth bass, spiny softshell turtles, yellow sandshell and fatmucket mussels, bullfrogs, red fox, mink, wood ducks and great blue herons. Streamside woodlands contain giant cottonwood and sycamore trees.

The resources of the City of Bloomington, the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, the developers and consultants, Illinois EPA, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, U.S. EPA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Friends of Kickapoo Creek are being utilized in this project.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2007. All rights reserved.