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| Forest Preserve District looking to buy land along Salt Creek | |
| Apr 16, 2008 | |
| Dan Petrella dpetrella@mysuburbanlife.com | |
| Suburban Life | |
| Pertains to Salt Creek Greenway, Wood Dale, Itasca | |
| The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is negotiating with property owners to buy 10 pieces of land along Salt Creek in Wood Dale. Creating open space along the stream will help create a buffer for flooding and improve water quality, officials and environmental advocates said. The Forest Preserve District Board voted Tuesday to enter into negotiations with 10 landowners who have said they may be willing to sell some or all of their property. The district originally contacted about 30 property owners along Salt Creek about its interest in purchasing their properties, district President Dewey Pierotti said. The parcels total about 33 acres, and the largest single lot is about 24 acres. The purchases would cost the district about $3 million. The money will come from funds set aside by former Illinois Senate President James "Pate" Philip to combat chronic flooding along Salt Creek. Kevin Stough, director of land preservation, said four of the parcels are north of Irving Park Road and adjacent to Salt Creek Marsh, and the remaining six are south of Irving Park and adjacent to Salt Creek Park. Pierotti said the district will not condemn any property and plans to offer contracts at market value to the owners who are willing to sell. Some owners plan to sell their entire property, while others are only willing to sell the portions abutting the stream, he said. Once the district takes control of the land, it will remove all structures and impervious surfaces, giving floodwaters somewhere to go without damaging homes. District Executive Director Brent Manning said converting the land to open space will help prevent rebuilding in flood-prone areas. "Lots of these areas are probably wetlands historically that were recharged by water coming over the top of the river," Manning said. Christine Oszak is a member of the Salt Creek Watershed Network, a volunteer group devoted to protecting the portion of Salt Creek running through DuPage and Cook counties. "The best way to improve water quality is to preserve and protect open land along rivers and streams," she said. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has set a number of pollution reduction goals for Salt Creek. These restrictions — called total maximum daily loads — set benchmarks to reduce the amount of chloride and copper and increase the level of dissolved oxygen in the stream. Pollution enters Salt Creek from road runoff and from 19 sanitary plants along the stream, Oszak said. In addition to the environmental benefits of the acquisitions, Forest Preserve District officials said they would have recreational benefits, including potentially helping pave the way for the proposed Salt Creek Greenway bike trail. |
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