Information
Project Home
Photo GalleryBathymetric Map

Wolf Lake

Project Manager: Kirston Buczak

Authority:

Section 206, Water Resources Development Act 1996, as amended (Continuing Authority Program)

Project Description:

Wolf Lake is located on the northwest edge of Hammond, Indiana and the far south east edge of Chicago Illinois.  The Illinois-Indiana state line very nearly bisects the lake system.  The lake covers more than 450 acres in Indiana and has a maximum depth of 18 feet.  The lake is separated into pools by dikes, constructed during sand and gravel dredging for the Tollway, that cross the lake. 

This project is now complete.  The purpose of the project was to improve the ecosystem by restoring natural water levels, creating wetlands, stabilizing shoreline and improving habitat for plant, fish and wildlife communities.  Approximately 25 acres of new aquatic and wetland habitat plantings were introduced at the site, which will consolidate and expand to provide additional habitat.  Other project features include restoring approximately 5,000 linear feet of shoreline, creating deep holes to locally diversify the lake bottom, controlling aquatic and shoreline exotic and undesirable plant species using herbicidal and biological controls, clearing channels, and creating openings in dikes and causeways to restore natural water levels in the project area.

Costs:

Current Status:

Construction of islands and wetland plantings was completed on 14 September 2007.  The 1 year monitoring of the Ecosystem restoration by the contractor and USACE Chicago District is complete.  Fiscal closeout will occur by September of 2011.

Project Sponsors:

The City of Hammond