CHICAGO – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released for 30-day public review the River Riparian Connectivity & Habitat - Section 506 WRDA 2000 Detailed Project Report & Environmental Assessment. The study area consists of three contiguous parks that straddle the Chicago River: Ronan Park, River Park and Legion Park. Benefits resulting from this project would include improved fish passage and fish habitat, improved migratory bird habitat, and restoration of approximately 49 acres of native Oak Savanna and riverine wetlands.
The River Riparian project at River Park would include removing 390 linear feet of in-channel concrete and a dam on the North Branch Chicago River, and replacing them with natural riverine materials of boulder, cobble, gravel and sand as well as native plantings. At Legion Park the steep river banks of the North Shore Channel will be regraded to a gentler slope and invasive and non-native trees, shrubs, grasses and forbs, will be removed and replaced with wetland and savanna areas. Work at Ronan Park will also include removal of non-native and invasive species and replacing them with savanna and parkland natural areas.
The report is available at http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorksProjects/RiverRiparian.aspx. Comments must be received by June 26, 2016. Comments can be submitted via email to ChicagoDistrict.Pao@usace.army.mil or via postal mail to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, ATTN: CELRC-PL-E (River Riparian), 231 S. LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60604. Questions can be directed to the Public Affairs Office at (312) 846-5330.
Release no. 16-006