Project Overview Complete
Spillways are structures which allow for the controlled overflow of water from a lake. Due to failure of the steel holding up the walls of the outflow area and the presence of extensive invasive species, the Lake of the Woods spillway was in need of renovation. The retaining walls have been removed, the ground has been regraded, rock has been placed, and native plantings have been seeded to create a naturalized dry bed stream. The plants will fill in over time to give it a more finished appearance.
The scope included:
- removing existing sheetpiling
- removing invasive woody vegetation
- regrading the side slopes
- installing rock and native vegetation to prevent erosion
No work was completed on the dam or emergency spillway (the concrete structure embedded in the road) as those are both functioning as designed.
Funding for the spillway renovation was granted to the Forest Preserves from the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) after passage of the 2019 Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan, the state’s first comprehensive capital plan since 2009.