TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF MAY 5, 2016
COMMITTEE ON MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS
Mr. David St. Pierre, Executive Director
Title
Authority to enter into a Partnership Agreement with DuPage County Stormwater Management, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, and the DuPage River Salt Creek Work Group to facilitate the sharing of resources and responsibilities to better protect West Branch of the DuPage River and the Salt Creek watersheds in a responsible manner
Body
Dear Sir:
Authorization is requested to enter into a partnership agreement with DuPage County Stormwater Management (SWM), the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County (FPDDC), and the DuPage River Salt Creek Work Group (DRSCW), hereinafter referred to as the “Partnership Agencies”. Each entity has a stake in the improvement of watershed health and its capacity to store floodwaters and has valuable experience in the areas of flood relief, water quality and resource restoration and protection.
The region served by this partnership consists of highly urbanized areas that create significant challenges in mitigating excess precipitation runoff and wastewater dominance while providing watershed resource protection. The Partnership Agencies are leaders in the reduction of flooding, improved water quality in our water resources, natural area protection and enhancement, and protection of wildlife. Despite the achievements made by each organization, it is the belief of the Partnership Agencies that they can advance the overall protection of our watersheds through a shared and interactive process. This Partnership brings considerable skills and abilities together to further efficiently protect and enhance our watersheds.
This Agreement will cover all of the resources, responsibilities and activities under the jurisdiction of the District, SWM, FPDDC and DRSCW within the watersheds of the West Branch DuPage River, East Branch DuPage River and Salt Creek, located in DuPage and Cook Counties. This is an area of small and large streams, associated tributaries, and significant subsequent natural resources. All of these resources are impacted to some degree by a heavily urbanized landscape.
The vision of the Partnership is to restore, manage and protect our valuable urban watersheds through the collaborative efforts of the Partnership Agencies. Watershed boundaries do not conform to political jurisdictions and we are all responsible for the impacts of our land use decisions. This Partnership is a model for creating healthy, resilient watersheds through responsible ecosystem management for the benefit of people, vegetation and wildlife. By sharing knowledge and resources, the Partnership Agencies can work together more efficiently to meet joint objectives including the protection of property and the goals of the Clean Water Act.
Since 1988, SWM has been at the forefront of regional stormwater planning. SWM provides watershed planning, water quality programs, protection of natural resources, floodplain mapping, regulatory services, and operation and maintenance of flood control facilities throughout DuPage County.
Since 1915, the FPDDC has been responsible for evaluating, assessing, inventorying, conserving and restoring the FPDDC’s natural resources including plant and animal communities in terrestrial and aquatic resources. The FPDDC is committed to the responsible and sustainable preservation and use of the natural lands and waterways under its protection for current and future generations.
The DRSCW is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation formed in 2005 as a local stakeholders group with the purpose of studying and improving the West Branch DuPage River, East Branch DuPage River and Salt Creek to meet the goals and regulations of the Clean Water Act. Members include the municipalities, wastewater authorities, environmental advocacy groups, professional firms, and private companies and individuals located in those watersheds. The DRSCW has built a comprehensive stream resource data set and conducted extensive analyses to understand the impairments in specific reaches of each waterway and to identify priority projects to improve biotic indexes. In 2015, the DRSCW negotiated a member Agency wastewater NPDES permit condition with state and federal regulatory agencies which includes a schedule and funding mechanism to implement the aforementioned priority projects.
The District was one of the founding members of the DRSCW and has a long-standing history of collaborative watershed management activities, including the recent Chi-Cal River Project and Busse Woods Reservoir South Dam Modification Project.
At the Study Session of November 19, 2015, DRSCW presented for consideration by the District to voluntarily support water quality improvement projects up to $2 million. Several priority projects were presented, including three located along the West Branch of the DuPage River, which is the receiving stream for the Hanover Park WRP; and Salt Creek, which is the receiving stream for the Egan WRP. The lead project agencies are SWM and FPDDC. The role of DRSCW is the identification of the water quality benefits of these projects, prioritization, and preliminary engineering.
Entering into this Partnership Agreement does not in any way preclude or supersede the autonomy and/or priorities of any Partnership Agency. This document does not legally obligate in any way any Partnership Agency to contribute financial resources, materials, or personnel to this initiative. As the group begins to implement collaborative conservation projects, subsequent agreements between involved parties may be necessary.
Entering into this Partnership Agreement would entail a signing ceremony to be held on May 25, 2016.
Requested, Brett A. Garelli, Acting Director of Maintenance and Operations, AQ/SOC/MAG
Respectfully Submitted, Frank Avila, Chairman Committee on Maintance and Operations
Disposition of this agenda item will be documented in the official Regular Board Meeting Minutes of the Board of Commissioners for May 5, 2016
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