Harvey Lake Shoreline Restoration
|
 
Harvey Lake is approximately 14 acres in area with over 5,200 feet of shoreline. The shoreline had become eroded due to overgrown buckthorn (rhamnus cathartica) and natural slopes. A grant from the North Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District was awarded to the Village for this project. Living Waters Consultants was the design engineer and Landscape Concepts Construction was the contractor.
Over 9.4 acres of buckthorn was cleared to create a native riparian area around the lake.
The lake was pumped down over 3 feet in depth to provide an area to install deep water stabilization techniques such as "off shore rock berms." It also assisted with other shoreline stabilization practices without causing turbidity in the lake.
Installation of the "off shore rock berm."
Installation of the "off shore log berm." In this area, stone was placed at normal water level. The area between logs and the stone was left 4" to 6" lower to create a wetland area around the lake.
 
After various shoreline stabilization practices were installed, the slopes were reshaped and seeded with native seed mixes and erosion control blankets were installed.
In late spring native shrub live stakes were installed near normal water level. In early summer, over 32,000 native plant plugs were installed from deep water and shallow water emergents to middle upper bank plants. The contractor used a temporary sprinkler system for six weeks to water the plant plugs and very few plant plugs were lost.
In August, the contractor pumped water from a neighboring lake to fill Harvey Lake to the normal water level. The water filled into the lake through the overflow pipe. In doing so carp in the lake swam to this moving water, through the pipe and were trapped in a low area. Hundreds of carp were naturally removed. The lake was then stocked with catfish, pike and walleye.
HARVEY LAKE IN AUGUST AT THE NORMAL WATER LEVEL
|
©2007 Vernon Hills Village Hall, All rights reserved.
Web site design and Web site development by Americaneagle.com
