Cricket Creek - Levee Maintenance & Habitat Restoration
Cricket Creek Forest Preserve in Addison was likely prairie until European settlement, when it started transforming into agricultural fields. The DuPage Forest Preserve District acquired the first 40 acres in 1974 and made subsequent purchases through 2016, eventually transforming a flood-prone housing development into a forest preserve.
The Forest Preserve District is currently conducting levee maintenance and habitat improvements at Cricket Creek Forest Preserve. Work began in late January 2020 and will continue through summer 2022.
Apr
2022
Status: In Progress
The Forest Preserve District has hired RES Great Lakes and its subcontractor, Homer Tree Service, to conduct levee maintenance and habitat improvements at Cricket Creek Forest Preserve beginning the week of Jan. 18, 2021. During the winter, crews will remove all brush and trees from the levee system and remove invasive trees and brush from the wetlands and natural areas. This work will finish by late April 2022.
After the levee maintenance work is done, these areas will be seeded in spring and summer with native cover to better stabilize the slopes. Newly seeded areas will be rough mowed several times over the growing season to minimize the return of brush and help establish the grass.
In total, the District will enhance approximately 46 acres. The habitat improvement portion of the project will create a larger and more functional restored wetland landscape. Native wildflowers and grasses will increase through seeding and planting, resulting in a healthier and more sustainable habitat along Salt Creek.
The contractors will provide maintenance on the levee for 6 years.
Funding
The project costs approximately $429,000, with $338,000 funded from DuPage County Stormwater Management wetland mitigation revenue and $91,000 from the Forest Preserve District budget.
