Developing a comprehensive strategy to protect and restore lake waters and beaches in northern Cook County

Lake Michigan Watershed Restoration and Flood Mitigation Plan

Local and regional flooding causes problems within the historic Lake Michigan watershed north of Chicago and in surrounding communities, and stormwater discharges impact the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Wet weather also impacts regional wastewater interceptors, as well as the character of natural habitat and recreational areas within the watershed. All of these concerns are the focus of various regulatory and private efforts.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) brought us in to develop a comprehensive strategy for coordinated efforts around lakefront protection, mitigation and restoration projects, and to support community-backed objectives and regulatory requirements—the Lake Michigan Watershed Restoration and Flood Management Plan.

Our team completed a series of analyses and workshops that included discussions with regulators and environmental groups, examination of options for reducing flood risk as part of watershed restoration, analysis of pollutants in stormwater discharge, and modeling and analysis of capacity limitations within the MWRDGC interceptor systems.