Watershed Planning in DeKalb County
The goal of the CommunityWorks Land Use initiative is to equip DeKalb County, IL, decision-makers with tools and resources that support informed, sustainable land use decisions—particularly those impacting water resources. Using a watershed-based approach, this work addresses flooding, stormwater management, and long-term water quality.
In collaboration with local stakeholders, community partners, and expert consultants, planning efforts have focused on watershed areas spanning portions of DeKalb and Kane Counties. The DeKalb County Community Foundation plays a coordinating role in public outreach and, when applicable, supports implementation efforts through grantmaking.
For more information or to support land use and watershed planning initiatives, please contact Grants & Community Initiatives Director Jolene Willis at 815-748-5383 or j.willis@dekalbccf.org.
Initiative Results
The DeKalb County Stormwater Management Planning Committee and the DeKalb County Community Foundation collaborated to identify opportunities to address flooding and stormwater management issues across DeKalb County.In 2012, the Community Foundation partnered with DeKalb County Government to secure $58,615 from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for watershed planning in portions of DeKalb and Kane Counties.
CommunityWorks Funds provided a $30,000 cash match, along with local in-kind contributions, to support this $115,000 stakeholder-driven project. Coordinated by a 10-member Watershed Steering Committee, the 18-month effort focused on flooding and stormwater issues in three sub-watersheds in western Kane County and east-central DeKalb County, including the communities of Cortland, Maple Park, and portions of Sycamore. The Foundation’s primary role was to coordinate community outreach throughout the process.
For more information on watersheds in DeKalb County—including plans, best practices, regulations, and projects—visit the DeKalb County Watersheds website.
Watershed Planning Updates
Coming Soon!
Watershed-based planning continues for DeKalb County with the Central South Branch of the Kishwaukee River, a 67,000-acre watershed that includes Genoa, Kingston, Kirkland, and surrounding communities. The DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District recently received an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) 319 grant. This grant supports creating a watershed-based plan to help improve water quality in that area of the Kishwaukee River. A requirement to receive the IEPA grant was to secure matching dollars from a local partnering organization. The DeKalb County Community Foundation provided a $50,000 matching grant as a partner.
A watershed is any area of land in which water drains into a standard body of water, such as a stream, river, or lake. Watershed planning is crucial for various environmental, social, and economic reasons. Some issues addressed by having a watershed-based plan are water quality protection, flood mitigation, ecosystem conservation, sustainable agriculture, recreation and tourism, urban planning, and long-term planning.
In addition to the matching grant, the Community Foundation funded watershed signage for the Central South Branch Watershed.
June 2019 - On Saturday, June 8, more than 40 community members toured areas along the Kishwaukee River to learn about the Upper South Branch Kishwaukee River Watershed planning process by the DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District. The bus tour made stops at the Bayer Research Farm (Waterman), the head waters of the south branch of the Kishwaukee River, the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District (DeKalb) and Lions Park (DeKalb). Each stop featured a tour of the location, research information, and its importance to the watershed. The tour was sponsored by the DeKalb County Community Foundation, DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.June 2017 - The third DeKalb County Watershed Bus Tour took place on Saturday, June 17, 2017. Funded by the DeKalb County Community Foundation, the watershed tour was made possible through the joining efforts of the DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District, Northern Illinois University Depart of Geography, and the DeKalb County Watershed Steering Committee.
Tour stops included the headwaters of the South Branch of the Kishwaukee River, wetland, prairie, conservation and farmland best management practices, the Kishwaukee River Water Reclamation District wastewater treatment facility in DeKalb, the CHS Elburn plant in Sycamore, and examples of urban stormwater management projects.
Guiding the tour was Mike Konen, NIU Department of Geography and Dean Johnson DeKalb County Watershed Coordinator, and Resource Conservationist with the DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District.
August 2016 - The Sycamore Park District watershed improvement project has been completed. Three new interpretative signs have been installed (tees 10, 13, 15) explaining the importance of watershed management and the positive effects. Several areas along the East Branch of the South Branch of the Kishwaukee River have been redeveloped to restore native plant species to the banks which will improve water quality and control erosion. After years of discussion, data collecting, and mapping, it's exciting to see the first watershed improvement project completed.
October 2015 - The beginning stages of the Sycamore Park District watershed improvement project. This project focused on two river/riparian areas along the East Branch of the South Branch of the Kishwaukee River that runs through the Sycamore Golf Course. Immediate results improved water quality, erosion control, and restored native species. Education is another piece of this project including interpretative signs and other outreach in areas along the watershed.
The Community Foundation's commitment and support to land use is supported by 20 CommunityWorks Funds, collectively generating over $100,000 annually. We sincerely thank the generous donors whose support makes this work possible.
