Carpenter Creek at Lake Marian Road Stream Restoration

Village of Carpentersville

OBJECTIVE

A sheet piling wall adjacent to Carpenter Creek and Lake Marian Road in the Village of Carpentersville failed and was replaced as part of an emergency repair. As part of the repair and restoration process, a portion of Carpenter Creek was inadvertently filled in, resulting in a shortening of the channel. This project aimed to re-establish the channel length while providing additional streambank stabilization and enhanced aquatic habitats.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Prior to the emergency sheet piling wall repair, this segment of Carpenter Creek was noted to include deep, eroded pools of stagnant water and severely eroded banks. The emergency repair resulted in the removal of approximately 100 feet of channel length. The purpose of this project was to re-establish the lost channel length while incorporating additional stabilization practices to improve the creek and protect the sheet piling wall.

The project design included flat benches adjacent to the creek with mesic native plantings, rock toes on the outside edges of the creek’s curves, rock riffles crossing the creek at three locations, root wads, and native seeding. It also included additional riprap to stabilize the area near the sheet piling wall and provide additional separation between the creek and the wall.

Engineering work included topographic survey, drainage design, structural design, environmental design, permitting through the Army Corps of Engineers and the Kane/DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District, and the preparation of plans, special provisions, and a cost estimate.

The project resulted in an improved channel that is better protected from erosion and more attractive to wildlife. A three-year monitoring period is currently underway to ensure that the native plants establish.