History
About Woods Creek
The Village of Algonquin is home to six watercourses: Dixie Creek, Ratt Creek, Crystal Creek, Souwanas Creek, Woods Creek, and the Fox River. These watercourses weave their way throughout the Village before reaching the Fox River near the Village’s downtown.
Woods Creek begins near Boyer Rd and County Line Rd in Algonquin, running 6 miles to its confluence with Crystal Creek and the Fox River. It drains 8.6 square miles in Kane and McHenry counties. The Woods Creek Reach 6/7 Project extends the green infrastructure downstream, building on restoration efforts since 2005. The Village of Algonquin aims to improve water quality by completing projects listed in the Woods Creek Watershed Plan. The Woods Creek Reach 6/7 Project covers 27 acres and will conserve high quality habitat.
1840
Prior to European settlement, the Woods Creek watershed was primarily dominated by the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Woods Creek, as we now know it, started near Woods Creek Lake and only traveled a short way until converging with Crystal Creek and then the Fox River. The upstream areas were not a stream historically, but likely a series of wet pockets that flowed towards the Fox River only during periods of heavy precipitation
1939
With agricultural development of the area in the 19th century, the prairie was tilled under. Wet pockets were artificially drained using open ditches and clay drain tiles. Artificial draining was used to create additional arable land and this additional drainage formed the upper reaches of Woods Creek. The majority of water that flows through the creek at base flow consisted of water drained from agricultural fields.
2024
Algonquin was a small Village centered around the Fox River and extending outwards from the river by a few blocks for the majority of the 20th century. Starting in the 1980’s, the area experienced rapid growth with the population growing from 5,700 in 1980 to 30,000 inhabitants in 2010. Increased development within the Woods Creek watershed has directed additional storm water to the creek, causing increased storm water flows during rain events.
To date, the Village has conducted multiple successful restoration project within the Woods Creek watershed and the Woods Creek Reach 6/7 project is a continuation of this multi-year effort.
Previously Completed Restoration Projects within the Woods Creek Corridor:
Woods Creek Stream Restoration Projects
Woods Creek Reach 2 & 3 Restoration (3 acres): 2017
Woods Creek Reach 4 Restoration (16.5 acres): 2019
Woods Creek Trail Detention Restoration (1.7 acres): 2020
Woods Creek Reach 5 Restoration (15.3 acres): 2022
Spella Park Restoration Projects
Spella Park Wetland Hydrological Restoration (88 acres): 2005
Spella Sled Hill Restoration (9 acres): 2017
Spella Fen SW Restoration (11.5 acres): 2023
Other Restoration Projects
Grand Reserve Detention and Prairie Restoration (18.3 acres): 2005
Bunker Hill NW Restoration (4.4 acres): 2015
Spectrum Native Corridor Restoration (5 acres): 2021