In 2015, the Sycamore Park District received a grant from the DeKalb County Community Foundation to fund a watershed restoration project along the branch of the Kishwaukee River that flows through the golf course. The project’s focus is directed by goals in the Union Ditch/Virgil Ditch & East Branch Kishwaukee River Watershed Planning Steering Committee’s Watershed Plan which outlines best management practices for local waterways. Planning was engineered and implementation will be carried out by ENCAP of DeKalb. This joint effort to manage waterways in a responsible way will not only raise awareness of environmental conservation in the area, but it will add a unique aesthetic to this already beautiful and historic course.
A Healthy Waterway Will:
- Reduce existing flood damage and help prevent it from worsening.
- Improve stormwater management by reducing runoff and encouraging infiltration.
- Improve surface water and groundwater quality.
- Reduce sediment and chemical loading.
- Increase and improve wildlife habitat
- Lessen maintenance costs.
- Add to the aesthetics and experience of golfing on the course.
Timeline of Work in 2016
| Brush Clearing of Non-Native Vegetation: Winter months are ideal for removing large woody vegetation. Once removed, the brush piles will be burned on site. | February – March |
| Grading and Seed Blanket Installation: The shoreline will be leveled to fill in damage from erosion and prepare the area for plantings. Then, seed blankets will be laid to aid germination. | March – April |
| Herbicide Application: Herbicide is used to remove the non-native springtime vegetation. | April – May |
| Native Seeding & Installation of Native Plugs: Native wetland species will be planted along the shoreline by a method appropriate to each section’s terrain and conditions. | May – June |
| Maintenance/Monitoring of Natural Areas – through Fall 2019 | |
| The timing and management of this project will place care for course conditions and minimal play interference as its top priorities. Golfers are asked to be cautious while walking or driving near work zones and delicate new planting sites until vegetation is established. Signs on the course will designate areas that need special care or that are inaccessible. | |
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