Will County protects aquifer recharge zone

Excerpts from an article published in Chicago Wilderness Magazine, Winter 2007 issue

By Jessica Tobacman

"An intergovernmental agreement has resulted in the creation of 730-acre Prairie Bluff Preserve from land in Crest Hill, Illinois, that served as a buffer for nearby Stateville Prison.

After six years of negotiations led by State Rep. Brent Hassert, R-Romeoville, commissioners of the Forest Preserve District of Will County unanimously approved the agreement.

...

Prairie Bluff includes about 40 percent of the groundwater recharge area for the Lockport preserve. Maintaining the area as open space, rather than developing it, will allow surface water to enter the ground and replenish the aquifer below.

Residents of Romeoville and Crest Hill depend entirely on groundwater for their drinking water supply, so protecting the recharge zone is a high priority." (read more)