Staff outlines Kishwaukee watershed planning and funding options; wetland fund balance is minimal

McHenry County staff briefed the committee on progress toward watershed planning for the Kishwaukee River and associated funding strategies. The presentation covered a proposed watershed modeling program covering roughly 250 miles of stream network, coordination with neighboring counties and Wisconsin partners, and initial cost benchmarks drawn from other jurisdictions.

Staff said King County recently modeled part of the Fox River corridor at a preliminary cost of about $250,000 and suggested that similar modeling would inform McHenry County's watershed priorities. "We'd like to analyze these areas, use them in our flooding component, so water quality as well, and we would be developing projects throughout this entire watershed based on flooding and water quality," staff said. The plan includes forming a steering committee of municipal, township and county stakeholders and prioritizing grant programs that require no match (staff cited 604(b) grants).

The committee also discussed long-term maintenance and sustainable funding. Staff said the county's wetland restoration fund is very small — "About $53.54" — and proposed options including investing the principal to draw interest, using developer fees or fee-in-lieu mechanisms, and pursuing grants to seed projects. Staff emphasized that many of the county's existing detention basins are aging and will require maintenance; projects backed by grants would typically need 10 years of committed maintenance from the implementing partner.

Members asked whether state agencies or other public entities are exempt from fee requirements; staff confirmed government agencies are generally exempt from permitting fees but still must mitigate wetland impacts in permitting processes. Staff said they will continue developing watershed plans and funding proposals and expect to return to the committee with more detailed cost and grant information in coming months.