Officials mark completion of Wolf Lake ecosystem restoration project  

Col. Jack Drolet and Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. look on as Rep. Peter Visclosky commends the Corps, City of Hammond and other local stakeholders for the completion of the Wolf Lake project. (Photos by Vanessa Villarreal)

After the ribbon-cutting event, from left, Col. Jack Drolet, Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. and Rep. Peter Visclosky pause for a talk along the Wolf Lake restoration project.

Mar. 28, 2008

By Vanessa Villarreal
Chicago District

Officials from the city of Hammond and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers joined Rep. Peter Visclosky at a ribbon-cutting event to mark the completion of the Wolf Lake Restoration Project on Sept. 14 at Wolf Lake's Forsythe Park in Hammond, Ind.
 
Wolf Lake is located on the northwest edge of Hammond, Ind., and the far southeast edge of Chicago.  The lake covers more than 450 acres in Indiana and has a maximum depth of 18 feet.  The ecosystem degradation problem in Wolf Lake included proliferation of exotic plant species, low diversity of plant and fish species, lack of adequate water depths, poor aquatic habitat, negative impacts from contaminants and shoreline erosion.
 
The purpose of the $7.3 million project was to correct erosion problems, restore native plant species, improve fish habitat and manage public access through the project area.  Restoration will improve water quality and enhance habitat for aquatic and terrestrial resources.  The project included enhancing and creating approximately 90 acres of aquatic and wetland habitat, restoring approximately 15,000 linear feet of shoreline, creating deep holes to locally diversify the lake bottom, controlling undesirable plants, clearing channels, and creating openings in dikes and causeways to improve water flow.  
   
"It's amazing to see how quickly some of the restoration initiatives generate results," said District Engineer Col. Jack Drolet.  "Within a few months, sponges that had not been seen in over a century were being discovered again in the lake."
   
As a long-time advocate for local environmental issues, Visclosky was able to secure $4.8 million in federal funds for the restoration of Wolf Lake.  He said that this lake restoration project fits into the spirit of the Marquette Plan, which is a strategy to invest in the South Shore of Lake Michigan in an effort to improve economic and recreational opportunities throughout the area.