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Wolf Lake, Indiana, Ecosystem Restoration Project
Midwest Region, August 13, 2004
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Biologists from the Fish and Wildlife Service's Bloomington and Northern Indiana field offices and the Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife have been working with the Chicago District, Corps of Engineers and the Hammmond Parks Department on an ecosystem restoration project for the Indiana portion of this bi-state lake. Illinois had also hoped to be involved, but funding issues precluded active participation. Planning has been underway for several years, and it is hoped that construction can begin in fall 2005. The Wolf Lake area in southern Chicago and northern Hammond was originally almost entirely wetlands. When the State line was being surveyed in 1821, the surveyor commented that "the region could never be settled and that it would never be of any value to the states." In the past 180 years, however, the lake and wetlands have been excavated for sand fill, partially filled with molten poured slag and other industrial waste, had railroads, powerlines, and the Indiana Toll Road constructed through them, and otherwise abused. Although the native fishery of lake sturgeon, northern pike, Iowa darter, banded killifish, and other species has been hard hit, it was replaced with a heavily utilized sport fishery of bass, walleye, and other popular species. Since the Corps' ecosystem restoration projects are required to address native fish species and not introduced sport fisheries, a conflict arose with the sport fishing community and the Corps over restoration proposals that were seen to possibly not benefit the current fishery. The FWS and IDNR have been working with the Corps and the sport fishing community to design a project that will hopefully benefit the lake's water quality and fishery habitat. This includes restoration of former wetlands that have been lost to wind erosion and filling; control of invasive Eurasion watermilfoil, purple loosestrife, and common reed; and the careful placement of "hard" surfaces at specific depths -- all of which is hoped will help the remaining native darters and killifish while also benefiting the popular sport fishery, and also providing habitat for rare amphibians.

Contact Info: Midwest Region Public Affairs, 612-713-5313, charles_traxler@fws.gov



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