11. PRSR 03-10-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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r ~.1k °r J a ~'~ the planting carefidly," he says, "be- cause you want the soil ro be sarunt- ed but not... Flooding." At Independence Grove's center, u sinuous l li-acre lake unifies pralnes and woodland with ml- merous recreational opportunities. The Forest Preserves' grading design includes three completely sheltered bays with openings spanned by pedes- trian bridges. The former quarrys most developed quadrant lies on the lake's southeastern shore, where the visitor center, Lake Front Plaza, and swimming beach look out over the ma- rinaand boathouse. "There are u number of things we're balancing here," Fenelon says. He points' out that even though prairie plantings and native forest management are important environmental benefits, Inde- pendence Grove also maintains about 20 acres of mowed grass on the lake shores and peninstdas-"almost all of which is used for picnics on busy days." Off-the-shelf Cor-Ten steel botlards in the shape of lighthouses cast intimate pools of light along the lakefronc on summer evenings and guide viskors during after- hoursevents ac the visimr center and in the nearby Native Crarden. At the beginning of a small stream, artist Erik Blome sculpted a bronze Headwaters Fountain that cele- brates the work of such environmentalists as Rachel Carson and John Muir. Just ro the east is the Millennia Plaza, where during the warmer months visirors enjoy performances against the backdrop of the lake and marina. In addition ro the Headwarers Formtain, Blome cast the medal- lion ar the plaza's center that depicts Lake County's four ecosystems: prairie, savan- nah, wetland, and woodland. Fenelon oversees a staff of seven in-house landscape architects who manage the dis- trict's holdings- ~Imosr 10 percent of Lake County. Over nearly two decades, this in- house team guided the privately owned quarry operation with an eye ro the future park that it worild finance, and then they led the design for Independence Grove at all stages. While a large volunteer corps maintains prairie hillsides that wind azound the for the more-manicured gardens near the met gturry. °Weeding is the biggest chal- Millennia Plaza and the Headwaters, the lenge," Fenelon says of these areas, which disaicc hires contractors to maintain the are coasrantly under threat from suburban LESSONS FOR FUTURE MINING RECLAMATION A 20-YEAR PROTECT IN PLANNING, CONSTRUCTION, AND PUBLIC OUTREACH, INDEPENDENCE GROVE offers the following lessons for landscape architects seeking to reclaim quarties for recre• ational uses: ~!- Develop an aggressive mining contract. Because suburban contractors require immense quantities of concrete, they can realize significant savings if the quarry source is nearby. Pub- lic owners of sand and gravel quarries can benefit from contracts that aggressively seek royal- tiesand in-kind services such as grading. and clean fill following design specifications. ;t Educate the public. Sand and gravel quarries aremessy yet proFdable operations for park districts. Lake County Forest Preserves staff keld numerous public input meetings,. cleaned debris and dust, and helped the public to visualize park amenities such as buildings and paths that would accrue from mining revenue. i- Time quarry planting. Because most quarry lakes are filled with groundwater, planners must ensure that. riparian plantings are installed whenthe water reaches a level to nourish their roots. Ideally, the planting can be timed to take advantage of moist soils before the wa- ter reaches its full depth. !' Control sik and erosion. Runoff from exposed surrounding slopes and shoreline ero- sion can seriously harm upland plantings and water quality. Sifl fences should be used exten- sively, and underwater shelves with small berms should be designed to protect the shore from wave action and to capture soil runoff. ;r/- Create a management plan. Because native plantings are the most environmentally and financially sustainable solutions for the open areas surrounding former quarries, their in- tegrity must be preserved through management of invasive species. A budget and contractors for this work should be established early on. Developing an illustrated guidebook of the most invasive weeds and training contractors to recognize them is advisable. 54l ,?-tJ % ~. ndL C.-+ry FEa ROa RY 3004 Recalling the Craftsman influence of the visflors center, the marina, above, is one of many amenities made possible through the fees generated from the earlier quawy operefion.