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Eugene field206 2016_09_22
1. Eugene Field Park
Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program
Section 206, WRDA 1998
Restoration of Urban Stream and Floodplain Depressional Wetland
2011 - 2016
2. Area History
Eugene Field Park is a 10-acre public park facility
owned and operated by the Chicago Park District. The
North Branch of the Chicago River flows along the
southern bank of the park. This was not the natural
location for the Chicago River, which was moved,
straightened and deepened between 1904 and 1907,
allowing the area to be used for farming and
residential homes. The bottom of the river here is
paved with concrete in major sections to shuttle water
downstream faster. This action drained away the land
and subsequently the prairie sloughs and marshes
disappeared. The park and its surrounding residential
neighborhood were likely built between 1905 and
1930.
The park site was likely utilized as a spoil area for
waste materials produced by river channelization.
Subsequently, it was left in old field or may even have
been lightly farmed, but for the most part it was
spared the massive alteration that the surrounding
land experienced. Evidence to this point lies in the
natural soil types still in existence beneath the
surficial fill, which are undescribed but resemble the
Martinton Series. The two habitat types that existed
naturally at the park were most likely Wet/Mesic Oak
Savanna, Marsh, Prairie Slough and Wet Meadow.
Historic Photo of Chicago
River North Branch
(photo by Earl E. Sherff “Vegetation of
the Skokie Marsh” early 1900s).
1938 Aerial of
Eugene Field Park
Eugene Field Park
3. Pre-Project Conditions
The Eugene Field Park frequently experienced
flooding from the North Branch Chicago River, witch
lies within the neighborhood of Albany Park. Once
floods would receded within the park, it would leave
behind mucky residues from the river and surficial
soils would remain wet for long periods of time,
making the area unusable to the public for picnics,
sports or flying a kite.
The site’s vegetation was predominately turf grasses
and associated Clovers and Plantains, planted
ornamental trees and shrubs, and invasion by
Eurasiatic trees and shrubs, such as Buckthorn,
Siberian Elm, Honeysuckle and Tree of Heaven. Native
trees on site were Silver Maple, Cotton Wood and
White Oak.
Survey within the river channel produced one (1)
species of fish, the Blackstripe Topminnow. This
section of stream receives high velocity floodwaters
that flush fishes and habitat downstream. Usually
fishes would be able to recolonize, but due to the dam
at River Park, the entire North Branch Chicago River is
fragmented from mainstem and Lake Michigan.
Frequent Flooding of
Grass Parkland in Footprint of
Former Wetland
Bare River Bank Understory
with Overly Dense
Eurasiatic Tree & Shrub
Canopy
4. Invasive Species Removal &
Site Clearing
Project activities began with establishing a
work zone perimeter off limits to the
public for safety reasons. All non-native
and native old field weed species were
removed. Trees were removed with a large
saw and claw grip machine called a Feller-
Buncher. Shrubs and herbaceous weeds
were removed with a bush-hog or by hand.
The root masses of large trees removed
along the bank were left in place to remain
as stream habitat and bank stabilization.
Several large Cottonwoods were girdled
and left on site to be snag habitat
surrounding the wetland for Woodpeckers,
birds of prey and many insects. The
remnant White Oaks were protected and
retained to be keystone species of the Oak
Savanna plant community.
Feller-Buncher Removing
Cottonwood
Remnant White Oaks
Protected & Retained
5. Boulder & Cobble
Check Riffle
Urban watersheds typically have a syndrome in
which bedload sediment transport does not
occur. In an attempt to sequester sediment being
transported down stream, two large check riffles
were placed into the North Branch Chicago River.
If these riffles would be able to impede bedload
transport of sand, gravels and cobbles, then
substrates and benthic habitat for fishes and
macroinvertebrates could be restored. These
riffles were constructed from rounded fieldstone
and river rock, which would also provide
interstitial habitat for macroinvertebrates and
fishes.
The crests of the riffles were hydraulically
designed to induce critical flow, which provides
conditions for Caddisflies, Stoneflies and certain
fishes. Increased velocities downstream of the
riffles would keep substrates silt free for
spawning fishes.
The check riffles were also designed to focus the
energy of the stream into the center of the
channel and away from the banks. This provides
conditions for healthier urban streambank
communities and will ad longevity to the historic
WPA wall on the south side of the river.
Rounded Field & River Stone
Stockpile for Check Riffles
Slight Concave Downstream
Configuration & Induces
Critical Flow
6. Hyrdro-Geomorphic
Contouring
Investigations were completed to determine
the extent and nature of fill placed over the
former wetland complex at Eugene Field Park.
An in-depth look at surficial materials was
performed in which soil samples were taken
in a 50-foot grid pattern at a depth of 40-
inches. Characterization of soil materials
indicated a natural, but undescribed soil
series was in existence beneath a relatively
small amount of mixed earthen fill. Evidence
of these natural wetland soils were provided
by amphibian waste materials and mussel
shells.
The fill materials were removed over the
extent within the identified for wetland
depression restoration. Roughly 20,000 cyd of
fill material was removed from the floodplain
and reutilized on site for ball field leveling
and off site for other Chicago Park needs. A
six inch (6”) layer of topsoil material was
retained and spread over the exposed native
soils according to the specified contours and
elevations.
7. Hydro-Geomorphic
Setting
The Chicago River is a typical urban river,
in which its response to any type of storm
is to quickly rise and fall. Riverine
hydrology modelling determined that the
most fluctuation happens between the 2
and 5 year flood elevations. In order to
damper these effects and more closely
mimic a natural hydrology, the river was
separated from the wetland up to the 5-
year flood elevation to completely remove
these effects. To ensure that the wetland
depression did not become a pond after a
flood event higher than 5-years, a one way
outlet pipe, or Clemson-Leveler, was
installed to ensure floodwaters would
drain away in synch with the river
subsiding.
The wetland depression side slopes were
fanned out as much as the site would allow
to minimize abrupt hydrology
change/fluctuation and maximize the
native wet to mesic transition zone.
Wetland Depression
River
5-year Flood Elevation
Subsurface Outlet Pipe
5-year Flood
Elevation
River
Wetland
Depression
Shallow Sloped Depression for
Gentle Hydrology & Plant Species
Transition
8. Native Plug Planting:
June 2012
Nearly __ species of wetland plants were
plugged into the designated
hydrogeomorphic zones: Streambank,
Floodplain Wetland Depression, Wet/Mesic
Oak Savanna. The contract required both
genetic specificity and for the plants to
exhibit a robust vigor, as you can see in the
photo they are extremely healthy.
