The Bangs Lake Outfall Improvement Project officially broke ground a little over a week ago and will include more than 4,000 feet of stream upgrades. The remedial work and infrastructure replacements will mitigate flooding to more than 70 properties and eight roads in the Wauconda area.
The focus is on the Bangs Lake outfall control structure, which is currently maintained by manually making adjustments to the sluice gate. A new monitoring system will permit remote assessments of the lake water levels and manage the gate. Additionally, a retaining wall, covered sewer piping, and open culvert ditches will also be installed.
The current outfall system has roughly 6,500 feet of storm sewer and channels, starting at Phil’s Beach on Main Street and leading to Route 176, within the municipality. County data has shown that local roads were closed 40 times over the last several years because of flooding. Residential properties have flooded 15 times annually over the last decade.
“This is a $3.5 million project to ensure the proper drainage of Bangs Lake, while reducing flood damages to surrounding properties, roads, and public areas,” said Kurt Woolford, the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission’s executive director. “We’re not only improving this regional drainage system, we’re building a safer, more resilient and environmentally sustainable community for generations to come.”
The project is being funded partly through a $2.7 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The village of Wauconda has also supplied $266,387 from its general obligation budget line item.
“The $2.7 million grant … is a transformative achievement for Wauconda,” said Jeff Sode, the municipality’s mayor. “It’s a testament to thinking big and a collaborative effort that will bring critical flood control, new recreational opportunities, and a beautiful, improved system for our residents.”
The multi-jurisdictional government project is a joint coordination between the village, the county stormwater management commission, and the county board. Funding came from an application that resulted in an overall $122 million appropriation from the state agency in 2022, which has been used for numerous projects like Bangs Lake.
“This grant is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make needed upgrades to our infrastructure, with an eye toward stabilizing the environment,” said Allison Matson, the village’s administrator. “By stabilizing the streambank for the length of the outfall, adding native plants, and other features, we’re protecting property by reducing erosion.”
The county SMC said that many receptor and outflow infrastructure systems have aged beyond their useful service life. Matson also noted that the controlled runoff will improve downstream habitats. She also praised the village’s public works department and their engineering team for the comprehensive design of all the improvements.
“Work actually started last March, as we had to prepare for this by removing trees, and there were some endangered species issues that needed to be addressed,” said Jacob Mann, Wauconda’s public works director. “The trees have been taken down, and work started to ramp up last week.”
Construction and improvements around Bangs Lake and the Phil’s Beach area will have to wait until the popular attraction closes for the season. The entire project has a tentative completion date for late fall of this year.
