How You Can Help McDonald Creek

Regular maintenance is needed to keep our storm water infrastructure operating properly. Blockages, overgrown vegetation, fallen trees, trash, streambank erosion and excess siltation all contribute to impaired drainage and potential localized flooding problems. Also, broken or blocked culvert pipes under driveways and poorly maintained ditches and swales have a negative impact on our drainage system. Several city codes address the waterway maintenance responsibilities of residents and the city.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Creek property owners --

Don't leave landscape trimmings, mulch or any floating materials in the floodway.

Remove debris in the creek, regardless of where it came from.

Trim streambank trees and bushes so branches don't hang into creek.

Remove loose or dead branches before they fall into the creek.

Remove invasive buckthorn, honeysuckle, purple loosestrife and other non-native plants and replace with native deep-rooted shrubs and grasses that help stabilize banks.

Contact the Prospect Heights Natural Resources Commission for suggestions on suitable plants – www.phnrc.com.

Report any large blockages to the PH Public Works Dept, 847-398-6070 x 207, or to Metropolitan Water Reclamation District's Small Streams Maintenance Crew https://gispub.mwrd.org/ssmp/main.html to report online

All residents --

Keep swales and driveway culverts clear of debris. Swales provide drainage for your property and for the road, and detention during heavy rainfalls.

Reduce fertilizer use on lawns. Only use phosphorus if soil tests indicate it's needed.

Use less salt on driveways and sidewalks during winter months.

Install rain gardens or rain barrels to reduce storm water runoff. MWRD offers rain barrels for $45.

Direct water from downspouts into your lawn or garden, not swales.

Pick up your pet waste from the yard.

Manage your yard as part of the green infrastructure network. Let rainwater soak in where it falls to reduce runoff to the creek and to recharge groundwater, which supplies your well.

Find comprehensive information on storm water management see Storm Water Resources below.