The forest preserves of winnebago county are requesting funding to disable the drain tile present within a 33 acre portion of the preserve in order to restore the natural hydrology of the site ahead…

The forest preserves of winnebago county are requesting funding to disable the drain tile present within a 33 acre portion of the preserve in order to restore the natural hydrology of the site ahead of the scheduled spring 2025 prairie seed planting. This work will provide for a more resilient landscape and specifically benefit the rusty patched bumble BEE (bombus affinis), monarch butterfly (danaus plexippus), and other imperiled pollinators.funds will be used to hire a firm to complete the following services:1.locate all buried drain tile lines and tile outlets within the project AREA2.remove any tile outlets and vents above ground SURFACE3.disable buried field tile lines in such a manner that they will no longer be capable of transmitting water or soil outside of the project AREA4.remove all debris from project area and return soil surface to a rough gradethis project will restore the site s natural hydrology and reduce soil loss from the project area. While this project will not create any new wetlands, IT will allow for surface water to persist in low spots within the project area, increase soil moisture, and provide a more stable moisture regime throughout the project area - all of which will have a positive impact on pollinators. Removing drain tile will help prevent the soil from drying out rapidly during periods of little precipitation. This will allow US to establish a prairie recreation that is much more resilient to environmental stressors and capable of supporting federally endangered species like the rusty patched bumblebee (bombus affinis), which has been documented at severson dells forest preserve, located immediately to the west of the project site. Retaining additional surface water and ground moisture will also allow for a much more diverse assemblage of plants to thrive at the site, which will promote overall pollinator diversity.