U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Report 2018–5074

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Assessment of Water Resources in Areas that Affect the 

Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the 

Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois
Cover. View of Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve from Division Street at the Des Plaines River, 

Illinois, looking northwest. Photograph by Robert T. Kay, U.S. Geological Survey.
Assessment of Water Resources in Areas 

that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered 

Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower 

Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

By Robert T. Kay, Amy M. Gahala, and Clinton Bailey

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Scientific Investigations Report 2018–5074

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

RYAN K. ZINKE, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

James F. Reilly II, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2018

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Suggested citation:

Kay, R.T., Gahala, A.M., and Bailey, C., 2018, Assessment of water resources in areas that affect the habitat of the 

endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Report 2018–5074, 104 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20185074.

ISSN 2328-0328 (online)
iii

Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................4

Life Cycle of the Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly.......................................................................................5

Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources in the Lockport Area ...........................6

Surface Topography .............................................................................................................................6

Geology...................................................................................................................................................6

Silurian Deposits..........................................................................................................................9

Unconsolidated Deposits ...........................................................................................................9

Hydrology ...............................................................................................................................................9

Water-Level Measurements .............................................................................................................13

Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald

Dragonfly Habitats in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley......................................................23

Assessment of Water Resources in the Quarry Area...................................................................23

Topography .................................................................................................................................23

Biology.........................................................................................................................................23

Hydrogeology..............................................................................................................................23

Alluvial Aquifer..................................................................................................................23

Silurian Aquifer .................................................................................................................25

Surface Water............................................................................................................................27

Water Use ...................................................................................................................................27

Effects of Quarry Dewatering and Pumping Mitigation ......................................................27

Water Quality..............................................................................................................................29

Assessment of Water Resources at the River South Parcel.......................................................29

Topography .................................................................................................................................29

Biology.........................................................................................................................................29

Hydrogeology..............................................................................................................................33

Alluvial Aquifer..................................................................................................................33

Silurian Aquifer .................................................................................................................33

Surface Water............................................................................................................................34

Effects of Quarry Dewatering and Pumping Mitigation ......................................................35

Water Quality..............................................................................................................................37

Assessment of Water Resources at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve.............................37

Topography .................................................................................................................................42

Biology.........................................................................................................................................42

Hydrogeology..............................................................................................................................42

Alluvial Aquifer..................................................................................................................42

Glacial Drift Aquifer..........................................................................................................42

Semiconfining Unit ...........................................................................................................44

Silurian Aquifer .................................................................................................................44

Surface Water............................................................................................................................48

Water Use ...................................................................................................................................51

Results of Groundwater Modeling..........................................................................................52
iv

Model Focusing on the Water Resources at the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve................................................................................................................52

Model Focusing on the Effects of Quarry Operations on the Water Resources 

at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve .........................................................53

Water Quality..............................................................................................................................53

Continuous Monitoring of Groundwater.......................................................................61

Future Monitoring .............................................................................................................61

Assessment of Water Resources at the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels...................................61

Topography .................................................................................................................................63

Biology.........................................................................................................................................63

Hydrogeology..............................................................................................................................63

Alluvial Aquifer..................................................................................................................63

Silurian Aquifer .................................................................................................................63

Surface Water............................................................................................................................64

Water Use ...................................................................................................................................66

Water Quality..............................................................................................................................66

Assessment of Water Resources at the Long Run Seep Nature Preserve...............................66

Topography .................................................................................................................................73

Biology.........................................................................................................................................73

Hydrogeology..............................................................................................................................73

Surface Water............................................................................................................................73

Water Quality..............................................................................................................................73

Assessment of Water Resources at the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve.........................75

Topography .................................................................................................................................75

Biology.........................................................................................................................................75

Hydrogeology..............................................................................................................................75

Surface Water............................................................................................................................75

Water Use ...................................................................................................................................77

Water Quality..............................................................................................................................77

Assessment of Water Resources at the Keepataw Forest Preserve.........................................77

Topography .................................................................................................................................77

Biology.........................................................................................................................................77

Hydrogeology..............................................................................................................................77

Surface Water............................................................................................................................80

Water Use ...................................................................................................................................80

Water Quality..............................................................................................................................80

Assessment of Water Resources at the Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve................80

Topography .................................................................................................................................80

Biology.........................................................................................................................................80

Hydrogeology..............................................................................................................................85

Surface Water............................................................................................................................85

Water Quality..............................................................................................................................85

Assessment of Water Resources at the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve.................................85

Topography .................................................................................................................................85

Biology.........................................................................................................................................85

Hydrogeology..............................................................................................................................85
v

Surface Water............................................................................................................................88

Water Quality..............................................................................................................................88

Assessment of Water Resources at the McMahon Fen Nature Preserve ...............................89

Topography .................................................................................................................................89

Biology.........................................................................................................................................89

Hydrogeology..............................................................................................................................89

Surface Water............................................................................................................................92

Water Quality..............................................................................................................................93

Other Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats in Illinois ......................................................................93

Implications for Habitat Preservation and Future Data Collection......................................................94

Summary and Conclusions.........................................................................................................................97

References....................................................................................................................................................99

Figures

1. Map showing location of selected features in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines

River Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois ......................................................................2

2. Map showing location of Hine’s emerald dragonfly habitat in 2009 in the Lower 

Des Plaines River Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois................................................3

3. Map showing location of selected features in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines

River Valley, Will, DuPage, and Cook Counties, Illinois..........................................................4

4. Map showing surface topography in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines River

Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois ................................................................................7

5. Diagram showing geologic section A–A’, Lockport area, Will County, Illinois ..................8

6. Chart showing stratigraphy and lithology of Silurian deposits near Lockport, Will

County, Illinois .............................................................................................................................10

7. Map showing topography of bedrock surface in the vicinity of the Lower Des

Plaines River Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois......................................................11

8. Map showing surficial geology in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley

near Lockport, Will County, Illinois ..........................................................................................12

9. Map showing potentiometric surface of the Silurian aquifer in the vicinity of the

Lower Des Plaines River Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois, July 19, 2012 .........20

10. Map showing potentiometric surface of the Silurian aquifer in the vicinity of the

Lower Des Plaines River Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois, November 26,

2012 ...............................................................................................................................................21

11. Map showing location of modeled capture zones and groundwater recharge areas

in the Silurian aquifer for selected focus areas in the vicinity of the Lower Des

Plaines River Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois......................................................22

12. Map showing location of selected features and water-level data at the Middle

Parcel Expansion Area, Will County, Illinois ..........................................................................24

13. Hydrograph for well MP-W1, Middle Parcel Expansion Area, Will County,

Illinois, April 2006 through October 2011.................................................................................26

14. Map showing location of selected features and water-level data at the River South

Parcel, Will County, Illinois........................................................................................................32

15. Diagram showing water levels in wells RP-1S,D and RP-2S,D at the River South Parcel, 

Will County, Illinois, 2005 through 2015 ..................................................................................34
vi

16. Map showing groundwater capture zones under 2012 and full build-out conditions

at the West, East, and Middle Quarries and groundwater recharge area for the 

Silurian aquifer to the River South Parcel, Will County, Illinois..........................................36

17. Map showing location of selected features and water-level data at the Lockport

Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois.........................................................................41

18. Map showing location of selected surface-water flow pathways at the Lockport

Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois.........................................................................43

19. Diagram showing water levels in wells MW-3A, MW-7C, MW-8A, and MW-9A in

the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, 2001

through 2012 ................................................................................................................................47

20. Diagram showing continuous readings of water level, temperature, and specific

conductance for well MW-9B, Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County,

Illinois, March 28, 2012, through February 24, 2014...............................................................48

21. Map showing groundwater recharge area for the Silurian aquifer, with buffers, and

location of selected features in the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve,

Will County, Illinois .....................................................................................................................49

22. Map showing location of selected features and water-level data at the Com Ed and

Long Run Parcels, Will County, Illinois....................................................................................62

23. Hydrograph showing water levels at streamgage CES2, Com Ed Parcel, Will County,

Illinois, April 2006 through October 2012.................................................................................65

24. Map showing groundwater recharge area for the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels,

and location of high-capacity pumping wells, Will County, Illinois....................................67

25. Map showing concentration of benzene in surface water and groundwater after oil

spill, Com Ed and Long Run Parcels, Will County, Illinois ....................................................71

26. Map showing location of selected features at the Long Run Seep Nature Preserve,

Will County, Illinois .....................................................................................................................72

27. Map showing location of selected features in the central and northern part of the

Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois....................................................76

28. Map showing location of groundwater recharge area for the Silurian aquifer to the

Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve and selected high-capacity wells, Will County,

Illinois............................................................................................................................................78

29. Map showing location of selected features in the eastern part of the Keepataw

Forest Preserve, Will County, Illinois.......................................................................................79

30. Map showing location of selected features at the Black Partridge Woods Nature

Preserve, Cook County, Illinois .................................................................................................84

31. Map showing location of features in the vicinity of Emerald Fen at the Waterfall

Glen Forest Preserve, DuPage County, Illinois ......................................................................87

32. Map showing location of selected features at the McMahon Fen Nature Preserve,

Cook County, Illinois ...................................................................................................................91

33. Graph showing water level, specific conductance, and temperature of

groundwater in well MF3, McMahon Fen Nature Preserve, Cook County, Illinois,

April through November, 2013 ..................................................................................................92

34. Graph showing water level, specific conductance, and temperature of rivulet 9 at

streamgage 414130087521301, McMahon Fen Nature Preserve, Cook County,

Illinois, March through October, 2013 .....................................................................................93
vii

Tables

1. Well construction and groundwater-level data in the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie

Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, July 19 and November 26, 2012.............................14

2. Streamgage information and water-level data in the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie

Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, July 19 and November 26, 2012.............................19

3. Selected water-quality criteria ................................................................................................30

4. Concentration of major ions, nutrients, and metals in surface water and

groundwater at the Quarry Middle Parcel, Will County, Illinois, April 2006 through

October 2007................................................................................................................................31

5. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water and groundwater at the

River South Parcel, Will County, Illinois, September 1994 through November 2014 .......38

6. Summary of groundwater-level data for the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will

County, Illinois, 2001 through 2014 ...........................................................................................45

7. Summary of surface-water discharge data for the Lockport Prairie Nature

Preserve, Will County, Illinois ...................................................................................................51

8. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water at the Lockport Prairie

Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, 1991 through 2001....................................................54

9. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water and groundwater at the

Com Ed and Long Run Parcels, Will County, Illinois, 2005 through 2007............................68

10. Concentration of major ions and nutrients in surface water at the Long Run Seep

Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, August 1997 through November 1998..................74

11. Concentration of major ions and nitrogen compounds in surface water at the

Keepataw Forest Preserve, Will County, Illinois, August 1997 through November

 1998 ..............................................................................................................................................81

12. Concentration of major ions, nitrogen compounds, and metals in surface water at

the Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve, Cook County, Illinois, 1991 through

2012 ...............................................................................................................................................86

13. Concentration of major ions and nitrogen compounds in surface water and

groundwater at the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, DuPage County, Illinois,

December 2007 through September 2008...............................................................................90

14. Summary of conditions at Hine’s emerald dragonfly habitats in Illinois ...........................95
viii

Conversion Factors

U.S. customary units to International System of Units

Multiply By To obtain

Length

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm)

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Area

acre 0.4047 Hectare (ha)

square foot (ft2) 0.09290 square meter (m2)

square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2)

Flow rate

cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

cubic feet per day (ft3/d) 0.02832 cubic meter per day (m3/d)

gallon per day (gal/d) 264.2 cubic meter per day (m3/d)

gallon per minute (gal/min) 0.06309 liter per second (L/s)

inch per year (in/yr) 2.54 centimeter per year (cm/yr)

million gallons per day (Mgal/d) 0.04381 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

Hydraulic conductivity

foot per day (ft/d) 0.3048 meter per day (m/d)

Transmissivity*

foot squared per day (ft2/d) 0.09290 meter squared per day (m2/d) 

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows:

 °F= (1.8×°C)+32

Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as follows:

 °C= (°F-32)/1.8

Datum

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 

(NAVD 88).

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Elevation, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum.
ix

Supplemental Information

Constituent concentrations are given in milligrams per liter (mg/L) or micrograms per liter (μg/L).

Fecal coliform populations are presented in colonies per 100 milliliter (colonies/100mL).

*Transmissivity: The standard unit for transmissivity is cubic foot per day per square foot times

foot of aquifer thickness [(ft3/d)/ft2]ft. In this report, the mathematically reduced form, foot

squared per day (ft2/d), is used for convenience.

Specific conductance is given in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (μS/cm at 

25 °C).

Concentrations of chemical constituents in water are given either in milligrams per liter (mg/L) 

or micrograms per liter (μg/L).

Abbreviations

CaCO3 calcium carbonate

CSSC Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

DO dissolved oxygen

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

HED Hine’s emerald dragonfly

ISGS Illinois State Geological Survey

MCL maximum contaminant level

NWIS National Water Information System

USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

Assessment of Water Resources in Areas that Affect the 

Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the 

Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

By Robert T. Kay, Amy M. Gahala, and Clinton Bailey

Abstract

Review of previous investigations indicates that potential 

decreases in groundwater recharge and increased groundwater 

extraction in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley in Will County, Illinois, may reduce the amount of groundwater flow in the Silurian aquifer in this area. Groundwater 

discharge from the Silurian aquifer to wetlands in the Lower 

Des Plaines River Valley plays an important role in sustaining the habitat of the endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly 

(Somatochlora hineana). Groundwater modeling performed by 

previous investigators indicates that increasing the amount of 

water pumped from the aquifer in support of expanded quarry 

operations near the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve has the 

potential to reduce groundwater discharge to the most productive Hine’s emerald dragonfly habitats in Illinois, potentially 

degrading the habitat. Model simulations indicate that mitigation procedures designed to artificially enhance groundwater 

recharge in the vicinity of dragonfly habitats near the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve are likely to offset the effects of 

increased pumping. Several areas with smaller, often intermittent populations of Hine’s emerald dragonflies have been 

identified in other parts of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley 

and elsewhere in Illinois. Human activities have the potential 

to produce changes in hydrology and water quality that can 

threaten all of these habitats.

Introduction

High-capacity pumping for public-water supply and 

quarry dewatering, and construction of impervious surfaces 

associated with urbanization, have altered the dynamics of 

groundwater discharge to a number of wetlands in the Lower 

Des Plaines River Valley in northeastern Illinois (fig. 1). These 

wetlands include the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve and 

the River South Parcel, near Lockport, Illinois, which are 

home to the largest populations of Hine’s emerald dragonfly 

(Somatochlora hineana) in Illinois (fig. 2). The Hine’s emerald 

dragonfly (HED) was listed by the Illinois Department of 

Natural Resources as an endangered species in 1991 and was 

placed on the Federal List of Endangered Species by the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service in 1995 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 

1995). A reduction in the volume of discharge from groundwater to these wetlands, as well as alteration of surface-water 

flow pathways within the wetlands, has the potential to 

substantially affect much of the best HED habitat remaining 

in Illinois. Changes to surface-water and groundwater quality 

associated with anthropogenic activities may also affect the 

quality of the habitat.

For the purposes of this report the Lower Des Plaines 

River Valley consists of the area surrounding the Des Plaines 

River from Route 83 (fig. 3) to the confluence of the Des 

Plaines River and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal south 

of the Lockport Lock and Dam (fig. 1). For the purposes of 

this report the Lower Des Plaines River Valley also includes 

the area near the Calumet Sag Channel west of Route 45 

(fig. 3).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is overseeing efforts to protect and restore the HED habitat in the Lower 

Des Plaines River Valley and the hydrology that supports it. 

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has provided technical 

assistance in this effort. The primary objective of this assistance is to determine the effect of additional pumping associated with proposed mining from the West Quarry and Middle 

Parcel Expansion Areas (fig. 1) on HED habitat at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve and the River South, Com Ed, and 

Long Run Parcels. A secondary objective of this assistance is 

to identify the factors that affect the hydrogeology and water 

quality at several additional HED habitats within the Lower 

Des Plaines River Valley and other parts of Illinois. The USGS 

compiled and analyzed data collected by previous investigators, but also collected and analyzed field data from the habitat 

area. 

The primary study area for this investigation encompasses the vicinity of the Des Plaines River Valley from 

the northern part of the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve 

to about 1 mile (mi) south of the Lockport Lock and Dam 

(fig. 1). This area includes parts of the cities of Lockport, 

Romeoville, and Crest Hill and is referred to as the “Lockport area” in this report. The Lockport area is most likely to 
2 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

Lockport Prairie East

and Dellwood West

Nature Preserve 

 East

Quarry

ROMEO ROAD

RENWICK ROAD

DIVISION STREET

AIRPORT ROAD

TAYLOR ROAD

DAOR HGI H

Romeoville

Crest Hill

Illinois and Michigan Canal

Long

Run

Run

Creek

Seep

Lockport

Prairie

Nature

Preserve

LOCKPORT LOCK

AND DAM

Romeoville Prairie

Nature Preserve

Long Run Seep

Nature Preserve

River South

Parcel

Middle Parcel

Expansion Area 

Middle Quarry

West

Quarry

West

Quarry

Expansion

Area

Des Plaines River

College View 

Subdivision

WEBER ROAD

Long

Lockport

Com Ed 

and

Long 

Run

Parcels

A

A'

Lockport Prairie East

and Dellwood West

Nature Preserves 

Prairie Bluff

Preserve

53

53

7

171

Lewis 

University 

Airport

41°39'

41°38'

41°37'

41°36'

41°35'

41°34'

41°33'

88°09' 88°08' 88°07' 88°06' 88°05' 88°04' 88°03'

Map

area

ILLINOIS

EXPLANATION

Municipality

Romeoville

Lockport

Crest Hill

Nature preserve

Existing quarry (2016)

Quarry expansion area

Parcel boundary

A A' Line of geologic section

0 1 2 MILES

0 1 2 KILOMETERS

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 2001

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection 

Standard parallels 33 ̊ N. and 45 ̊ N.

Central meridian 89 ̊ W.

North American Datum of 1927 

Figure 1. Location of selected features in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois.
Introduction 3

WEBER ROAD

 East

Quarry

ROMEO ROAD

RENWICK ROAD

DIVISION STREET

AIRPORT ROAD

TAYLOR ROAD

DAOR HGI H

Illinois and Michigan Canal

Long

Long

Run

Run

Creek

Seep

Long Run Seep

Nature Preserve

Lockport

Lewis 

University 

Airport

Middle Quarry

West

Quarry

West

Quarry

Expansion

Area

Com Ed 

and

Long 

Run

Parcels

Des Plaines River

Romeoville

Crest Hill

Romeoville Prairie

Nature Preserve

River South

Parcel

Middle Parcel

Expansion Area

College View 

Subdivision

53

53

7

7

171

30

Lockport Prairie

Nature Preserve

Lockport Prairie East

and Dellwood West

Nature Preserves 

Prairie Bluff

Preserve

LOCKPORT LOCK

AND DAM

88°09' 88°08' 88°07' 88°06' 88°05' 88°04' 88°03'

41°39'

41°38'

41°37'

41°36'

41°35'

41°34'

41°33'

EXPLANATION

Municipality

Habitat status and type

Romeoville

Lockport

Crest Hill

Adult use only 

Adult and larval use

Historically documented adult use

 (no evidence of larvae) 

Historically documented larval use

Nature preserve boundary

Existing quarry (2016)

Quarry expansion area

Parcel boundary

0 1 2 MILES

0 1 2 KILOMETERS

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 2001

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection 

Standard parallels 33 ̊ N. and 45 ̊ N.

Central meridian 89 ̊ W.

North American Datum of 1927 

Figure 2. Location of Hine’s emerald dragonfly habitat in 2009 in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley near Lockport, Will County, 

Illinois (from Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2009).
4 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

Des Plaines River

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

Calumet Sag Channel

355

55

171

83

53

45

Romeoville 

Prairie

Nature 

Preserve

Black Partridge 

Woods Nature 

Preserve

Romeoville 

Prairie

Nature 

Preserve

Keepataw

Forest

Preserve

Quarry

Black Partridge 

Woods Nature 

Preserve

Waterfall Glen

Forest Preserve

McMahon Fen

Nature Preserve

Cherry Hill Woods

Forest Preserve

Horsetail Lake

Forest Preserve

Lemont

COOK COUNTY

WILL COUNTY

COOK COUNTY

DUPAGE COUNTY

Argonne

National

Laboratory

88°04' 88°02' 88° 87°58' 87°56' 87°54' 87°52'

41°44'

41°42'

41°40'

41°38'

0 1 2 3 4 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 KILOMETERS

Roads from Illinois Department of Transportation, 2014;

Water from U.S. Geological Survey National 

Hydrography dataset, 2012 

EXPLANATION

Nature or forest preserve

Argonne National Laboratory

Quarry

City of Lemont

Figure 3. Location of selected features in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Will, DuPage, and Cook Counties, 

Illinois.

be affected by additional pumping at the quarry in the vicinity of Taylor Road and Route 53 and has been intensively 

investigated. It also is the area containing the most productive 

HED habitats with the largest HED populations in Illinois 

(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2013b). The secondary area 

of investigation encompasses the vicinity of the Des Plaines 

River Valley from the northern part of the Romeoville Prairie 

Nature Preserve to the northern part of the Argonne National 

Laboratory and east of the McMahon Fen Nature Preserve in 

the general vicinity of Lemont, Ill. (fig. 3), and is referred to 

as the “Lemont area” in this report. This area has been less 

intensively investigated but contains several areas where small 

HED populations have been identified or HED use is suspected on an intermittent basis. 

With the exception of approximately half of the manual 

water-level measurements taken in July and November 2012 

and continuous (reading every 15 minutes using a sensor 

and datalogger) monitoring of water levels, temperature, and 

specific conductance at three locations at the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve and McMahon Fen Nature Preserve between 

2011 and 2014, the data presented in this report were collected 

by entities other than the USGS. Water-level and water-quality 

data collected by the USGS was done in accordance with 

standard procedures (Wagner and others, 2006; Cunningham and Schalk, 2011) and are stored in the USGS National 

Water Information System (NWIS) database for Illinois (U.S. 

Geological Survey, 2017). The potentiometric surface maps 

based on the July and November 2012 data were developed by 

the authors. The USGS is unable to verify the quality of data 

collected by other entities. 

Purpose and Scope

This report provides an assessment of the water resources 

in areas that affect the habitat of the HED and contains 

information related to the geologic, hydrologic, and waterquality requirements of the HED, an endangered dragonfly 

whose largest populations in Illinois are in the wetlands 

in the Des Plaines River Valley near Lockport. The report 

provides a general overview of the life cycle of the HED and 
Introduction 5

description of the geology, hydrology, and water quality within 

the Lower Des Plaines River Valley as a whole, as well as at 

several individual habitats. This overview is based on data 

collected by previous investigators at several habitats as well 

as a regional study of the shallow groundwater resources. 

Groundwater models developed by consulting firms in the 

vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve are summarized to assess the effect of increased high-capacity pumping 

on nearby HED habitats and the effectiveness of groundwater 

mitigation features to offset the effects of this pumping. The 

results of synoptic water-level measurements taken by USGS 

and other parties, along with interpretation of potentiometric 

surface maps developed by the authors for the Lockport area, 

are presented. The report identifies gaps in the understanding of hydrologic and water-quality conditions in the area. 

The data and analysis contained in this report will be used by 

Federal, State, and local authorities to help guide decisions on 

how to best protect the HED habitat and identify new potential 

habitats in Illinois.

Life Cycle of the Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly 

The life cycle of the HED begins when impregnated 

females deposit about 1,000 fertilized eggs into shallow water 

(rivulets, small streams, or small ponds) or wet mud alongside 

wetland vegetation (Illinois State Museum, 2012; U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, 2013a). The HED will not lay eggs on 

dry ground. Egg laying takes place from about late June to late 

August in Illinois (Vogt and Cashatt, 1997). The eggs remain 

in the detritus of these shallow water bodies and typically 

overwinter before hatching into larvae the next spring when 

water temperatures increase (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2013a). The HED larvae undergo a 3–5-year period of 

maturation, inhabiting rivulets typically less than 6 inches (in.) 

deep at the edges of deeper channels (Nuzzo, 1995) as well 

as nearby crayfish (Cambarus diogenes) burrows to survive 

predation, drought, and winter conditions (Pintor and Soluk, 

2006; Soluk, 2006). After adults emerge from the larval stage 

during the summer months, there is a 5–6-week flight period 

during which they mate and the females lay their eggs. It is 

estimated that the survival rate of HED from eggs to mature 

larvae is less than 1 percent to 5.5 percent (U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, 2013b). 

Although HED survival requires water in the wetlands, 

the timing, duration, and severity of the summer dry periods 

also are important to HED survival and reproduction (Soluk 

and others, 2004). Droughts, such as those that occurred in 

northern Illinois in 2005 and 2012, can cause a substantial 

decrease in the HED population (Soluk and others, 1999; 

Mierzwa, 2007). However, HEDs tend to be displaced by 

other dragonfly species in permanent wetlands, indicating that 

a short summer dry period may give the HED a competitive 

edge for survival over other dragonfly species (Soluk and others, 1999; Soluk and others, 2015). 

The HEDs inhabit wetlands with organic soils overlying 

calcareous substrate. The presence of open, vegetated areas 

for forage and nearby forest edge for perching and roosting 

are important components of HED habitat (Zercher, 2001). 

The optimal larval habitat is shallow, small rivulets containing 

slow moving, alkaline (pH greater than 7) water with a short 

dry period during the summer (Soluk and others, 2004; Illinois 

State Museum, 2012). The HED can survive in the larval 

stage at water temperatures between about 2 and 27 degrees 

Celsius (oC) (Missouri Department of Conservation, [n.d.]) 

but larvae may have elevated mortality above about 30 oC (D. 

Soluk, University of South Dakota, written commun., 2016). 

These habitat requirements are present at groundwater- and 

spring-fed marshes and sedge meadows underlain by dolomite 

in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, which is the location of 

most of the HED population in Illinois (U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, 2013b).

The groundwater source for much of the water in these 

wetlands results in a number of benefits to the HED. Much of 

the HED wetland habitat has a dry period during the summer; 

however, because discharging groundwater is a more continuous source of water to the habitat than surface-water runoff, 

more of the wetlands tend to have water for a longer period 

of time (longer hydroperiod). The short adult lifespan of the 

HED must overlap the presence of water in the habitat for egg 

deposition to be successful, so the comparatively long hydroperiod enables more HEDs to deposit eggs over a larger area 

for a longer period of time. These factors increase the number 

of eggs deposited and lessen the chances for predation and egg 

desiccation. The typically slow movement of water maximizes 

egg settling through the water column when deposited and 

the shallow geometry of the rivulets minimizes erosion of the 

sediment and detritus holding the HED eggs during surfacewater runoff events. 

The comparatively constant temperature of the groundwater discharging to the rivulets helps to minimize the presence of ice during the winter, minimizing destruction of HED 

eggs. Discharge of cool groundwater also helps to lower the 

water temperature in the rivulets during the summer months, 

potentially reducing larvae mortality.

Although the prevalence of groundwater as a water 

source provides a number of benefits to the HED habitat, it 

also poses risks. Small decreases in groundwater level in the 

vicinity of the wetlands can substantially reduce the amount of 

groundwater discharged to the wetlands (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004a). If the reduction in groundwater discharged to the wetlands is large enough to reduce 

water levels in the wetlands by as little as 1–2 feet (ft) below 

the mean water level, which is typical of drought conditions 

but also may be associated with nearby pumping or increased 

overland runoff of precipitation, there may be insufficient wet 

sediment for egg laying. Eggs may become desiccated in the 

dry sediment and the habitat may not support the prey base for 

the HED adults (Mierzwa, 2007; Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, 

and Associates, Inc., 2008). 
6 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

Hydraulic and water-quality conditions in the Lower 

Des Plaines River Valley are such that permanent populations 

of adult and larval HED are present at the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve, River South Parcel, Long Run Seep Nature 

Preserve (fig. 2), and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve 

(fig. 3). Adult and larval HED have been identified at the 

Com Ed and Long Run Parcels, Romeoville Prairie Nature 

Preserve, Keepataw Forest Preserve, Black Partridge Woods 

Forest Preserve, Argonne National Laboratory, McMahon 

Fen Nature Preserve, and southwest of the Lockport Lock and 

Dam during at least one survey (Soluk and Moss, 2003; Soluk 

and others, 2004; Mierzwa, 2008, 2013b; Soluk and others, 

2012; Mierzwa and Webb, 2012a,b; Hanson Material Service 

Corporation, 2016). Larvae were historically present at the 

Middle Parcel Expansion Area but appear to have been extirpated from the site before 1997 (Mierzwa, 2013a). Adult HED 

have been identified at the Lockport Prairie East and Dellwood 

West Nature Preserves (fig. 2). In addition to the presence of 

HED in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, a 

sustainable population of HED has been identified in northwest Cook County at the Spring Lake Forest Preserve (Soluk 

and others, 2016), which is located about 30 mi northwest of 

the Lower Des Plaines River Valley.

Soluk and Mierzwa (2012) estimated that the Illinois 

HED population generates 86–313 adults per year and has 

been declining since at least the 1990s. The HED population 

in Illinois is especially vulnerable because approximately 55 

percent of the population is located within the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve and approximately 30 percent is located 

within the River South Parcel (Soluk and Mierzwa 2012). 

The proximity of these sites exposes the HED population to 

extirpation by demographic stochasticity (random changes in 

characteristics of a small population), and the loss of either 

site would represent at least a 30-percent decrease in the 

population. 

Assessment of Conditions that Affect 

the Water Resources in the Lockport 

Area

Because the HED requires well-constrained conditions 

to survive, it is essential to understand the phenomena that 

affect the hydrology and water quality of the habitat, including 

its surface topography, geology, and hydrology. This report 

discusses these features within the Des Plaines River Valley in 

the Lockport area where there is a substantial amount of data 

available. This report also contains a less extensive discussion 

of conditions at HED habitats near the Des Plaines River Valley in the Lemont area and other parts of northeast Illinois.

Surface Topography

The Lockport area contains topographic uplands that 

slope toward the Des Plaines River or smaller surface-water 

drainages at elevations of about 675 to 625 ft above the North 

American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) (fig. 4). Surface 

topography slopes sharply toward the Des Plaines River along 

bluffs located near Illinois Route 53 on the west side of the 

Des Plaines River Valley, and near High Road and Illinois 

Route 171 on the east side of the valley. Surface elevation 

along the bluffs decreases from approximately 625 to 575 ft 

near the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, with similarly large 

changes in elevation throughout most of the Lockport area. 

Surface topography in the valley of the Des Plaines 

River is somewhat flat, ranging from about 550 to 590 ft in 

the Lockport area, decreasing from north to south. Surface 

topography within the river valley slopes toward the Des 

Plaines River. Superimposed on this flat slope are a series of 

hummocks and swales that trend roughly parallel to the river. 

These features have about 1–5 ft of relief. Swales are the locations of the ponds and rivulets constituting part of the HED 

larval habitat and where the HED lay their eggs. Hummocks 

are drier, slightly topographically elevated areas that can 

contain vegetation suitable for perching, which is a necessary 

process for HED larvae to emerge as adults.

The levees that define the Chicago Sanitary and Ship 

Canal (CSSC) are more than 30 ft above the surrounding land 

surface near the Lockport Lock and Dam. The height of the 

levees above land surface decreases to the north where the 

elevation of the surrounding land surface increases, converging to more uniform topography. Although the pre-excavation 

topography is shown in figure 4, the West, East, and Middle 

Quarries (hereafter referred to collectively as “the Quarry”) 

have been excavated to an elevation of about 470 ft NAVD 88. 

The surface topography is the result of deposition of glacial 

drift on top of dolomite bedrock in northeast Illinois and the 

subsequent erosion of the drift deposits within the Lower Des 

Plaines River Valley. 

Geology

The geologic deposits of concern to this investigation are 

Silurian dolomite bedrock (chemical formula CaMg(CO3)2) 

belonging to the Alexandrian and Niagaran Series. The 

bedrock deposits are overlain by unconsolidated deposits of 

glacial and post-glacial origin and are shown along geologic 

section A–A’, which covers most of the groundwater recharge 

area for the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (figs. 1, 5). The 

stratigraphic nomenclature used in this report is that of the 

Illinois State Geological Survey (Willman and others, 1975) 

and does not necessarily follow the usage of the USGS.
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources in the Lockport Area 7

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Lewis 

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Airport

Com Ed 

and

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Romeoville 

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LOCKPORT LOCK

AND DAM

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Preserve

WEBER ROAD

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AIRPORT ROAD

TAYLOR ROAD

DAOR HGI H

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Quarry

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and Dellwood West

Nature Preserves 

Prairie Bluff

Preserve

41°39'

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88°09' 88°08' 88°07' 88°06' 88°05' 88°04' 88°03'

0 1 2 MILES

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Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 2001

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection 

Standard parallels 33 ̊ N. and 45 ̊ N.

Central meridian 89 ̊ W.

North American Datum of 1927 

Nature preserve

Existing quarry (2016)

Quarry expansion area

Parcel boundary

EXPLANATION

600 Line of equal elevation—

 Contour interval is 10 feet.

 Datum is North American

 Vertical Datum of 1988

Figure 4. Surface topography in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois.
8 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

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Well July 19, 2012 November 26, 2012

DATUM IS NORTH AMERICAN VERTICAL DATUM OF 1988

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EXPLANATION

G111 Well location and name—Well log provides

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Figure 5. Geologic section A–A’, Lockport area, Will County, Illinois.
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources in the Lockport Area 9

Silurian Deposits

The stratigraphy, lithology, and other aspects of the Silurian deposits are presented in figure 6. These deposits typically 

are between 150 and 300 ft thick in the Lockport area (Roadcap and others, 1993). The elevation of the top of the dolomite 

deposits in the Lockport area can exceed 625 ft NAVD 88 in 

the topographic uplands to the east and west of the Des Plaines 

River Valley, and is typically less than 575 ft within the valley 

(figs. 5, 7). The elevation of the top of the Silurian deposits 

decreases from north to south within the river valley. Dolomite 

deposits are exposed at the base of the bluffs at a number of 

locations on the west side of the Des Plaines River Valley. 

The dolomite contains a network of secondary-permeability features consisting of high-angle (near vertical) and 

subhorizontal fractures and joints (break in the rock without measureable displacement), vugs (small cavities in the 

rock), and solution openings (void in the rock formed by its 

chemical dissolution). Secondary-permeability features are 

especially well developed in the top approximately 8–40 ft 

of the dolomite where weathering has been most extensive 

(Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004a; STS/

AECOM, 2009; AECOM, 2013a,b). 

Investigators at sites along the Des Plaines River near the 

Calumet Sag Channel (fig. 3) have identified “sub-regional 

to regional” subhorizontal fractures in the dolomite at elevations of about 415, 440, 460, 525, 550, 561, 570, and 575 ft 

(Nicholas and Healy, 1988; KPRG and Associates Inc., 2004). 

These fractures are located along bedding planes and may be 

continuous for more than a quarter of a mile. Lithologic logs 

described potential solution openings in the dolomite at 460 

to 640 ft NAVD 88 at a well in Romeoville; fractures at 438, 

565, 593, and 603 ft at a well in Lockport; fractures at 442 

and 466 ft at a well in Crest Hill; and fractures at 529–539 ft 

at the College View Subdivision (fig. 1). Fractures along bedding planes in the lower part of the Kankakee Formation and 

the upper part of the Elwood Formation (about 460 ft at the 

Quarry) also are postulated (AECOM, 2012). 

High-angle fractures, many infilled with clay, were identified from near the bedrock surface to depths of at least 100 ft 

below ground surface in cores from wells drilled at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve and at the Quarry (Graef, Anhalt, 

Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004a; STS/AECOM, 2009; 

AECOM, 2013b). High-angle joints and fractures have a mean 

orientation of about N 35o E with a subsidiary orientation of N 

65o W in the greater Romeoville area (Foote, 1982). 

Unconsolidated Deposits

In most of the Lockport area the dolomite bedrock is 

overlain by unconsolidated deposits composed predominately 

of glacial till (an unsorted mixture of clay, silt, sand, and 

gravel; fig. 5) belonging to the Wedron Formation (Willman 

and Lineback, 1970; fig. 8). Small, discontinuous, sand and 

gravel deposits are interspersed within the Wedron Formation. 

Till deposits are present in the topographic uplands away from 

the Des Plaines River Valley and are as much as about 70 ft 

thick.

Sand and gravel deposits of the Henry Formation are 

present along the bluffs on the western edge of the Des Plaines 

River Valley and at low points in the surface topography west 

of the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve, west of the Quarry, 

southwest of the Lockport Lock and Dam, and near Long Run 

Creek (Willman and Lineback, 1970; figs. 5, 8). These spatially extensive sand and gravel deposits directly overlie the 

Silurian bedrock, are as much as 30 ft thick along the bluffs of 

the Des Plaines River, and typically extend about 1,500 ft west 

of the bluff (fig. 8; Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, 

Inc., 2004a). The sand and gravel was deposited by rivers fed 

by melting glaciers prior to erosion of the Lower Des Plaines 

River Valley.

Post-glacial alluvial deposits consisting of sand, silt, and 

clay are present within the Lower Des Plaines River Valley 

(fig. 5). These deposits typically are 1–4 ft thick and constitute 

the alluvial aquifer where saturated. Where these deposits are 

thin or the bedrock surface is low, wetland swales tend to be 

present. Hummocks may be present where the deposits are 

thicker or the bedrock surface is slightly higher.

Hydrology

Much of the water in the wetlands that constitute the 

HED habitat originates as recharge from groundwater. The 

source area, quantity, and chemistry of the groundwater 

recharge are affected by the composition of the geologic 

deposits through which the water moves. 

The till deposits of the Wedron Formation (fig. 8) function as a semiconfining unit. Isolated sand and gravel deposits within the till deposits are considered to be part of the 

semiconfining unit unless they are in direct contact with the 

underlying dolomite. 

The sand and gravel deposits of the Henry Formation 

along the bluffs of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley (fig. 8) 

function as an aquifer (referred to in this report as “the glacial 

drift aquifer”). Sand and gravel deposits can be associated 

with seeps where they intercept land surface along a bluff 

face. Where saturated, the alluvial deposits in the valley of the 

Des Plaines River are considered to be the alluvial aquifer in 

this report.

The Silurian dolomite deposits constitute the Silurian 

aquifer. Groundwater flow through the Silurian aquifer is 

primarily through the network of high-angle and subhorizontal 

secondary-permeability features in the dolomite, with smaller 

amounts of flow through the dolomite matrix. Because most 

of the groundwater flow in the aquifer is through secondarypermeability features, wetlands associated with numerous 

large, interconnected secondary-permeability features can 

be expected to receive more water than wetlands with a few 

small, isolated, clay-filled, secondary-permeability features. 

Secondary-permeability features tend to be concentrated in 
10 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

System Series Formation Member Lithology Secondary Permeability Features

Inter-reef strata, highly cherty, argillaceous dolomite,

overlain by massive, porous, crystalline, pure dolomite. 

These lithologies recur in higher strata. Other lithologies 

include bedded, porous, crystalline, pure dolomite; noncherty argillaceous dolomite; thin dolomitic shales; and 

nodular dolomite. May become more argillaceous in 

upper strata, generally east of the study area. Typically 

about 80 feet thick in northern part of area of interest; 

thins to fully eroded in southern part. Generally underrepresented by fossils; dominated by annelid worms. 

 

Prone to dissolution along bedding 

planes, particularly above clay-rich 

beds and less porous, well-bedded 

Sugar Run Formation. North of Kingery 

Highway, permeable "regional" beddingplane fractures at elevations of about 5 to 17 

feet below the bed of the Des Plaines River. 

Karstic features identified (Nicholas and 

Healy, 1988).

Well-bedded, even-textured, dense, nonporous, 

argillaceous, gray dolomite, 10 to 30 feet thick. Strata 

generally flat lying. Prominent, thin, greenish-gray 

argillaceous partings cause the well-bedded appearance. 

Fossils can be common and diverse. Thin, sinuous trails, 

up to 1 foot long often found on bedding surfaces, 

commonly filled with greenish-gray argillaceous material. 

Trilobite S. celebra characteristic of the unit; common to 

lower strata. Other trilobites, crinoids, brachiopods debris 

common, as is pelmatozoan debris. Orthoconic nautiloids 

up to 3 feet in length distributed throughout much of the 

formation. Sporadic occurrence of large, dendritic root 

systems. 

Upper contact at the first appearance of rough-textured, 

abundantly cherty, brown dolomite. 

Thick-bedded to massive, pure, porous to vuggy dolomite, 

18 to 34 feet thick. Nodular chert near mid-unit; styolites 

common throughout. 

In places a grainstone primarily consisting of pelmatozoan 

debris; locally very fossiliferous, containing cystoids, 

various crinoids, trilobites, gastropods, rugose corals, 

orthoconic nautiloids, and diverse brachiopods. 

Upper contact gradational transition to the more 

argillaceous dolomite of the Sugar Run. 

Medium-bedded dolomite, light gray, approximately 20 

feet thick. Basal unit silty. Middle unit moderately 

argillaceous and silty with bands of chert. Upper unit 

slightly argillaceous with chert bands.

Lower part red crinoidal dolomite with interbedded 

argillaceous red to grey dolomite becoming less 

argillaceous, grey with red mottles in upper part. Top of 

unit is uppermost strong shaley parting. Approximately 30 

feet thick.

Not prone to substantial dissolution along 

near-vertical joints or bedding planes. 

Local paleokarstic sinkholes infilled with 

younger clastics, may be eroded resulting as 

reentrants up to 10 feet deep along Canal 

walls west of I-355. Common near-vertical 

joints generally sealed.

Potentially prone to dissolution along clayrich bedding planes.

Generally not prone to dissolution along 

bedding planes. Common near-vertical joints 

generally sealed.

Niagaran Alexandrian

Sugar Run Joliet

Romeo Markgraf Brandon Bridge

Racine (basal)

Silurian

Kankakee

Elwood

Wilhelmi

White, pink, or grey fine-to-medium grained dolomite with 

variable amounts of clay and chert.

Brown to grey thinly bedded dolomite with numerous 

shale partings and large chert nodules.

Grey highly argillaceous dolomite and dolomitic shale 

grading upward to argillaceous dolomite.

About 45 feet thick. Elevation of top of 

formation 505 feet, North American Datum of 

1988 at West Quarry. 

About 48 feet thick. Elevation of top of 

Formation 462 feet, North American Datum of

1988 at West Quarry. Only upper 5 feet mined.

Overlies Maquoketa Group. About 5 to 75 

feet thick in Lockport area. Elevation of 

base between about 390 and 450 feet, North 

American Datum of 1988, top is about 413 feet 

near the West Quarry. Not mined at Quarry. 

Penetrated by high-capacity wells.

Figure 6. Stratigraphy and lithology of Silurian deposits near Lockport, Will County, Illinois (from Willman and others, 1975).
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources in the Lockport Area 11 650 625

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Nature Preserve

Lewis 

University 

Airport

Com Ed 

and

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Parcels

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Middle Quarry

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Subdivision

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West Nature 

Preserves

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Preserve

LOCKPORT LOCK

AND DAM

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41°33'

88°09' 88°08' 88°07' 88°06' 88°05' 88°04' 88°03'

Nature preserve

Existing quarry (2016)

Quarry expansion area

Parcel boundary

Bedrock topography—

 Contour interval is 25 feet.

 Datum is National Geodetic 

 Vertical Datum of 1929 

EXPLANATION

600

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Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 2001

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection 

Standard parallels 33 ̊ N. and 45 ̊ N.

Central meridian 89 ̊ W.

North American Datum of 1927 

Figure 7. Topography of bedrock surface in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois 

(modified from Roadcap and others, 1993).
12 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois WEBER ROAD

 East

Quarry

ROMEO ROAD

RENWICK ROAD

DIVISION STREET

AIRPORT ROAD

TAYLOR ROAD

DAOR HGI H

Crest Hill

Illinois and Michigan Canal

Long

Long

Run

Run

Creek

Seep

Long Run 

Seep

Nature 

Preserve

Lewis 

University 

Airport

Com Ed 

and

Long 

Run

Parcels

Des Plaines River

Lockport

Middle Quarry

West

Quarry

River South

Parcel

Romeoville

Lockport Prairie

Nature Preserve

Henry Formation sand

and gravel removed

by quarrying

Middle Parcel

Expansion Area 

53

7

7

171

30

West

Quarry

Expansion

Area

College View

Subdivision

Romeoville

Prairie Nature

Preserve

Lockport Prairie East

and Dellwood West

Nature Preserves 

Prairie Bluff

Preserve

LOCKPORT LOCK

AND DAM

41°39'

41°38'

41°37'

41°36'

41°35'

41°34'

41°33'

88°09' 88°08' 88°07' 88°06' 88°05' 88°04' 88°03'

EXPLANATION

Surficial geology unit

Equality Formation—Glacial lake 

 plain deposits

Henry Formation—Glacial outwash 

 sand and gravel deposits

Alluvial deposits over Silurian dolomite

Wedron Formation—Wadsworth Till

Wedron Formation—Yorkville Till

Nature preserve

Existing quarry (2016)

Quarry expansion area

Parcel boundary

0 1 2 MILES

0 1 2 KILOMETERS

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 2001

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection 

Standard parallels 33 ̊ N. and 45 ̊ N.

Central meridian 89 ̊ W.

North American Datum of 1927 

Figure 8. Surficial geology in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois (modified from 

Roadcap and others, 1993).
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources in the Lockport Area 13

the weathered, uppermost part of the aquifer but are present 

throughout the Silurian aquifer.

Precipitation entering the groundwater system in that part 

of the Lockport area where the glacial drift aquifer is present, 

particularly near the bluffs of the Des Plaines River Valley, 

moves quickly downward through the glacial drift aquifer, 

recharging the Silurian aquifer. Groundwater in the glacial 

drift aquifer also flows laterally, discharging from seeps along 

the bluffs (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 

2004a). Water levels (and flow) in the glacial drift aquifer are 

affected by the amount of precipitation, often rising several 

feet after a precipitation event and becoming unsaturated 

when precipitation is absent for an extended period of time 

(AECOM, 2013a,b). 

Precipitation entering the groundwater system in that 

part of the Lockport area where the semiconfining unit (till) 

is present moves downward slowly, recharging the Silurian 

aquifer (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 

2004a). During extended periods of below average amounts 

of precipitation, the base of the semiconfining unit and the 

top of the Silurian aquifer can become unsaturated in some 

areas, reducing the amount of recharge to the Silurian aquifer; 

however, flow through the semiconfining unit is affected less 

by individual precipitation events than flow through the glacial 

drift aquifer, making the semiconfining unit a more stable, 

continuous source of recharge to the Silurian aquifer than the 

glacial drift aquifer in areas where the aquifer is comparatively 

thin. As a consequence, wetlands whose groundwater recharge 

area includes a substantial portion of the semiconfining unit 

are likely to receive groundwater discharge for a longer period 

of time than wetlands that receive water primarily from the 

more hydrologically variable glacial drift aquifer. This process 

appears to be especially important to the hydrology in the 

vicinity of the River South Parcel and the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve in the southwestern part of the Lower Des 

Plaines River Valley where the glacial drift aquifer can be 

comparatively thin. By the same token, the glacial drift aquifer 

is thick and capable of supporting flow for extended periods of 

time at the Long Run Seep Nature Preserve and several other 

parcels in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley.

Groundwater in the Silurian aquifer discharges to either 

the Des Plaines River, the wetlands in the valley of the Des 

Plaines River, or from seeps at the base of the bluffs along 

the Des Plaines River Valley (fig. 5; Roadcap and others, 

1993; Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004a; 

AECOM, 2013a,b). The Silurian aquifer is hydraulically isolated from surface-water bodies in the topographic uplands by 

the semiconfining unit. Groundwater that has discharged to the 

seeps, as well as groundwater that is discharged directly from 

the Silurian aquifer to the wetlands in the river valley, flows as 

surface water through the wetlands to the Des Plaines River. 

Water-Level Measurements

It is critical to assess the potential effect of increased 

groundwater withdrawals and decreased recharge to the Silurian aquifer on water levels and groundwater discharge to the 

HED habitats. The first step in assessing the water resources in 

the Lockport area was the synoptic measurement of surfacewater and groundwater levels on July 19, 2012 (tables 1, 2; 

fig. 9). A second synoptic measurement was done on November 26, 2012 (fig. 10). These measurements were performed 

by the USGS in cooperation with a variety of other public 

and private entities and were compiled and contoured by the 

authors to 

• define the potentiometric surface of the Silurian aquifer 

in the Lockport area, 

• identify directions of groundwater flow in three dimensions,

• identify the nature of the interaction between surface 

water and groundwater,

• identify the groundwater recharge areas in the Silurian 

aquifer for selected HED habitats, and 

• identify the effects of pumping from high-capacity 

wells. 

In this report, “high-capacity wells” are pumped at 

greater than 75 gallons per minute (gal/min) and typically 

yield thousands of gallons on a daily basis, whereas “watersupply wells” are pumped at less than 20 gal/min and typically 

yield less than 500 gallons on a daily basis.

Much of Illinois was experiencing a drought during July 

2012 and was still in a water deficit during November 2012, so 

these water levels are lower than usual (Illinois Department of 

Natural Resources, 2013). Additional synoptic measurements 

during more typical hydraulic conditions and over a larger 

portion of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley would improve 

the assessment of the area hydrology.

Water levels in the Silurian aquifer are highest beneath 

the topographic uplands and decrease overall toward the Des 

Plaines River Valley. These data indicate the regional direction 

of groundwater flow in the Silurian aquifer is from the topographic uplands east and west of the Des Plaines River Valley 

toward the river. Within this regional flow pattern there are a 

few local variations.

The water level of the CSSC is maintained at an elevation of about 576.7 ft NAVD 88 by the operation of the 

Lockport Lock and Dam to facilitate navigation (Jackson and 

others, 2012). The stage of the CSSC is substantially higher 

than nearby land surface and groundwater levels in most of 

the Lockport area, creating the potential for flow from the 

CSSC into the Silurian aquifer from the Lockport Lock and 

Dam to approximately the southern edge of the East Quarry 

(figs. 9, 10). 
14 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 1. Well construction and groundwater-level data in the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, July 19 and November 26, 2012. [NAD 83, North American Datum of 1983; NAVD 88, North American Vertical Datum of 1988; F, fill; D, Dolomite; USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; --, no data; C, consultant; GD, Glacial drift; ?, unknown; <, less than] Well name (location shown in fig. 9) USGS well name Latitude, in degrees (NAD 83) Longitude, in degrees (NAD 83) Land surface elevation, in feet above NAVD 88 Measuring point elevation, in feet above NAVD 88 Elevation of well screen, in feet above NAVD 88 Unit monitored Water-level elevation on 7/19/2012, in feet above NAVD 88 Water-level elevation on 11/26/2012, in feet above NAVD 88 Measured by LP-09-03 413446088042101 41.579483 −88.072350 585.4 586.61 546–551 F/D 570.89 572.71 USGS LP-09-04 413446088042301 41.579525 −88.073030 585.4 586.47 547–552 F/D 552.20 552.08 USGS LP-09-01 413453088041301 41.581478 88.070301 585.4 586.72 549–554 F/D -- 560.50 USGS LP-09-05 413441088042501 41.578054 −88.073829 585.2 586.51 544–549 F/D -- 555.94 USGS MW-1R -- 41.561666 −88.090028 600.5 600.48 564–584

D 577.06 574.91

C

ERM-5 -- 41.563344 −88.090461 582.4 584.65 560–575

D 573.60 574.14

C

MW-18 -- 41.560903 −88.088664 590.8 593.11 550–560

D 567.78 568.31

C

MW-3 -- 41.655139 −88.077403 611.6 611.05 596–606 GD/D 604.49 --

C

MW-3D -- 41.655139 −88.077403 611.5 611.03 547–557

D 601.97 --

C

MW-14 -- 41.653853 −88.071281 601.7 601.41 586–596 GD/D 594.30 --

C

MW-14D -- 41.653853 −88.071281 601.7 601.32 546–556

D 593.10 --

C

MW-21 -- 41.654339 −88.068017 586.8 589.88 575–582

D 585.36 --

C

MW-24 -- 41.640417 −88.075917 592.4 595.23 581–588

D 585.80 --

C

MW-25 -- 41.659772 −88.075475 591.0 594.04 579–587

D 585.58 --

C

B-11 -- 41.650439 −88.030896 718.6 721.09 591–596

D 622.99 --

C

GMZ-1 -- 41.652740 −88.050886 589.8 593.25 574–584

D 581.50 --

C

GMZ-5 -- 41.645968 −88.053050 591.2 593.19 577–587

D 587.34 --

C

SWB-4 -- 41.650371 −88.056222 587.9 589.73 538–543

D 578.43 --

C

SWB-5 -- 41.650300 −88.056275 587.8 589.97 570–580

D 578.35 --

C

MW-102 -- 41.655991

−88.037582 690.7 693.77 570–575

D 605.57 --

C

MW-103 -- 41.652168

−88.042304 644.8 648.53 571–575

D 608.55 --

C

MW-105A (N) -- 41.642780

−88.057477 587.9 591.38 580–585

D 580.10 --

C

MW-105A (S) -- 41.642768

−88.057480 587.9 591.26 555–560

D 580.21 --

C

MW-109A -- 41.661599

−88.042548 587.9 590.83 580–585

D 579.83 --

C

MW–109B -- 41.661611

−88.042540 587.9 590.84 555–560

D 579.79 --

C

MW-122 -- 41.650120

−88.048535 595.6 597.78 575–585

D 591.18 --

C

PZ-15 -- 41.641150

−88.051860 591.2 591.23 574–584

D 586.98 --

C

RP-1S -- 41.608973

−88.073430 600.9 603.98 572–587

D 581.53 581.30

C
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources in the Lockport Area 15

Table 1. Well construction and groundwater-level data in the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, July 19 and November 26, 2012.—Continued[NAD 83, North American Datum of 1983; NAVD 88, North American Vertical Datum of 1988; F, fill; D, Dolomite; USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; --, no data; C, consultant; GD, Glacial drift; ?, unknown; <, less than]

Well name 

(location 

shown in 

fig. 9)

USGS 

well name

Latitude, 

in degrees 

(NAD 83)

Longitude, 

in degrees 

(NAD 83)

Land surface 

elevation, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

Measuring 

point elevation, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

Elevation of 

well screen, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

Unit 

monitored

Water-level 

elevation on 

7/19/2012, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

Water-level 

elevation on 

11/26/2012, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

Measured 

by

RP-1D -- 41.608997 −88.073433 601.2 603.19 483–492

D 581.06 580.59

C

RP-2S -- 41.606174 −88.072000 579.3 582.27 565–575

D 574.92 576.42

C

RP-2D -- 41.606160 −88.071973 579.2 581.88 533–538

D 575.27 576.50

C

MP-1S -- 41.625470 −88.074743 582.1 585.10 558–572

D 576.55 578.86

C

MP-1D -- 41.625470 −88.074743 582.8 584.92 475–485

D 577.59 579.40

C

MP-2S -- 41.622616 −88.074771 581.9 585.18 558–573

D 569.89 574.13

C

MP-2D -- 41.622591 −88.074780 582.3 583.46 474–484

D 571.90 575.01

C

MP-3D -- 41.621750 −88.074780 581.7 584.33 434–?

D 561.51 553.28

C

CEP-1S -- 41.636895 −88.052703 586.7 586.96 573–583

D 584.58 586.16

C

CEP-1D -- 41.636921 −88.052715 586.6 589.73 538–545

D 584.58 586.43

C

CEP-2S -- 41.630933 −88.050334 587.2 590.29 568–583

D 584.76 585.49

C

CEP-2D -- 41.630912 −88.050347 587.5 590.32 535–540

D 584.63 585.54

C

CEP-3S -- 41.636837 −88.049806 592.0 595.05 575–590

D 589.49 590.46

C

CEP-3D -- 41.636811 −88.049805 592.0 595.07 543–548

D 590.07 590.80

C

CEP-4S -- 41.629947 −88.056663 584.5 587.40 565–580

D 579.07 582.05

C

CEP-4D -- 41.636837 −88.049806 584.4 587.73 534–538

D 578.99 582.01

C

CEP-5S -- 41.635159 −88.057559 585.3 588.29 566–580

D 578.49 580.17

C

CEP-6S -- 41.635973 −88.053035 586.5 589.02 573–583

D 584.89 586.01

C

CEP-7S -- 41.636390 −88.052241 587.1 589.80 575–585

D 585.65 586.66

C

CEP-8WT -- 41.635755 −88.052384 587.2 589.91 583–585

D 586.09 586.82

C

CEP-9WT -- 41.636929 −88.052216 587.3 590.76 583–586

D 585.66 586.59

C

CEP-10S -- 41.631606 −88.054939 584.7 587.73 566–571

D 580.78 584.56

C

CEP-11S -- 41.632562 −88.054200 585.0 587.90 571–575

D 580.45 584.15

C

CEP-11D -- 41.632554 −88.054202 584.9 587.48 535–539

D 580.43 584.00

C

CEP-12S -- 41.631748 −88.052382 587.3 590.76 571–576

D 584.28 587.51

C

MW-3A 413444088045901 41.579000 −88.083111 611.5 611.22 575–585

D 578.87 578.22 USGS

MW-3B 413444088045902 41.579000 −88.083111 611.5 611.07 545–550

D 560.68 563.07 USGS

MW-6A 413520088043901 41.589056 −88.077583 616.5 619.15 583–593 GD 586.62 586.41 USGS
16 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 1. Well construction and groundwater-level data in the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, July 19 and November 26, 2012.—Continued [NAD 83, North American Datum of 1983; NAVD 88, North American Vertical Datum of 1988; F, fill; D, Dolomite; USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; --, no data; C, consultant; GD, Glacial drift; ?, unknown; <, less than] Well name (location shown in fig. 9) USGS well name Latitude, in degrees (NAD 83) Longitude, in degrees (NAD 83) Land surface elevation, in feet above NAVD 88 Measuring point elevation, in feet above NAVD 88 Elevation of well screen, in feet above NAVD 88 Unit monitored Water-level elevation on 7/19/2012, in feet above NAVD 88 Water-level elevation on 11/26/2012, in feet above NAVD 88 Measured by MW-6B 413520088043902 41.589056 −88.077583 616.3 619.21 571–576

D 586.03 585.82 USGS

MW-6C 413520088043903 41.589056 −88.077583 616.3 619.11 546–551

D 589.91 585.62 USGS

MW-6N 413523088044401 41.589639 −88.078778 622.5 624.75 584–? D? 588.43 -- USGSMW-6S 413515088044201 41.587500 −88.078306 615.9 618.65 578–? D? 586.41 586.21 USGSMW-7A 413543088053701 41.595333 −88.093556 672.1 674.83 652–662 GD 663.67 658.47 USGSMW-7B 413543088053702 41.595333 −88.093556 672.1 674.96 606–611 GD/D <606 606.92 USGSMW-7C 413543088053703 41.595333 −88.093556 672.1 674.75 597–607

D 605.82 605.95 USGS

MW-7D 413543088053704 41.595333 −88.093556 672.1 674.81 572–577

D 605.70 605.81 USGS

MW-8A 413454088044601 41.581778 −88.079611 566.5 569.33 557–562 GD/D 561.51 563.74 USGSMW-8B 413454088044602 41.581778 −88.079611 566.5 569.33 539–544

D 561.09 563.82 USGS

MW-9A 413516088043401 41.587861 −88.076139 571.7 574.64 559–564

D 567.20 568.83 USGS

MW-9B 413516088043402 41.587861 −88.076139 571.7 574.39 542–547

D 568.40 568.58 USGS

MW-10A 413454088042201 41.581778 −88.072917 556.3 560.69 543–553?

D 551.06 552.08 USGS

MW-10B 413454088042202 41.581778 −88.072917 556.6 560.40 532–537?

D 551.18 552.08 USGS

MW-10C 413454088042203 41.581778 −88.072917 556.4 560.10 499–504?

D 550.51 551.17 USGS

MW-11A 413533088041401 41.592389 −88.070500 562.6 567.37 555–565?

D 560.74 561.90 USGS

MW-11B 413533088041402 41.592389 −88.070500 562.5 567.40 539–544?

D 561.15 562.05 USGS

MW-11C 413533088041403 41.592389 −88.070500 562.5 567.46 503–508?

D 560.83 562.07 USGS

MW-12A 413519088062501 41.588556 −88.106889 642.0 644.99 622–632? GD 636.71 636.87 USGSMW-12B 413519088062502 41.588556 −88.106889 642.1 644.61 581–586?

D 603.16 602.60 USGS

MW-12C 413519088062503 41.588556 −88.106889 642.1 644.69 548–553?

D 602.94 -- USGS

G105 413545088043701 41.595861 −88.076861 595.4 597.91 581–591

D 593.16 593.90 USGS

G106 413543088043401 41.595361 −88.076028 595.0 598.43 576–586

D 591.19 592.18 USGS

G107 413543088043601 41.595444 −88.076639 596.0 599.54 582–592

D 591.54 592.74 USGS

LRS1 413722088025601 41.622639 −88.049056 599.4 603 598–? GD 598.20 -- USGSLRS3 413721088025901 41.622389 −88.049778 593.4 597 590–? GD 593.69 -- USGSLRS4 413721088025601 41.622472 −88.049056 589.9 595.4 587–? GD 590.00 -- USGSRP1 413919088041001 41.655167 −88.069556 592.8 595.78 591–592? GD 591.01 591.59 USGS
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources in the Lockport Area 17

Table 1. Well construction and groundwater-level data in the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, July 19 and November 26, 2012.—Continued[NAD 83, North American Datum of 1983; NAVD 88, North American Vertical Datum of 1988; F, fill; D, Dolomite; USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; --, no data; C, consultant; GD, Glacial drift; ?, unknown; <, less than]

Well name 

(location 

shown in 

fig. 9)

USGS 

well name

Latitude, 

in degrees 

(NAD 83)

Longitude, 

in degrees 

(NAD 83)

Land surface 

elevation, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

Measuring 

point elevation, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

Elevation of 

well screen, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

Unit 

monitored

Water-level 

elevation on 

7/19/2012, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

Water-level 

elevation on 

11/26/2012, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

Measured 

by

RP2 413918088040801 41.655083 −88.069028 595.5 595.78 542–547?

D 589.77 590.01 USGS

RP3 413920088041001 41.655694 −88.069528 592.0 596.32 589–590? GD 589.38 -- USGSRP5 413915088040501 41.654333 −88.068056 589.2 589.87 578–588? GD 586.27 -- USGSRP6 413905088040901 41.654083 −88.069333 593.3 594.10 587–590? GD 589.42 -- USGSRPPW4 413919088041001 41.655333 -88.069500 593.6 596.42 542–547

D 590.42 590.65

C

SV1 413422088051101 41.572694 −88.086556 595.4 597.82 580–? GD 581.41 <580.07? USGSSV2 413422088051102 41.572694 −88.086556 595.1 597.49 561–571?

D 581.23 572.45 USGS

CH3A 413451088061501 41.580972 −88.104167 641.2 643.74 587–597 GD 590.09 588.27 USGSCH3B 413452088061501 41.580972 −88.104167 641.2 643.31 565–575

D 588.17 589.33 USGS

CH2A 413400088061001 41.566611 −88.102833 628.7 631.29 579–? GD 584.61 583.62 USGSCH2B 413400088061002 41.566611 −88.102833 628.4 630.88 565–575

D 583.92 583.32 USGS

CH2C 413400088061003 41.566611 −88.102833 628.1 630.78 322–482

D 543.17 540.54 USGS

G109 413601088064701 41.600361 −88.113083 660.4 662.45 585–595

D 607.37 606.55 USGS

G110 413557088064701 41.599278 −88.113139 661.6 663.84 584–594

D 606.94 606.23 USGS

G111 413550088064701 41.597250 -88.112972 653.3 655.47 590–600

D 606.99 606.21 USGS

G112 413549088064901 41.597028 −88.113611 652.1 654.52 586–596

D 606.62 605.98 USGS

G113 413549088065701 41.596944 −88.115917 652.8 654.69 582–592

D 606.42 605.81 USGS

CH7 -- -- -- 618 618 322–?

D 519 --

C

CH8 -- -- -- 584 584 249–?

D 484 --

C

CH9 -- -- -- 641 641 340–?

D 564 --

C

CH10 -- -- -- 600 600 275–?

D 492 --

C

CH11 -- -- -- 641 641 340–?

D 527 --

C

R#1 413911088051601 -- -- 640 640 482–599

D -- 610

C

R#3 413848088055401 -- -- 621 621 461–581

D 603 601

C

R#5 414020088041301 -- -- 707 707 457–646

D 519 518

C

R#7 -- -- -- 653 653 353–595

D 609 607

C

R#8 -- -- -- 653 653 453–603

D 615 613

C

R#9 -- -- -- 650 650 401–595

D 568 570

C
18 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 1. Well construction and groundwater-level data in the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, July 19 and November 26, 2012.—Continued [NAD 83, North American Datum of 1983; NAVD 88, North American Vertical Datum of 1988; F, fill; D, Dolomite; USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; --, no data; C, consultant; GD, Glacial drift; ?, unknown; <, less than] Well name (location shown in fig. 9) USGS well name Latitude, in degrees (NAD 83) Longitude, in degrees (NAD 83) Land surface elevation, in feet above NAVD 88 Measuring point elevation, in feet above NAVD 88 Elevation of well screen, in feet above NAVD 88 Unit monitored Water-level elevation on 7/19/2012, in feet above NAVD 88 Water-level elevation on 11/26/2012, in feet above NAVD 88 Measured by R#12 -- -- -- 623 623 378–57

D 604 603

C

CV#1 -- -- -- 675 675 333–628

D 540 --

C

CV#2 -- -- -- 682 682 386–635

D 530 --

C

CV#3 -- -- -- 680 680 353–638

D 532 --

C

CO 413645088044301 -- -- 628.2 629.00 449–?

D 518? -- USGS

CG 413647088044401 -- -- 625.4 626.83 320–?

D 469.22 470.12 USGS

AL 413648088043601 -- -- 620.2 620.59 320–?

D 471.29 472.54 USGS

RMW 413608088072001 -- -- 647.3 648.20 523–592

D 609.81 607.98 USGS

RME 413609088071101 -- -- 650.5 652.22 523–595

D 610.17 608.03 USGS

AR 413635088063301 -- -- 663.8 664.88 ?–?

D 620.87 624.98 USGS

CBW 413807088024901 -- -- 679.7 681.17 ?–?

D 613.93 -- USGS

LGC 413648088025801 -- -- 648.1 650.38 450–507

D 596.78 -- USGS

RRR 413548088050601 -- -- 655.1 656.97 ?–?

D 599.22 599.15 USGS

LUFH 413600088042901 -- -- 612.1 613.17 ?–?

D -- 575.63 USGS

TR 413732088051401 -- -- 636.1 635.67 410–?

D -- 572? USGS

WC 413642088044401 -- -- 632.0 633.13 330–?

D 540.10 USGS
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources in the Lockport Area 19

Table 2. Streamgage information and water-level data in the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, July 

19 and November 26, 2012.

[NAD 83, North American Datum of 1983; NAVD 88, North American Vertical Datum of 1988; USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; --, no data]

Location 

(shown in fig. 9)

USGS 

streamgage 

name

Latitude, 

in degrees 

(NAD 83)

Longitude, 

in degrees 

(NAD 83)

Measuring point 

elevation, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

Water-level 

elevation on 

7/19/2012, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

Water-level 

elevation on 

11/26/2012, 

in feet above 

NAVD 88

Measured 

by

Illinois and Michigan Canal

Old Romeo Road -- 41.640661 -88.058009 593.05 578.30 578.40 USGS

 Middle Gage -- 41.657507 -88.048899 593.27 578.72 -- Consultant

South Gage -- 41.648228 -88.057267 577.31 578.81 -- Consultant

Des Plaines River

Romeo Road 05534000 41.640279 -88.058009 571.47 580.52 584.55 USGS

9th Avenue -- 41.592550 -88.069550 579.77 562.19 562.08 USGS

Division Street 05534100 41.581993 -88.072030 579.77 558.68 558.41 USGS

Material Service Road 05534050 41.596377 -88.068517 579.77 563.88 -- USGS

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

Lockport Lock Control Works 05537000 41.597500 -88.066111 579.78 577.26 576.84 USGS

Bruce Lake

 Bruce Lake (shown in fig. 22) -- 41.639441 -88.056858 591.88 583.48 -- Consultant

A cone of depression surrounds the Quarry due to highcapacity pumping to dewater the dolomite and to support 

Quarry operations. The cone of depression appears to extend 

to HED habitats at the Middle Parcel Expansion Area and the 

River South Parcel. Additional groundwater withdrawals from 

the Silurian aquifer associated with the proposed expansion 

of quarry operations in the West Quarry and Middle Parcel 

Expansion Areas (fig. 1) would increase the size of the cone 

of depression in the vicinity of the Quarry. Note the process 

affecting flow from the CSSC to the Silurian aquifer near the 

East Quarry (pumping from the East Quarry) differs from the 

process affecting flow to the aquifer (approximately) south of 

the quarry (elevated water levels in the canal) discussed in the 

previous paragraph.

Lower water levels also were observed at high-capacity 

wells CH7, CH10, and CH11 in the southern part of the 

Lockport area (fig. 9). All of the high-capacity wells in this 

area are open to most or all of the Silurian aquifer. Static water 

levels are lower in the deeper part of the Silurian aquifer than 

in the shallow part in the vicinity of some of these wells; for 

example, high-capacity well CH10 is about 325 ft deep and 

had a water-level elevation of about 492 ft during July 2012 

(table 1). Nearby monitoring wells CH2C (depth about 300 ft) 

and CH2B (depth about 65 ft) had static water-level elevations 

of about 543 and 584 ft, respectively, during July 2012. These 

data indicate that fractures located in the deeper part of the 

Silurian aquifer can provide substantial amounts of groundwater to the high-capacity wells and that the vertical interconnectedness of the fracture network within the Silurian aquifer 

is somewhat limited in this area and potentially in the Silurian 

aquifer as a whole. It is unclear if the extraction of groundwater 

from secondary-permeability features in the deeper part of the 

Silurian aquifer diverts substantial amounts of water from the 

shallower parts of the aquifer and the wetlands. 

The potentiometric surface depicted in figures 9 and 10 

and from previous investigations (Roadcap and others, 1993) 

indicates that the groundwater recharge area (the land area 

where water infiltrates into the ground and contributes to the 

groundwater that flows to or through a given feature) for the 

Silurian aquifer to the River South Parcel and the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve extends west to the vicinity of the 

intersection of Airport and Weber Roads (fig. 11). The recharge 

areas are separated by a groundwater divide that extends 

from the vicinity of the AR well to well RRR and wells G105 

through G107 north of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve 

(fig. 9). The groundwater recharge zones show some overlap 

with the capture zones (the area around a pumping center contributing groundwater to the pumped wells) for the Quarry. 

To account for uncertainties in the flow direction, a 0.5-mi 

wide “buffer area” is drawn around the groundwater recharge 

area to identify the area that could be affecting the hydrology 

of the River South Parcel and the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. An additional 2-mi buffer was added to account for the 

area where drawdown or capture from high-capacity pumping 

wells might affect flow in the recharge areas. The hydrology 

within a groundwater recharge area and changes to the hydrology within the recharge area have the potential to affect the 

HED habitat.
620

610

610

600

600

590

590

580

570

570

470

470

570

580

580

470

560

620

610

610

600

590

600

590

580

580

600

590

570

560

580

revi Rseni al Pse D

Long

Run

Creek

Illinois and Michigan Canal Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

Long

Run

Seep

Lewis 

University 

Airport

Middle 

Parcel

Expansion 

Area

Romeoville 

Prairie

Nature 

Preserve

ComEd and

Long Run

Parcels

 East

Quarry

West

Quarry Middle 

Quarry

Lockport Prairie

Nature Preserve 

Long Run 

Seep

Nature 

Preserve

West

Quarry

Expansion

Area

College 

View

Subdivision

DAM

River 

South

Parcel

TEXACO 

Lockport Prairie 

East and 

Dellwood West

Nature Preserve s

Prairie Bluff

Preserve

DIVISION STREET

DAOR HGI H

WEBBER ROAD

WEBBER ROAD

ROMEO ROAD

RENWICK ROAD

AIRPORT ROAD

TAYLOR ROAD

Crest Hill

Lewis 

University 

Airport

Lockport

Romeoville

Middle 

Parcel

Expansion 

Area

Romeoville 

Prairie

Nature 

Preserve

7

53

171

7

Com Ed and

Long Run

Parcels

 East

Quarry

West

Quarry Middle 

Quarry

Lockport Prairie

Nature Preserve 

Long Run 

Seep

Nature 

Preserve

55

West

Quarry

Expansion

Area

College 

View

Subdivision

53

DAM

River 

South

Parcel

TEXACO 

Lockport Prairie 

East and 

Dellwood West

Nature Preserves 

Prairie Bluff

Preserve

LOCKPORT LOCK

AND DAM

CEP-8WT

586.09

CEP-7S

585.65

9th Avenue

562.19

LP-09-03

570.89

LP-09-04

552.2

MW-1R

577.06

ERM-5

573.6

MW-3D

601.97

MW-14D

593.1 MW-21

585.36

MW-24

585.8

MW-25

585.58

R#3

603

R#1

608

R#7

609

R#8

615

B-11

622.99

GMZ-1

581.5

MW-102

605.57

MW-103

608.55

MW-105A(N)

580.1

MW-105A(S)

580.21

MW-109A

579.83

MW-109B

579.79

MP-1S

576.55

MP-1D

577.59

MP-2S

569.89 MP-3D

(TAMSD3)

561.51

CEP-1D

584.58

CEP-1S

584.58

CEP-2D

584.63

CEP-2S

584.76

CEP-6S

584.89

MW 3B

560.68

MW-6B

586.03

MW-6C

589.91

MW-6N

588.43

MW6S

586.41

MW-7C

605.82

MW-7D

605.7

MW-9A

567.2

MW-9B

568.4

MW-10A

551.06

MW-10C

550.21

MW-12B

603.16

MW-12C

602.94

G105

593.16

G106

591.19

G107

591.54

RPPW4

590.42

SV 2

581.23

CH3B

588.17

CH2B

583.92

CH2C

543.17

G109

607.37

G110

606.94

G111

606.99

G112

606.62

G113

606.42

CV#1

540

AL

471.29

RMW

RME

610.17

AR

620.87

CBW

613.95

LGC

596.78

RRR

599.22

Romeo

Road

580.52

Lockport Lock

577.26

Bruce 

Lake

583.48

7519

10

492

11

527

CEP-12S

584.28

CEP-11D

580.43

CEP-11S

580.45

CO

518.28

CG

469.22

CV#3

532

CV#2

530

MP-2D

571.9

RP-1S

581.53

RP-1D

581.06

RP-2S

574.92

RP-2D

575.27

MW-11A

560.74

MW-11B

561.15

MW-11C

560.83

Division 

Street

558.68

MW-18

567.78

RP2

589.77

SWB-4

578.43

SWB-5

578.35

I&M Canal 

South Gage

578.81

Old Romeo 

Road

578.25

I&M Canal Mid-Gage

578.72

MW-122

591.18

GMZ-5

587.34

CEP-3S

589.49

CEP-3D

590.07

CEP-4S

579.07

CEP-4D

579.0

CEP-5S

578.49

CEP-10S

580.78

CEP-9WT

585.66

PZ-15

586.98

MW-8B

561.09

MW-10B

550.91

CEP-8WT

586.09

CEP-7S

585.65

9th Avenue

562.19

LP-09-03

570.89

LP-09-04

552.2

MW-1R

577.06

ERM-5

573.6

MW-3D

601.97

MW-14D

593.1 MW-21

585.36

MW-24

585.8

MW-25

585.58

R#3

603

R#1

608

R#7

609

R#8

615

B-11

622.99

GMZ-1

581.5

MW-102

605.57

MW-103

608.55

MW-105A(N)

580.1

MW-105A(S)

580.21

MW-109A

579.83

MW-109B

579.79

MP-1S

576.55

MP-1D

577.59

MP-2S

569.89 MP-3D

(TAMSD3)

561.51

CEP-1D

584.58

CEP-1S

584.58

CEP-2D

584.63

CEP-2S

584.76

CEP-6S

584.89

MW 3B

560.68

MW-6B

586.03

MW-6C

589.91

MW-6N

588.43

MW6S

586.41

MW-7C

605.82

MW-7D

605.7

MW-9A

567.2

MW-9B

568.4

MW-10A

551.06

MW-10C

550.21

MW-12B

603.16

MW-12C

602.94

G105

593.16

G106

591.19

G107

591.54

RPPW4

590.42

SV 2

581.23

CH3B

588.17

CH2B

583.92

CH2C

543.17

G109

607.37

G110

606.94

G111

606.99

G112

606.62

G113

606.42

CV#1

540

AL

471.29

RMW

RME

610.17

AR

620.87

CBW

613.95

LGC

596.78

RRR

599.22

Romeo

Road

580.52

Lockport Lock

577.26

Bruce 

Lake

583.48

CH7

519

CH10

492

CH11

527

CEP-12S

584.28

CEP-11D

580.43

CEP-11S

580.45

CO

518.28

CG

469.22

CV#3

532

CV#2

530

MP-2D

571.9

RP-1S

581.53

RP-1D

581.06

RP-2S

574.92

RP-2D

575.27

MW-11A

560.74

MW-11B

561.15

MW-11C

560.83

Division 

Street

558.68

MW-18

567.78

RP2

589.77

SWB-4

578.43

SWB-5

578.35

I&M Canal 

South Gage

578.81

Old Romeo 

Road

578.25

I&M Canal Mid-Gage

578.72

MW-122

591.18

GMZ-5

587.34

CEP-3S

589.49

CEP-3D

590.07

CEP-4S

579.07

CEP-4D

579.0

CEP-5S

578.49

CEP-10S

580.78

CEP-9WT

585.66

PZ-15

586.98

MW-8B

561.09

MW-10B

550.91

609.81

88°07' 88°06' 88°05' 88°04' 88°03' 88°02'

41°39'

41°38'

41°37'

41°36'

41°35'

41°34'

EXPLANATION

R#3

603

AR

620.87

MW-12B

603.16

9th Avenue

561.9

Nature preserve

Existing quarry (2016)

Quarry expansion area

Parcel boundary

Water-level elevation—Dashed where 

 inferred. Contour interval 10 feet. 

 Datum is North American Vertical

 Datum of 1988. Contour based on 

 data from shallowest well at location 

 

Streamgage location with name and 

 stage

Monitoring well with name 

 and water-level elevation

Water-supply well with name and 

 water-level elevation

High-capacity well with name and 

 water-level elevation

600

0 1 MILE

0 1 KILOMETER

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 2001

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection 

Standard parallels 33 ̊ N. and 45 ̊ N.

Central meridian 89 ̊ W.

North American Datum of 1927 

20 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

Figure 9. Potentiometric surface of the Silurian aquifer in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois, July 19, 2012.
620

610

610

610

600

600

600

600

590

590

590

580

590

580

570

570

570

580

570

570

570

560

560

580

580

560

470

470

580

620

610

610

610

600

600

600

600

590

590

590

580

590

580

570

570

570

580

590

570

570

560

560

580

580

560

470

470

580

revi Rseni al Pse D

Long

Run

Creek

Illinois and Michigan Canal Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

Long

Run

Seep

Lewis 

University 

Airport

Middle 

Parcel

Expansion 

Area

Romeoville 

Prairie

Nature 

Preserve

ComEd and

Long Run

Parcels

 East

Quarry

West

Quarry Middle 

Quarry

Lockport Prairie

Nature Preserve 

Long Run 

Seep

Nature 

Preserve

LOCKPORT LOCK

AND DAM

West

Quarry

Expansion

Area

College 

View

Subdivision

Dam

River 

South

Parcel

Texaco 

Lockport Prairie 

East and 

Dellwood West

Nature Preserve s

Prairie Bluff

Preserve

DIVISION STREET

DAOR HGI H

ROMEO ROAD

RENWICK ROAD

AIRPORT ROAD

TAYLOR ROAD

Crest Hill

Lewis 

University 

Airport

Lockport

Romeoville

Middle 

Parcel

Expansion 

Area

Romeoville 

Prairie

Nature 

Preserve

7

53

171

7

Com Ed and

Long Run

Parcels

 East

Quarry

West

Quarry Middle 

Quarry

Lockport Prairie

Nature Preserve 

Long Run 

Seep

Nature 

Preserve

55

LOCKPORT LOCK

AND DAM

West

Quarry

Expansion

Area

College 

View

Subdivision

53 Dam

River 

South

Parcel

Texaco 

Lockport Prairie 

East and 

Dellwood West

Nature Preserves 

Prairie Bluff

Preserve

WEBBER ROAD

WEBBER ROAD

LP-09-01

560.50

TR

572?

CEP-7S

586.66

R#3

601

R#1

610

R#7

607

R#8

613

MP-1S

578.86

MP-1D

579.40

CEP-1D

586.43

CEP-1S

586.16

CEP-2D

585.54

CEP-2S

585.49

CEP-3S

590.46

CEP-3D

590.80

CEP-4S

582.05

CEP-4D

582.01

CEP-6S

586.01

MW 3B

563.07

MW-6B

585.82

MW-6C

585.62

MW

605.95

MW-7D

605.81

MW-9A

568.83

MW-9B

568.58

MW-10A

552.08

MW-12B

602.60

G105

593.90

G106

592.18

G107

592.74

RPPW4

590.65

SV 2

572.45

CH3B

589.33

G109

606.55

G110

606.23

G111

606.21

G112

605.98

G113

605.81

WC

540.10

CV#3

CV#2

CV#1 AL

472.54

RMW

607.98

RME

608.03

AR

624.98

RRR

599.15

11

CEP-12S

587.51

CEP-11D

584.00

CEP-11S

584.15

MW 3A

578.22

SV1

LP-09-03

572.71

LP-09-05

555.94

LP-09-04

552.08

MW

552.08

MW

551.17

9th Avenue

562.08

Romeo

Road

584.55

Lockport Lock

576.84

Division 

Street

558.41

MW-11A

561.90

MW-11B

562.05

MW-11C

562.07

RP-2S

576.42

RP-2D

576.50

CV#4

RP-1S

581.30

RP-1D

580.59

CG

470.12

MP-2S

574.13

MP-2D

575.01

MP-3D

(TAMSD3)

553.28

-8B

563.82

LUFH

575.63

CEP-8WT

CEP-5S 586.82

580.17

CEP-10S

584.56

CEP-9WT

586.59

Old Romeo 

Road

578.4

-7C

-10B

-10C

MW

MW

574.91

ERM-5

574.14

MW-18

568.31

CH2B

583.32

CH2C

540.54

7

-1R

LP-09-01

560.50

TR

572?

CEP-7S

586.66

R#3

601

R#1

610

R#7

607

R#8

613

MP-1S

578.86

MP-1D

579.40

CEP-1D

586.43

CEP-1S

586.16

CEP-2D

585.54

CEP-2S

585.49

CEP-3S

590.46

CEP-3D

590.80

CEP-4S

582.05

CEP-4D

582.01

CEP-6S

586.01

MW 3B

563.07

MW-6B

585.82

MW-6C

585.62

MW

605.95

MW-7D

605.81

MW-9A

568.83

MW-9B

568.58

MW-10A

552.08

MW-12B

602.60

G105

593.90

G106

592.18

G107

592.74

RPPW4

590.65

SV2

572.45

CH3B

589.33

G109

606.55

G110

606.23

G111

606.21

G112

605.98

G113

605.81

WC

540.10

CV#3

CV#2

CV#1 AL

472.54

RMW

607.98

RME

608.03

AR

624.98

RRR

599.15

CH11

CEP-12S

587.51

CEP-11D

584.00

CEP-11S

584.15

MW 3A

578.22

SV1

LP-09-03

572.71

LP-09-05

555.94

LP-09-04

552.08

MW

552.08

MW

551.17

9th Avenue

562.08

Romeo

Road

584.55

Lockport Lock

576.84

Division 

Street

558.41

MW-11A

561.90

MW-11B

562.05

MW-11C

562.07

RP-2S

576.42

RP-2D

576.50

CV#4

RP-1S

581.30

RP-1D

580.59

CG

470.12

MP-2S

574.13

MP-2D

575.01

MP-3D

(TAMSD3)

553.28

-8B

563.82

LUFH

575.63

CEP-8WT

CEP-5S 586.82

580.17

CEP-10S

584.56

CEP-9WT

586.59

Old Romeo 

Road

578.4

-7C

-10B

-10C

MW

MW

574.91

ERM-5

574.14

MW-18

568.31

CH2B

583.32

CH2C

540.54

CH7

CH10

-1R

88°07' 88°06' 88°05' 88°04' 88°03' 88°02'

41°39'

41°38'

41°37'

41°36'

41°35'

41°34'

EXPLANATION

R#3

601

AR

624.98

MW-12B

602.60

9th Avenue

561.79

Nature preserve

Existing quarry (2016)

Quarry expansion area

Parcel boundary

Water-level elevation—Dashed where 

 inferred. Contour interval 10 feet. 

 Datum is North American Vertical

 Datum of 1988. Contour based on 

 data from shallowest well at location 

 

Streamgage location with name and 

 stage

Monitoring well with name 

 and water-level elevation

Water-supply well with name and 

 water-level elevation

High-capacity well with name and 

 water-level elevation

600

0 1 MILE

0 1 KILOMETER

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 2001

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection 

Standard parallels 33 ̊ N. and 45 ̊ N.

Central meridian 89 ̊ W.

North American Datum of 1927 

Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources in the Lockport Area 21

Figure 10. Potentiometric surface of the Silurian aquifer in the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois, November 26, 2012.
22 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

Lockport Prairie East

and Dellwood West

Nature Preserve 

WEBER ROAD

ROMEO ROAD

RENWICK ROAD

DIVISION STREET

AIRPORT ROAD

TAYLOR ROAD

Crest Hill

revi Rseni al Pse D

Lockport

River South

Parcel 

Middle Parcel

Expansion Area

Romeoville 

Prairie

Nature 

Preserve

7

30

171

7

Com Ed 

and

Long 

Run

Parcels

 East

Quarry

West

Quarry

Middle

Quarry

Lockport Prairie

Nature Preserve

Henry Formation sand and

gravel removed by quarrying

Long

Run Cr

Long Run 

Seep

Nature 

Illinois and Michigan Canal

Preserve

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

LOCKPORT LOCK

AND DAM

Long

Run

Seep

College View 

Lewis University

Airport 

Subdivision

Expansion

Area

55 West Quarry

Lockport Prairie East

and Dellwood West

Nature Preserves 

Prairie Bluff

Preserve

88°10' 88°09' 88°08' 88°07' 88°06' 88°05' 88°04' 88°03'

41°39'

41°38'

41°37'

41°36'

41°35'

41°34'

41°33'

EXPLANATION

Nature preserve

Existing quarry (2016)

Quarry expansion area

Parcel boundary

High-capacity well

Water-supply well

Modeled capture zone under

 2012 conditions for:

West Quarry

Middle and East Quarries

West Quarry

Middle and East Quarries

Modeled capture zone under

 build-out conditions for:

Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve

 recharge area 

1/2-mile buffer of recharge area

2-mile buffer of recharge area

1/2-mile buffer of recharge area

2-mile buffer of recharge area

River South Parcel recharge area 

0 1 2 MILES

0 1 2 KILOMETERS

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 2001

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection 

Standard parallels 33 ̊ N. and 45 ̊ N.

Central meridian 89 ̊ W.

North American Datum of 1927 

Figure 11. Location of modeled capture zones and groundwater recharge areas in the Silurian aquifer for selected focus areas in 

the vicinity of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley near Lockport, Will County, Illinois (modified from Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and 

Associates, Inc., 2008).
Assessment of Conditions that Affect 

the Water Resources at Selected 

Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats in 

the Lower Des Plaines River Valley

Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 23

Assessment of Conditions that Affect 

the Water Resources at Selected 

Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats

This assessment focuses on the Quarry, the River South 

Parcel, the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, and the Com Ed/

Long Run Parcels. These parcels have been most intensively 

characterized; are most likely to be affected by increased 

pumping at the Quarry; and in the case of River South and the 

Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, have the best HED habitat 

(highest populations). Other habitats (Long Run Seep Nature 

Preserve, Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve, Keepataw Forest Preserve, Black Partridge Woods Forest Preserve, Waterfall 

Glen Forest Preserve, and McMahon Fen Nature Preserve) 

will be discussed in lesser detail because they (1) are outside 

of the areas likely to be affected by pumping at the Quarry, (2) 

have been subjected to less investigation and have less data, 

and (3) contain smaller HED populations.

Assessment of Water Resources in the Quarry 

Area

The Quarry is located on Route 53 near Romeoville, Ill. 

(fig. 1) and consists of several parcels. The West Quarry and 

the West Quarry Expansion Area are located west of Illinois 

Route 53 and total about 269 acres. The Middle Quarry is 

located on the southern part of the property between Route 53 

and the Des Plaines River and is about 80 acres in size. The 

East Quarry is located between the CSSC and the Des Plaines 

River and is about 219 acres. The Middle Parcel Expansion 

Area is 125 acres and is located north of the Middle Quarry. 

The River South Parcel is 66 acres and is located between the 

Des Plaines River and a north-south trending railroad line that 

is present east of the bluffs defining the western edge of the 

Des Plaines River Valley. 

Mining began in 1973 at the East Quarry, in 1993 at the 

Middle Quarry, and in 1994 at the West Quarry. Silurian dolomite has been mined to an elevation of approximately 475 ft 

NAVD 88 at the West Quarry; 475 ft (northern two-thirds) to 

525 ft (southern one-third) at the Middle Quarry; and 475 ft 

(northern), 497 ft (south-central) and 505 ft (southern) at the 

East Quarry as of 2016 (STS/AECOM, 2008a, 2009). The 

draft mining plan that is expected to govern future operations 

calls for mining the West Quarry Expansion Area, followed 

by parts of the Middle Quarry and the Middle Parcel Expansion Area once mining in the West Quarry Expansion Area has 

been completed. The parcels will be mined to an elevation of 

about 475 ft to the boundaries shown in figure 1. Once mining 

of the West Quarry is completed, a culvert connecting the West 

Quarry to the Middle Quarry will be blocked, dewatering at 

the West Quarry will stop, and the West Quarry will fill with 

water.

Topography

The Middle Parcel Expansion Area is located between 

topographic uplands near Route 53 to the west and the Des 

Plaines River to the east (figs. 4, 12). A narrow berm is present in the western part of the property. The elevation of the 

land surface in most of the Middle Parcel Expansion Area is 

between about 580 and 590 ft, increasing to more than 600 ft 

along the berm and bluffs to the west. 

Biology

The HED has historically documented larval use at 

the Middle Parcel Expansion Area (fig. 2; Cashatt and others, 1993). Larval use has not been documented since 1996 

(Mierzwa, 2013a,b) and successful recruitment of larvae to 

breeding adults is considered unlikely since at least the 2005 

drought due to a lack of sustained wet conditions. This lack 

of sustained wet conditions is related to the effects of quarry 

operations on the hydrology at the Middle Parcel Expansion 

Area, particularly during the summer months when surface 

water is needed for egg deposition and hydration.

Ongoing use of the property by HED adults has been 

documented for foraging and transit (Mierzwa, 2009, 2013a,b; 

Mierzwa and Webb, 2012b). The total HED population at the 

Middle Parcel Expansion Area typically was estimated to be 

less than 5 individuals for most of 1994–2013. Peak populations of 51 and 36 individuals were observed in 1999 and 

2000, respectively. The current (2018) adult and former larval 

HED habitat at the Middle Parcel Expansion Area is in a topographically flat, wetland area east of the bluff and adjacent to a 

drainage system that traverses the parcel (fig. 12). 

Hydrogeology

The geologic deposits at the Quarry that are of concern 

to this investigation consist of the Silurian dolomite and the 

overlying glacial and alluvial deposits. The Silurian dolomite 

deposits constitute the Silurian aquifer. Sand and gravel deposits of the Henry Formation overlie the bedrock in most of the 

Quarry area west of Route 53 (fig. 8). Alluvial deposits are 

present east of Route 53 at the Middle Parcel Expansion Area 

and in the river valley and constitute the alluvial aquifer.

Alluvial Aquifer

The thickness of the unconsolidated deposits at the 

Quarry generally increases from east to west. Unconsolidated 

deposits typically are 1–2 ft thick near the Des Plaines River, 

2–5 ft thick in the eastern part of the Middle Parcel Expansion Area, 8–12 ft thick in the eastern part of the West Quarry, 

and 15–23 ft thick in the western part of the West Quarry. 

Hydric soils, but not histosols (organic-rich soil), are present 

in much of the Middle Parcel Expansion Area (Hanson Material Service Corporation, 2016). Hydric soils are permanently 

or seasonally saturated by water, resulting in anaerobic (low 
24 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

606

614

612

616

604

608

616

602

590

590

590

586

584

586

584

598

588

586

592

598

590

582

580

582

582

285

588

582

592

<580.1

MP-2S

579.24

565.91

569.89

574.13

MP-2D

579.19

565.82

571.90

575.01

MP-3D

576.42

543.25

561.51

553.28

MP-S1

584.70

<583.70 –

– MP-S2

579.80

<577.4

–

–

MP-1S

579.59

572.92

576.55

578.86

MP-1D

581.48

573.72

577.59

579.40

MP-W1

583.4

<580.1–

–

MP-W2

581.5

–

–

MP-2S

579.24

565.91

569.89

574.13

MP-2D

579.19

565.82

571.90

575.01

MP-3D

576.42

543.25

561.51

553.28

–

–

–

–

MP-1S

579.59

572.92

576.55

578.86

MP-1D

581.48

573.72

577.59

579.40

MP-W1

583.4

<580.1–

–

MP-W2

581.5

–

–

<580.1

MP-S1

584.70

<583.70

MP-S2

579.80

TAYLOR ROAD <577.4

ROUTE 53

West

Quarry

Middle

Quarry

MIDDLE PARCEL

EXPANSION AREA

Northern 

drainage

Southern drainage

Middle

Quarry

West

Quarry

TAYLOR ROAD

ROUTE 53

88°04'50" 88°04'40" 88°04'30" 88°04'20"

41°37'40"

41°37'30"

41°37'20"

0 0.1 MILE

0 0.1 KILOMETER

Orthography from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency

Aerial Photography Field Office 2012 National Agriculture Imagery 

Program (NAIP) Natural Color Imagery for Illinois

EXPLANATION

Parcel boundary

Fill area

Wetland area

Drainage

MP-1D

581.48

573.72

577.59

579.40

582

MP-S1

584.70

<583.70

Streamgage location and 

 name with:

 High water level

 Low water level

Well location and name with:

 High water level

 Low water level

 July 19, 2012, water level

 November 26, 2012, water level

Note: Water level datum is North 

American Vertical Datum of 1988

Line of equal elevation—

 Contour interval is 2 feet.

 Datum is North American

 Vertical Datum of 1988

Figure 12. Location of selected features and water-level data at the Middle Parcel Expansion Area, Will County, Illinois.
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 25

oxygen) conditions, as found in wetlands. Horizontal hydraulic conductivity values for the alluvial aquifer at the Quarry 

range from about 0.9 to 100 feet per day (ft/d; STS/AECOM, 

2009). 

Water levels at wells MP-W1 (fig. 13) and MP-W2, 

which are open to the alluvial aquifer at the wetland, indicated 

seasonal variations that are likely in response to seasonal 

variations in precipitation and evapotranspiration (Applied 

Ecological Services, 2012, 2013). The alluvial aquifer at 

these wells (and the nearby wetland) appears to have been 

unsaturated during the late spring through fall (June–September 2006, June–December 2007, July–December 2008, 

June–October 2009, June–December 2010, and June to at 

least October 2011) and at least partly saturated during late 

fall through early spring. Water levels increased, typically by 

less than 1 ft, in response to precipitation events. Response to 

precipitation events typically was observed during the fall and 

spring when baseline water levels were higher but was only 

occasionally detected during the summer when water levels 

typically were below the sensor. 

Silurian Aquifer

The Silurian deposits in the vicinity of the Quarry consist 

of dolomites of the Wilhelmi, Elwood, Kankakee, Joliet, 

Sugar Run, and Racine Formations (fig. 5, 6). The Racine, 

Sugar Run, Joliet, Kankakee, and upper part of the Elwood 

Formations are mined at the Quarry, but not the more argillaceous deposits of the lower Elwood and Wilhelmi Formations 

(AECOM, 2012). Secondary-permeability features are most 

prevalent in the weathered, upper 40 ft of the bedrock. These 

features become less prevalent with depth, but they were present at depths of at least 135 ft (elevation about 450 ft NAVD 

88) in cores drilled at the Quarry. 

The Silurian dolomite constitutes the Silurian aquifer. 

Horizontal hydraulic conductivity values for the aquifer at the 

Quarry range from 1.7 × 10-4 to 2.8 × 10-1 ft/d (STS/AECOM, 

2009; AECOM, 2013a) and tend to decrease with depth 

(AECOM, 2012), indicating the uppermost part of the aquifer 

tends to transmit more water than the lower part. Two separate 

long-term, constant-discharge aquifer tests performed at the 

West Quarry yielded calculated transmissivities of 55 and 1.2 

× 10-2 feet squared per day (ft2/d) and a storage coefficient of 

about 4.0 × 10-5 (STS/AECOM, 2009; AECOM, 2013a). These 

tests indicate low permeability for the Silurian aquifer in the 

vicinity of the West Quarry and few substantial, interconnected secondary-permeability features in the aquifer within 

the tested area (above 475 ft NAVD 88). The presence of 

high-capacity wells CV#1, CV#2, CV#3, and CV#4 south of 

the Quarry (all of these wells are shown in figure 10 but water 

level was not measured in well CV#4), which are open to the 

Silurian aquifer below 475 ft, indicates that highly conductive 

secondary-permeability features may be present in the aquifer 

below 475 ft.

Water levels in the Silurian aquifer at the West Quarry 

were approximately 610 ft NAVD 88 prior to mining (STS/

AECOM, 2009) and were likely about 575 ft near the East 

Quarry prior to mining. Because the bottoms of these quarries are dry at a minimum elevation of about 475 ft, pumping 

associated with quarry dewatering has reduced the water level 

in the Silurian aquifer by about 135 ft near the West Quarry 

and by about 100 ft near the East Quarry.

Periodic measurements (taken at no set interval and 

typically taken manually) of water levels in wells open to the 

Silurian aquifer at the Middle Parcel Expansion Area (MP1S,D; MP-2S,D; MP-3D) from September 2005 through 

August 2008 and in July and November 2012 indicated a 

decrease in water levels from north to south, toward a cone of 

depression associated with dewatering of the Quarry (figs. 9, 

10; STS/AECOM, 2008b, 2009). Note that use of the convention MP-1S,D or similar designations (MW-7A, B, C, D) in 

this report refers to clustered wells MP-1S and MP-1D, with 

“S” or “A” designating the shallowest well in the cluster and 

“D” designating the deepest. The direction of groundwater 

flow in the Silurian aquifer in the vicinity of the Quarry is 

toward the quarries and represents a diversion of the natural 

flow in the Silurian aquifer, which was to the wetlands and the 

Des Plaines River. The cone of depression appears to extend 

at least 1,000 ft into the southern part of the Middle Parcel 

Expansion Area and to the south of the West Quarry. 

Water levels within the Silurian aquifer at the Middle 

Parcel Expansion Area are increasingly variable from north to 

south, with the difference between the measured high and low 

value ranging from about 7 ft at the MP-1S,D well cluster to 

more than 30 ft at well MP-3D (fig. 12; STS/AECOM, 2008b, 

2009). This variation in water levels is attributed primarily 

to proximity to dewatering at the Middle Quarry and West 

Quarry. Comparison of water levels in the wells open to the 

Silurian aquifer at the Middle Parcel Expansion Area (fig. 12) 

with the elevation of the top of the dolomite at wells MP-1S,D 

(top of dolomite about 581 ft), wells MP-2S,D (top of dolomite 575 ft), and MP-3D (top of dolomite about 575 ft) indicates that water levels are occasionally to typically below the 

top of the Silurian aquifer. These data, and especially the low 

water level at well MP-3D, indicate that the Silurian aquifer 

does not discharge to the glacial drift aquifer or surface water 

during dry conditions. In addition, surface water and water in 

the glacial drift aquifer typically drains to the Silurian aquifer 

in at least part of the Middle Parcel Expansion Area, drying 

out the property.

Water levels in wells open to the Elwood Formation 

(elevation about 433–462 ft) at the southwest part of the West 

Quarry during July 2013 were less than 535 ft NAVD 88, 

whereas water levels in shallower wells tended to be above 

550 ft (AECOM, 2013b). Low water levels in the Elwood 

Formation may indicate the deeper Silurian deposits function 

as part of the underlying confining unit (STS/AECOM, 2008a) 

and are diverting water in the deeper part of the Silurian 

aquifer to the underlying deposits. Alternatively, these deposits 

may be experiencing drawdown from pumping in wells CV#1, 

CV#2, CV#3, and CV#4 that is being transmitted through a 

deep fracture that is hypothesized to be below the base of the 
26 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

Water level above North American Vertical Datum of 1988, in feet

Date

582.0581.5581.0580.5580.0579.5579.0

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Ground elevation = 581.71 feetSensor elevation = 580.13 feet Water level below bottom of sensor

Figure 13. Hydrograph for well MP-W1, Middle Parcel Expansion Area, Will County, Illinois, April 2006 through October 2011 (modified from Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2013).
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 27

West Quarry (AECOM, 2013b), indicating limited vertical 

hydraulic connection within the Silurian aquifer in this area. 

Water levels measured in wells open to the shallow part 

of the Silurian aquifer north of the Middle Parcel Expansion 

Area and east of Route 53 in September 2013 decreased from 

about 592 ft in the western part of the parcel to about 580 ft in 

the east (AECOM, 2013b). This pattern is generally consistent 

with the potentiometric surface for the Silurian aquifer shown 

in figures 9 and 10 and likely indicates the effects of the large 

change in surface topography along the bluffs on groundwater 

levels.

Surface Water

The surface-water drainage system in the Middle Parcel 

Expansion Area consists of a northern and southern drainage 

(fig. 12). The northern drainage receives water from the Route 

53 right-of-way and perhaps west of Route 53. The southern 

drainage appears to have historically received water from a 

watershed located west of Route 53, which is now largely 

occupied by the West Quarry. Currently (2018), the southern 

drainage receives runoff from the Route 53 right-of-way. Both 

drainages flow down the bluff before diverting toward the wetland in the center of the Middle Parcel Expansion Area. The 

drainages converge on the southeast side of the Middle Parcel 

Expansion Area and exit the parcel at streamgage MP-S2 

(fig. 12).

Most of the Middle Parcel Expansion Area, including all 

portions with potential HED habitat, was described as being 

completely dry during HED surveys in the summer of 2009, 

even immediately after heavy rainfall (Mierzwa, 2009). Dryness throughout the Middle Parcel Expansion Area also was 

observed in the latter part of the summer of 2011 (Mierzwa 

and Webb, 2012c).

These observations were supported by continuous measurements of surface-water levels at streamgage MP-S1 from 

April 2006 through April 2009 and at streamgage MP-S2 from 

April 2006 through October 2011 (fig. 12; Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012, 2013). Streamgage MP-S1 monitors 

the northern surface-water drainage upstream of the wetland. 

Streamgage MP-S2 monitors the surface-water drainage as it 

exits the Middle Parcel Expansion Area.

Water was measured at streamgage MP-S1 from September 2006 through April 2007, January through May 2008, 

and February through March 2009, but typically was below 

the sensor for the rest of the monitoring period. Increases 

in water level of typically less than 1 ft were observed for 

several days following precipitation events before returning 

to “baseline” levels. These data indicate that surface-water 

inputs to the upgradient part of the Middle Parcel Expansion 

Area (primarily surface-water runoff and precipitation) typically are exceeded by losses (primarily evapotranspiration and 

discharge to groundwater) during the summer and fall, with 

inputs exceeding losses during the winter and spring.

Water was present at streamgage MP-S2 for most of the 

2006–11 monitoring period, with the exception of August 

2008, July–September 2009, and most of July–October 2010 

and 2011. Baseline water levels were consistently lowest 

during the summer and highest during the winter and spring 

in response to annual cycles in snowmelt, precipitation, and 

evapotranspiration. Superimposed on these broad baseline 

trends were 1–3-ft increases in water level lasting several 

days that were associated with individual precipitation events. 

These data indicate the potential for surface-water flow from 

the Middle Parcel Expansion Area during most of the year, 

with dry conditions in the mid-summer through mid-fall.

Water Use

The Silurian aquifer is dewatered to keep water levels in 

the Quarry below the elevation of the excavations. Water is 

pumped from West and East Quarries to the Middle Quarry. 

Water from the Middle Quarry then goes to the processing 

plant, where it is used to support Quarry operations. Water 

from the processing plant is partly recirculated back to the 

Middle Quarry, with excess water being discharged to the Des 

Plaines River (AECOM, 2010).

An estimated 3,180 gal/min of water derived from 

groundwater (precipitation being the other major source of 

water in the discharge following a precipitation event) is 

pumped from the Quarry (AECOM, 2010). This pumping 

rate comes out to a total of about 4.6 million gallons per day 

(Mgal/d). About 1,200 gal/min of this groundwater is ultimately discharged to the Des Plaines River. Of the 3,180 gal/

min taken from groundwater, about 500 gal/min is pumped 

from the West Quarry, about 2,080 gal/min is pumped from 

the East Quarry, and about 600 gal/min is pumped from the 

Middle Quarry. The high groundwater input to the East Quarry 

is attributed to the need to remove large amounts of recharge 

from the Des Plaines River and CSSC to the Silurian aquifer at 

the East Quarry. 

High-capacity pumping from the Silurian aquifer takes 

place south of the West Quarry at wells CV#1, CV#2, CV#3, 

and CV#4. The pumping rate and volume of discharge from 

these wells is not known. These wells supply 188 homes. 

Assuming per capita water use of about 80 gallons per day 

(gal/d; U.S. Geological Survey, 2016b) and an average household population of 2.8 for Lockport (U.S. Census Bureau, 

2017), these wells combine to pump about 42,100 gal/d. 

Although not inconsequential, withdrawals from these highcapacity wells are less than 1 percent of the withdrawals from 

the Quarry.

Effects of Quarry Dewatering and Pumping 

Mitigation

A groundwater flow model was developed by STS/

AECOM in 2009 and used to assess the effects of groundwater withdrawals from the Silurian aquifer associated with 

the expansion of quarry operations at the West and Middle 

Quarries as well as assessing the effects of mitigation features 
28 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

designed to offset the effects of these withdrawals. The 2009 

groundwater flow model was substantially refined in response 

to peer-review comments (Daniel Feinstein and Douglas Yeskis, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2011) and the 

collection of additional data; therefore, this discussion focuses 

exclusively on simulations done with the 2012 and 2013 

revisions of the model (AECOM, 2012, 2013a). The model 

uses MODFLOW (McDonald and Harbaugh, 1984; Harbaugh 

and McDonald, 1996a,b; Harbaugh and others, 2000) to run 

flow simulations and MODPATH (Pollock, 1998) to identify 

capture zones associated with pumping from the quarries and 

the groundwater recharge area for the Silurian aquifer to the 

Quarry, River South Parcel, and the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve. The model grid has 261 rows, 277 columns, and 14 

layers to encompass an area of 191 square miles (mi2). Cell 

dimensions range from 100 to 1,200 square feet (ft2). The 

model was calibrated to groundwater levels collected in the 

vicinity of the Quarry from 2004 through 2006 and to the rate 

of flow to the Quarry and the Des Plaines River. In the model 

the Silurian aquifer is assumed to function as an equivalent 

porous medium. Sensitivity, the evaluation of the degree to 

which changes in input parameters affect output values in the 

model, was analyzed. 

A review of the 2009 groundwater flow model (Daniel 

Feinstein and Douglas Yeskis, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2011) and review and verification of the 2012 

and 2013 versions of the model was performed by the USGS 

and provided to USFWS (Daniel Feinstein and Andrew Leaf, 

U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2013, 2014). These 

reviews concluded that the 2013 version of the model was 

likely to adequately simulate large-scale aspects of the flow 

system, such as volumes of groundwater discharge to the 

wetlands; however, the review suggested that the model scale 

was too large to optimally simulate the local conditions in the 

Silurian aquifer that could potentially affect the performance 

of the mitigation features installed to offset the effects of the 

additional pumping in the West Quarry Expansion Area, particularly when accounting for seasonal changes in conditions. 

Pilot-scale testing of the mitigation features and intensive 

groundwater monitoring were recommended to more accurately identify potential issues and to assess the effectiveness 

of the mitigation features. Modeling results as they pertain 

to the River South Parcel and the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve will be discussed in the sections assessing conditions 

at those sites.

Groundwater modeling performed by AECOM (2012, 

2013a) indicates that dewatering associated with the 2012 

operations at the West Quarry produces a capture zone in the 

Silurian aquifer that encompasses most of the natural groundwater recharge area for the River South Parcel and is within 

about a quarter of a mile of the groundwater recharge area for 

the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (fig. 11). The overlap of 

the capture zone for the Quarry with the groundwater recharge 

area of the Silurian aquifer to the River South Parcel indicates 

that some of the groundwater that would flow to the River 

South Parcel under natural conditions is being diverted to the 

West Quarry. 

Model simulations indicate increased groundwater 

withdrawals from the Silurian aquifer associated with mining the West Quarry Expansion Area will expand the capture 

zone to the south and west of its 2012 location, further into 

the recharge area for the River South Parcel (fig. 11) and will 

induce about 1 ft of drawdown within the recharge area for 

the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. The effects of mining in 

the West Quarry will dissipate after mining operations cease 

and the West Quarry fills with water, which is projected to 

be complete approximately 14 years after mining of the West 

Quarry Expansion Area begins (AECOM, 2013a). Simulations of increased dewatering in support of mining the Middle 

Parcel Expansion Area and remnant areas of the East Quarry 

(most of this mining will be done after the West Quarry has 

filled with water) indicate the capture zone for the Middle and 

East Quarries will expand to the north and slightly to the west 

but will have no additional effect on hydraulic conditions at 

the River South Parcel or at the Romeoville Prairie Nature 

Preserve north of the quarry (fig. 10; AECOM, 2013a). The 

eastern extent of the capture zone for the quarries is modeled 

as corresponding to the East Quarry because of the presumed 

hydraulic effects of the groundwater divide in the Silurian 

aquifer beneath the CSSC (fig. 9). 

Infiltration galleries will be installed prior to expansion of 

Quarry operations immediately west of the River South Parcel 

and an infiltration pond will be installed southwest of the intersection of Renwick Road and Route 53 north of the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve (fig. 1). These features are expected to 

add sufficient water to the Silurian aquifer to offset the volume 

of water diverted from the River South Parcel and the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve due to increased pumping from 

the West Quarry Expansion Area (AECOM, 2013a). Mitigation efforts should be able to effectively replicate seasonal 

variations in groundwater discharge into the River South 

Parcel and Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. Failure to do so 

may alter their suitability as HED habitat. As part of the effort 

to ensure mitigation is effective, and to verify the absence of 

impacts from operations at the West Quarry Expansion Area, 

surface-water and groundwater levels will be measured by 

the Quarry operators on an ongoing basis as described by 

Hanson Material Service Corporation (2016). These measurements will be analyzed to verify that water levels, adjusted for 

seasonal variation and background trends, are within historical ranges. Adult and larvae HED populations also will be 

monitored on an ongoing basis. If water levels become too 

low or too high, the flow to the infiltration galleries or the 

level of the infiltration pond will be adjusted to optimize the 

HED habitat (Hanson Material Service Corporation, 2016). If 

declining water levels are identified in the Silurian aquifer at 

the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve, an infiltration pond 

will be installed north of the Middle Quarry to offset the drop 

in water level. Additional adaptive management strategies to 

offset pumping effects will be developed by the Quarry operators, if necessary. 
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 29

Water Quality

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has 

established standards for the maximum concentration of 

a constituent in drinking water supplied by a public-water 

system as well as for aquatic life (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2015, 2016a,b). These standards are provided 

in table 3 as a means of assessing whether water samples 

collected from the HED habitats pose a threat to human health 

or aquatic life. The EPA criteria for total phosphorus in flowing water is 0.1 milligram per liter (mg/L) and is considered 

an applicable criteria for the surface water analyzed for this 

report. 

In this report, concentrations reported as less than (<) a 

value indicate the analyte was not detected at the detection 

limit of the analysis. For example, arsenic (<0.01 mg/L) means 

that arsenic was not detected in the sample at a detection limit 

of 0.01 mg/L.

Surface-water samples were collected from the northern 

drainage in the wetland of the Middle Parcel Expansion Area 

during August 30, September 29, and November 20, 1995 

(TAMS Consultants, Inc., 1995a) and analyzed for a variety of 

major ions, metals, and organic compounds. Alkalinity values 

ranged from 284 to 484 mg/L as calcium carbonate (CaCO3). 

Concentrations of iron (0.2–15 mg/L), phosphorus (<0.05–0.5 

mg/L) and manganese (0.02–0.99 mg/L) exceeded regulatory 

criteria in at least one sample (table 3). Concentrations of the 

remaining analytes, including several metals, mercury, nitrogen compounds, and pesticides were either not detected (often 

at a detection limit above regulatory criteria) or were detected 

at concentrations below regulatory criteria.

Groundwater samples collected in 1996 from six private 

wells assumed to be open to the Silurian aquifer along the 

perimeter of the West Quarry were analyzed (STS/AECOM, 

2009). Calcium (68–120 mg/L) and magnesium (44–67 mg/L) 

were the cations present at highest concentrations. Alkalinity 

was measured at concentrations of 285–355 mg/L as CaCO3. 

At the near-neutral pH of these waters, alkalinity is likely to 

consist mostly of bicarbonate (HCO3

-

), indicating that bicarbonate was the anion present at highest concentration in the 

samples. Chloride concentrations ranged from 21 to 113 mg/L, 

which exceeds the probable concentration of chloride derived 

from natural sources (<20 mg/L) in near-surface deposits in 

the Chicago area (Kelly and Wilson, 2008). Nitrate concentrations exceeded the maximum contaminant level (MCL) 

of 10 mg/L as nitrogen in one well (10.1 mg/L) northwest of 

the West Quarry. Analyses for pesticides, herbicides, volatile 

organic compounds, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 

detected only toluene (a component of gasoline) in two wells 

at concentrations of 16 and 24 micrograms per liter (μg/L), 

which is below the most stringent regulatory criteria (table 3). 

Surface-water samples were collected from streamgages 

MP-S1 and MP-S2 and groundwater samples were collected 

from the alluvial aquifer at wells MP-W1 and MP-W2 during 

April, July, and October 2006 and 2007 at the Middle Parcel 

Expansion Area (fig. 12; Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 

2012). Calcium typically was the dominant cation in all water. 

Sulfate was the dominant anion in surface water (table 4). 

Bicarbonate was the dominant anion in groundwater based 

on the alkalinity values. Chloride concentrations were highest during the April 2006 sampling event at each site, likely 

reflecting the presence of runoff affected by road salt. 

Water quality in the Quarry area (excepting the 2006 and 

2007 samples from streamgages MP-S1 and MP-S2) is dominated by calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate, which reflects 

the interaction with dolomite for much of this water. Concentrations of major ions (calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, 

sulfate, and bicarbonate) in surface water at streamgages 

MP-S1 and MP-S2 typically were higher than in groundwater 

from the alluvial aquifer during 2006 and 2007, indicating 

some hydraulic separation between these water bodies. At 

least one sample of surface water or groundwater exceeded 

regulatory criteria for chloride, iron, phosphorus, and ammonia (assuming all of the total Kjeldahl nitrogen is ammonia). 

The data also indicate that leaking septic systems may yield 

elevated concentrations of nitrate; leaking gasoline storage 

tanks may yield detectable concentrations of toluene; and the 

application of road salts produces elevated concentrations of 

chloride, especially during spring. 

Assessment of Water Resources at the River 

South Parcel

The River South Parcel is located south of the Quarry, 

west of the Des Plaines River, east of Route 53, north of 

Route 7, and south of about Airport Road in Romeoville, Ill. 

(figs. 1, 14). The 110.1-acre parcel is about 1 mi long; a maximum of 1,000 ft wide; and includes extensive sedge meadow, 

marsh, and scattered flood-plain forest communities. Smaller 

areas of dolomite prairie, pond, successional field, and shrub 

thicket also are present. There is no water use by humans at 

the River South Parcel. 

Topography

Surface topography at the River South Parcel ranges 

from about 577 ft NAVD 88 in the northern part of the parcel 

to about 570 ft in the southern edge and increases from 

about 574 ft NAVD 88 near the Des Plaines River to about 

578–584 ft at the base of the bluff in the western part of the 

parcel (figs. 4, 14). The berm for the railroad track near the 

western edge of the River South Parcel and the road bank in 

the center of the parcel are approximately 1–3 ft above the surrounding land surface. Land-surface elevation at the top of the 

bluff (west of the area showing topography in fig. 14) is about 

605 ft at the RP-1 well cluster. 

Biology

There is documented larval use of HED along several rivulets in the River South Parcel, with the greatest 
30 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

Table 3. Selected water-quality criteria (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2015, 2016a,b).

[EPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; MCL, maximum contaminant level; mg/L, milligram per liter; μg/L, microgram 

per liter]

Constituent and units EPA MCL EPA aquatic life 

acute threshold

EPA aquatic life 

chronic threshold

Aluminum (μg/L) None 750 87

Ammonia as nitrogen (mg/L) None 17a 1.9a

Arsenic (μg/L) 10 340 150

Barium (μg/L) 2,000 2,000 220

Boron (μg/L) None 34,000 7,200

Cadmium (μg/L) 5 1.8 0.72

Chloride (mg/L) None 860 230

Chromium (total) (μg/L) 100 570 74

Cobalt (μg/L) None None None.

Copper (μg/L) 1,300 13 9

Dissolved oxygen (mg/L) None 3.0 None.

Fecal coliform (colonies per 100 milliliters) 0 (goal) None None.

Fluoride (mg/L) 4 1,400 None.

Iron (mg/L) None None 1

Lead (μg/L) 0 goal 65 2.5

Lithium (μg/L) None 910

Manganese (μg/L) None 1,680 93

Mercury (μg/L) 2 1.4 0.77

Nickel (μg/L) None 470 52

Nitrate and nitrite, as nitrogen (mg/L) 10 None None.

Phosphorus (mg/L) None None 1 (elemental)

Potassium (mg/L) None None 53

Strontium (μg/L) None 48,000 5,300

Suspended solids (mg/L) None Calculated Calculated.

Zinc (μg/L) None 120 120

Alachlor (μg/L) 2 None None.

Atrazine (μg/L) 3 330 12

Cyanazine (μg/L) None 2,420 270

Metolachlor (μg/L) None 110 15

Simazine (μg/L) 4 80 9

Toluene (μg/L) 1,000 560 62

Benzene (μg/L) 5 700 160

a

Assumed pH is 7.0 and temperature is 20 degrees Celsius.

440
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 31

Table 4. Concentration of major ions, nutrients, and metals in surface water and groundwater at the Quarry Middle Parcel, Will County, Illinois, April 2006 through October 2007 (from Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012).[mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; --, no sample; bold denotes exceedance of regulatory criteria]

Date 

Alkalinity, 

in mg/L as 

CaCO3

Sulfate, 

in mg/L

Chloride, 

in mg/L

Calcium, 

in mg/L

Magnesium, 

in mg/L

Sodium, 

in mg/L

Iron, 

in mg/L

Nitrate as 

nitrogen, 

in mg/L

Phosphorous, 

in mg/L

Total Kjeldahl 

nitrogen, 

in mg/L

Streamgage MP-S1 (location shown in fig. 12)

04/18/06 232 <5 420 242 68 178 <0.011 2 <0.02 1.0907/19/06 226 830 160 279 79 72 0.62 <0.05 0.024 0.4010/19/06 256 470 180 201 66 148 <0.11 0.55 <0.02 <0.1204/30/07 146 380 280 181 64 160 0.015 0.73 <0.02 0.7307/25/07 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --10/24/07 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Streamgage MP-S2 (location shown in fig. 12)

04/18/06 203 <5 280 357 85 80 0.06 0.23 <0.02 0.7807/19/06 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --10/19/06 236 410 97 186 57 62 0.34 0.13 <0.02 <0.1204/30/07 128 460 99 280 56 61 0.19 0.15 <0.02 2.807/25/07 303 240 160 157 60 51 1.6 0.78 0.02 1.410/24/07 356 370 220 321 80 80 0.61 0.53 <0.02 <0.02

Well MP-W1 (location shown in fig. 12)

04/18/06 221 130 67 159 67 37 3.33 3.5 0.15 --07/19/06 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --10/19/06 254 100 30 148 60 29 0.61 <0.05 <0.02 <0.1204/30/07 129 100 36 86 32 22 0.24 0.16 <0.02 1.407/25/07 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --10/24/07 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Well MP-W2 (location shown in fig. 12)

04/18/06 244 113 85 77 29 37 0.44 0.12 0.05 --07/19/06 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --10/19/06 236 82 24 83 31 24 1.1 <0.05 <0.02 <0.0204/30/07 167 31 19 77 25 22 1.0 0.24 0.41 2.607/25/07 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --10/24/07 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
32 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Des Plaines River Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal ILLINOIS ROUTE 53

AIRPORT ROAD

RAILROAD TRACK

578

578

576

574

875 582

576

574

584

596

574

572

570

578

580

580

1

2

A

3

4

5

6

RP-2S

577.15

574.34

574.92

576.42

WL1

WL2

RP-2D

577.26

543.99

575.27

576.50

RP-1D

588.03

578.40

581.06

580.59

RP-1S

585.22

580.52

581.53

581.30

RS-S1

577.60

<574.28

-

-

RS-S2

573.50

<568.53

-

-

RS-W1

>573.92

<572.34

-

-

RS-W2

573.91

<568.37

-

-

RP-2S

577.15

574.34

574.92

576.42

RS-S1

577.60

<574.28

-

-

WL1

WL2

RS-S2

573.50

<568.53

-

-

RS-W1

>573.92

<572.34

-

-

RS-W2

573.91

<568.37

-

-

RP-2D

577.26

543.99

575.27

576.50

RP-1D

588.03

578.40

581.06

580.59

RP-1S

585.22

580.52

581.53

581.30

88°04'50" 88°04'40" 88°04'30" 88°04'20" 88°04'10" 88°04' 88°03'50"

41°36'40"

41°36'50"

41°36'30"

41°36'20"

41°36'10"

41°36'

RP-2D

577.26

543.99

575.27

–

EXPLANATION

Parcel boundary

Wetland area

Rivulet

Road bank

Seep and identifier

Culvert with identifier

Streamgage location and name 

 with:

 High water level

 Low water level

 July 19, 2012, water level

 November 26, 2012, water level

578 Line of equal elevation—

 Contour interval is 2 feet.

 Datum is North American 

 Vertical Datum of 1988

Well location and name with:

 High water level

 Low water level

 July 19, 2012, water level

 November 26, 2012, water level

Note: Water level datum is North 

American Vertical Datum of 1988

RS-S1

577.60

<574.28

-

-

1

A

Orthography from Esri World Imagery for Chicago, 2011

Map image is the intellectual property of Esri and is used herein under license. 

Copyright © 2017 Esri and its licensors. All rights reserved.

0

0

0.1

0.1

0.2

0.2

0.3 MILE

0.3 KILOMETER

Figure 14. Location of selected features and water-level data at the River South Parcel, Will County, Illinois.
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 33

populations at the rivulets south of the road (figs. 2, 14; Soluk, 

2006). Larvae were absent at the rivulet near wells RS-W1 and 

RS-W2. Adult HED use has been documented near the rivulets 

peripheral to the wetland south of the road and near culvert 

1 at the northern edge of the River South Parcel (Mierzwa, 

2007, 2009; Mierzwa and Webb, 2012a,c). Adult HED activities at the River South Parcel consist of perching, feeding, 

territorial patrols, and breeding (Cashatt and Vogt, 1996). The 

total number of adult HED at the River South Parcel typically 

was estimated to be in the 100–310 range from 1995 to 2002 

but has been less than 75 since 2002 and was 36, 13, 71, and 

71 in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively (Mierzwa, 

2009; Mierzwa and Webb, 2012a,c). The reduction in population appears to be at least partly due to the effects of the 2005 

drought. The River South Parcel contains the second most 

productive breeding habitat in Illinois, housing approximately 

40 percent of the larval HED population and 34 percent of the 

adult HED population in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley 

(Soluk and Mierzwa 2012).

Hydrogeology

The geologic deposits of concern at the River South Parcel consist of the Silurian dolomite and the overlying unconsolidated deposits. The Silurian dolomite deposits constitute 

the Silurian aquifer. Alluvial deposits in the river valley constitute the alluvial aquifer where saturated.

Alluvial Aquifer

Alluvial deposits consist mostly of sand and silt, are less 

than 4 ft thick at the River South Parcel, and are capped by 

hydric soils in wetland areas. Continuous measurements of 

groundwater levels at wells RS-W1 and RS-W2 were collected 

from April 2006 through December 2012 and from April 

2006 through October 2009, respectively (Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012, 2013). These wells are located in the 

southern part of the wetland south of the road bank (fig. 14) 

and are open to the alluvial aquifer. Water levels in well 

RS-W1 indicated seasonal trends that were typically within 

about 0.5 ft of land surface (land-surface elevation 573.9 ft) 

during the winter and spring and below the sensor (elevation 

less than 572.3 ft) during parts of the summer and early fall, 

with the longest dry period occurring during the drought of 

2012. Water levels in well RS-W1 frequently rose and fell 

by as much as 2.5 ft following precipitation (and Des Plaines 

River flood) events, occasionally exceeding the elevation of 

the land surface. Water levels in well RS-W2 typically were 

within 1 ft of land surface (land-surface elevation 570.9 ft) 

from April 2006 through September 2007. Water levels in the 

well typically were below the sensor (568.4 ft) during a period 

of low precipitation from October 2007 through September 

2008, rose to land surface by April 2009, and were above land 

surface for most of April through October 2009. Water levels 

frequently rose and fell by as much as 4 ft for several days 

following precipitation events, often exceeding land surface. 

Water-level increases of this magnitude and water levels above 

land surface likely are related to flooding of the Des Plaines 

River. The 2012 drought lowered water levels in the alluvial 

aquifer by about 1.7 ft, further indicating that extreme events 

can result in small, but important, changes in the hydrology of 

the River South Parcel.

Water levels in the alluvial aquifer in the southern part 

of the River South Parcel varied seasonally in response to 

precipitation, recharge, and evapotranspiration. Longer-term 

trends in response to drought also were observed. Large, shortterm increases in water level indicate hydraulic interaction 

with the Des Plaines River during flooding in the southern part 

of the River South Parcel, which may explain the absence of 

HED larvae in this area.

Silurian Aquifer

The Silurian aquifer at the River South Parcel has a horizontal hydraulic conductivity ranging from 1.1 × 10-2 to 4.2 × 

101 ft/d, with the geometric mean for the shallow part of the 

aquifer (elevation greater than 560 ft NAVD 88) being 9.8 × 

10-1 ft/d and the value for the deep part (elevation about 480–

530 ft) being 6.8 × 10-2 ft/d (STS/AECOM, 2009; AECOM, 

2013b). These values indicate the shallow, more weathered 

part of the Silurian aquifer has moderate aquifer permeability 

and will transmit more water than the deeper, less permeable 

part of the aquifer. About 5 ft of dolomite deposits are exposed 

along the bluff in the western part of the River South Parcel 

(AECOM, 2015a). 

Measurements of groundwater levels in the Silurian 

aquifer from September 2005 through June 2015 indicate 

groundwater flow in the River South Parcel is from west to 

east, toward the Des Plaines River, possibly with intermittent 

components of flow north toward the Middle Quarry (STS/

AECOM, 2009; AECOM, 2013b). Water levels in the Silurian 

aquifer in the upland area west of the bluff varied from about 

580 to 592 ft NAVD 88 at well RP-1S and about 578 to 592 ft 

at well RP-1D (figs. 14, 15). Water levels in these wells show 

changes of about 10 ft in response to precipitation events 

(AECOM, 2013a, 2015a). Water levels showed substantially 

less variation at the RP-2S,D well cluster in the Des Plaines 

River Valley, with water levels typically about 575–577 ft. 

Water levels at wells RP-2S and RP-2D showed less variation 

than water levels in the alluvial aquifer and the Des Plaines 

River. These data, combined with upward hydraulic gradients 

at the well cluster, indicate stable discharge from the Silurian 

aquifer to the wetlands. 

Water levels at the RP-2S,D well cluster typically were 

above the elevation of the top of the Silurian dolomite (about 

575.2 ft), indicating the potential for the Silurian aquifer to 

discharge to the overlying alluvial aquifer and at least some 

of the wetlands in the valley. Water levels in wells RP-2S 

and RP-2D were about 2–3 ft lower than typical during the 

droughts of 2005 and 2012 and showed 1–2-ft drops during 

the summers of 2008, 2009, and 2013. Water levels were at 

or below the top of the Silurian aquifer during the droughts 
34 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

570

575

580

585

590

595

Water level above North American 

Vertical Datum of 1988, in feet

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Date

EXPLANATION

RP-1D

RP-1S

RP-2D

RP-2S

Figure 15. Water levels in wells RP-1S,D and RP-2S,D at the River South Parcel, Will County, Illinois, 2005 through 2015.

of 2005 and 2012 and the summer of 2013, indicating the 

absence of discharge from the Silurian aquifer to the alluvial 

aquifer and wetlands in at least part of the valley at the River 

South Parcel during these times. 

Water levels at the RP-1S,D well cluster indicate that 

flow within the Silurian aquifer at the bluffs is upward toward 

the seeps during typical conditions (fig. 15). Water levels 

indicate the potential for flow in the Silurian aquifer from the 

bluffs to the wetlands in the river valley during drier conditions when seep flow is minimal (AECOM, 2013a). 

Water-level data indicate that precipitation rapidly 

recharges the Silurian aquifer and discharges to the seeps in 

the bluff area. Flow conditions in the aquifer in the valley area 

are more stable, but small reductions in water level in the valley are associated with drought conditions that are harmful to 

the HED.

Surface Water

Surface-water flow at the River South Parcel begins as 

discharge (average of about 7,700 cubic feet per day [ft3/d]) 

from several seeps emanating from the dolomite deposits 

exposed along the bluffs in the western part of the River South 

Parcel (fig. 14; Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd., 1997; 

AECOM, 2013a, 2015a). There are too few measurements to 

establish a stage-discharge relationship and the discharge rate 

at the individual seeps has not been quantified; however, the 

discharge rate from the seeps increases as groundwater levels 

at the bluff increase (AECOM, 2015a). Water from the seeps 

pools west of the railroad bed and enters the eastern part of 

the River South Parcel by way of culverts, at least three of 

which discharge directly to rivulets that flow to the wetlands 

north and south of the road bank (fig. 14). Measurements 

of discharge in the rivulet emanating from culvert 5 during 

August, September, and November 1995 were 4,750; 4,320; 

and 6,912 ft3/d, respectively (TAMS Consultants, Inc., 1995b). 

Discharge was not detected in the rivulet emanating from 

culvert 4 during the September measurement. Pooling water 

behind the berms and diversion of water to the culverts represent a disruption from the natural surface-water hydrology 

of this area, adding water to some areas and diverting it from 

others. The effect of this diversion on the HED is unknown 

but may have detrimental effects not only in areas where water 

loss has dried the habitat, but also in areas (such as downstream of culverts) where the concentration of surface flow has 

increased water inputs, stream velocity, and erosion.

The wetland north of the road bank contains a small 

area of open water that has a maximum depth of 1–2 ft (STS/

AECOM, 2009). The wetland south of the road bank has no 

open water and typically has a depth of less than 1 ft. These 

areas are surrounded by shallower, more discontinuous 
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 35

wetlands. Water flows through rivulets from the wetlands to 

the Des Plaines River. 

Water levels in the deepest part of the wetland north of 

the road bank were continuously monitored at streamgage 

WL2 (fig. 14) from October 2005 through March 2007 and 

from December 2007 through July 2008 (STS/AECOM, 

2009). Water levels rose from about 573.2 ft NAVD 88 during late October 2005 to about 575.8 ft by March 2006 and 

remained at that approximate level for the remainder of the 

monitoring period. This trend in water levels is attributed to 

the effects of increased precipitation following the end of the 

2005 drought. 

Water levels at the wetland south of the road bank were 

continuously monitored at streamgage WL1 from March 2006 

through February 2007 (STS/AECOM, 2009). The stage at 

streamgage WL1 was consistently about 574.5 ft NAVD 88 

with only minor deviations. Water levels typically showed 

less than 1 ft increases associated with individual precipitation 

events but may have begun to increase by several inches near 

the end of the monitoring period in response to precipitation or 

snowmelt events.

Water levels were continuously monitored at streamgage 

RS-S1 for most of the period from April 2006 through 

November 2012 (Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012, 

2013). Streamgage RS-S1 is located at a culvert and monitors 

a ponded area between the bluffs and the railroad tracks in 

the southern part of the River South Parcel (fig. 14). This area 

received water from seeps, producing baseline water levels of 

about 576 ft NAVD 88 that typically varied seasonally by less 

than about 0.5 ft. Superimposed on these baseline levels were 

short-term (few days) increases of as much as 1.5 ft associated 

with overland runoff of precipitation from the watershed west 

of the River South Parcel (STS/AECOM, 2009). Water levels 

at the streamgage typically were above the elevation of the 

base of the culvert, indicating that there was flow to the wetlands. Water levels decreased by about 1.7 ft (elevation about 

574.3 ft NAVD 88) and the culvert was dry during drought 

conditions in July and August 2012.

Water levels were continuously monitored at streamgage 

RS-S2 for most of the period from April 2006 through November 2012 (Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012, 2013). 

Streamgage RS-S2 monitors a wetland area in the southern 

part of the River South Parcel adjacent to the Des Plaines 

River (fig. 14). Water was present at a base elevation of about 

569 ft NAVD 88 for almost the entire monitoring period, 

indicating consistent discharge from the wetland south of the 

road bank to the river. Water level dropped below the elevation of the sensor (568.5 ft) in response to the 2012 drought. 

Water levels at this streamgage frequently showed as much 

as 4 ft increases associated with precipitation events followed 

by a gradual (several days) decline to base level, indicating 

intermittent flow of water from the Des Plaines River to the 

wetland when the river stage is high.

Surface-water levels tended to show minimal variation in those parts of the River South Parcel not near the Des 

Plaines River except during drought periods and following 

precipitation events. These data indicate the monitored 

surface-water features at the River South Parcel have consistent amounts of inflow and outflow except during drought. 

Changes in water level during droughts were small on an absolute scale, less than 3 ft, but appear to have resulted in substantial drying of the HED habitat at the River South Parcel. The 

effects of at least some of the droughts appear to have resulted 

in a substantial reduction in the HED population (Soluk and 

Mierzwa, 2012).

Effects of Quarry Dewatering and Pumping 

Mitigation 

The 2012 and 2013 versions of the groundwater flow 

model developed on behalf of the Quarry operators (AECOM, 

2012, 2013b) were used to assess (1) the effects of the 2012 

withdrawals from the Silurian aquifer associated with operation of the West Quarry and the combined East and Middle 

Quarries, (2) the effects of future withdrawals associated with 

dewatering of the West Quarry and Middle Parcel Expansion 

Areas on the aquifer, and (3) the effects of the proposed infiltration galleries at the River South Parcel.

The natural groundwater recharge area for the Silurian 

aquifer to the River South Parcel appears to have extended 

about 2 mi to the west-northwest of the parcel (fig. 11) based 

on water-level measurements collected by Roadcap and others (1993). Much of the natural groundwater recharge area 

is within the modeled 2012 capture zone for the pumping at 

the West Quarry and much of the River South Parcel itself is 

within the capture zone for the Middle and East Quarries. 

Groundwater modeling indicates that additional pumping from the Silurian aquifer associated with dewatering of 

the West Quarry Expansion area will induce more than 1 ft 

of water-level decrease (drawdown) in the aquifer beneath 

the River South Parcel as well as in the River South Parcel 

groundwater recharge area (AECOM, 2013a). One foot of 

drawdown is at the lower range of decrease in water levels measured during the drought of 2005, which adversely 

affected the HED population. Additional pumping at the West 

Quarry Expansion Area will reduce the saturated thickness 

of the Silurian aquifer at the River South Parcel seeps and 

reduce the differential hydraulic pressure driving groundwater 

discharge from the aquifer to the wetlands in the Des Plaines 

River Valley. 

Model simulations indicate that increased pumping 

associated with mining the West Quarry Expansion Area will 

expand the capture zone of the West Quarry to the southwest, 

diverting water that would have gone to the River South 

Parcel under 2012 conditions to the West Quarry (compare 

recharge area for River South Parcel with captures zones 

for West Quarry in figs. 11 and 16). Increased pumping will 

reduce the volume of groundwater discharge from the Silurian 

aquifer to the River South Parcel from about 4,200 ft3/d at the 

start of mining to about 3,000 ft3/d when mining is completed 

(AECOM, 2013b), a reduction of about 30 percent. The 
36 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois WEBER ROAD

 East

Quarry

ROMEO ROAD

RENWICK ROAD

DIVISION STREET

AIRPORT ROAD

TAYLOR ROAD

daoR hgi H

Crest Hill

Illinois and Michigan Canal

Long

Long

Run

Run

Creek

Seep

Long Run Seep

Nature Preserve

Lewis University

Airport 

Com Ed 

and

Long 

Run

Parcels

Des Plaines River

Lockport

Middle 

Quarry

West

Quarry

River South

Parcel

Romeoville

Lockport Prairie

Nature Preserve

LOCKPORT LOCK

AND DAM

Romeoville 

Prairie

Nature 

Preserve

Middle Parcel

Expansion Area 53

7

7

171

30

West

Quarry

Expansion

Area

College View

Subdivision

Lockport Prairie East

and Dellwood West

Nature Preserves 

Prairie Bluff

Preserve

41°39'

41°38'

41°37'

41°36'

41°35'

41°34'

41°33'

88°09' 88°08' 88°07' 88°06' 88°05' 88°04' 88°03'

Nature preserve

Existing quarry (2016)

Quarry expansion area

Parcel boundary

Recharge area

Modeled capture zone under

 2012 conditions

West Quarry

 Middle and East Quarries

Modeled capture zone under 

 build-out conditions

West Quarry

 Middle and East Quarries 

EXPLANATION

0 1 2 MILES

0 1 2 KILOMETERS

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 2001

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection 

Standard parallels 33 ̊ N. and 45 ̊ N.

Central meridian 89 ̊ W.

North American Datum of 1927 

Figure 16. Groundwater capture zones under 2012 and full build-out conditions (excluding mitigation features) at the West, East, and 

Middle Quarries and groundwater recharge area for the Silurian aquifer to the River South Parcel, Will County, Illinois.
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 37

reduction in discharge within the River South Parcel is not 

apportioned between the northern and southern parts of the 

River South Parcel but is expected to be higher in the northern 

part of the parcel than in the southern (AECOM, 2012) due to 

proximity to the Quarry. These effects will dissipate after the 

West Quarry Expansion Area has been fully mined and fills 

with water. 

To offset the loss of flow from the Silurian aquifer to 

the River South Parcel due to increased pumping at the West 

Quarry Expansion Area, a series of infiltration galleries will 

be installed on top of the bluffs immediately west of the parcel 

(AECOM, 2013a; Hanson Material Service Corporation, 

2016). The infiltration galleries will use water from the Quarry 

to recharge the Silurian aquifer, thereby increasing flow to 

the seeps and the River South Parcel. The infiltration galleries will be operated until the West Quarry refills with water. 

Model simulations and pilot testing of the infiltration galleries 

(AECOM, 2015b) indicate the infiltration galleries will be 

capable of providing more than 6,400 ft3/d of recharge to the 

Silurian aquifer. This volume of water is expected to be sufficient to offset the reduction in groundwater discharge to the 

River South Parcel caused by dewatering of the West Quarry 

Expansion Area. Surface- and groundwater-level monitoring 

will be performed by the Quarry operators at a variety of locations and at a variety of time scales (20 minutes to quarterly) 

to ensure that seasonally adjusted water levels in the vicinity 

of the River South Parcel remain within historical values. If 

water levels decline below trigger levels, operation of the infiltration galleries will be adjusted to offset pumping effects. 

Water Quality 

Several surface-water and groundwater sampling efforts 

have been performed at the River South Parcel from 1994 

through 2014 (TAMS Consultants Inc., 1995a,b; Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd., 1997; STS/AECOM, 2009; 

Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012; AECOM, 2015b). 

These data indicate that calcium typically was the dominant 

cation and bicarbonate (measured as alkalinity) was the 

dominant anion in surface water and groundwater at the River 

South Parcel (table 5). Chloride concentrations typically were 

high enough to indicate the presence of effects from road 

salt application, particularly in surface water and particularly 

during the spring. The reduction in sulfate concentrations 

at well RS-W2 during the summer of 2006 and during 2007 

may reflect the presence of sulfate-reducing conditions in the 

alluvial aquifer during that time.

The surface-water temperature was below air temperature at the time of sampling (table 5), indicating that surfacewater temperature may have been affected by the temperature 

of the groundwater source of this water. The pH ranged from 

6.9 to 7.8. Nitrate concentrations in surface water in the 

southern part of the River South Parcel near culverts 5 and 

6 often exceeded 3 mg/L. Concentrations of nitrate derived 

from natural sources are generally considered to be below 

3 mg/L (Madison and Brunett, 1985) or less (Nolan and Hitt, 

2003; Mueller and Helsel, 1996), indicating the potential 

effects of fertilizer application within the recharge area of the 

River South Parcel.

Concentrations of phosphorus, chloride, ammonia (as 

total Kjehldahl nitrogen), and iron exceeded regulatory criteria in at least one sample (table 5). Concentrations of several 

dissolved metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and 

pesticides were either not detected, or detected at concentrations below regulatory criteria. 

Water samples also were collected from wells RP8S-West, RP-10S, RP-8S-East, and RP-9S-South; the seep 

near culvert 2; and from the Middle Quarry during pilot 

testing of one of the proposed infiltration galleries on November 10 and 14, 2014 (table 5). The wells are not shown on 

a map but are open to the Silurian aquifer at the bluffs west 

of the seep near culvert 2 (fig. 14; AECOM, 2015b). Majorion chemistry of the quarry sample was similar to that of the 

Silurian aquifer at the wells. Because water from the quarry is 

likely to be the source of the water in the infiltration galleries, 

these data indicate that the water from the infiltration galleries 

will not substantially alter the chemistry of the water in the 

Silurian aquifer or the wetlands. To further assess the effects 

of the infiltration water on aquifer chemistry during the pilot 

testing, the water in the infiltration gallery was heated to 

about 30 oC. Continuous monitoring of water temperature 

in the Silurian aquifer at a well and a seep downgradient of 

the infiltration gallery were 13.1 and 12.5–13.7 oC, respectively (AECOM, 2015b). Temperatures showed no change 

that could be attributed to the presence of the heated water, 

indicating that ambient conditions in the aquifer will rapidly 

modify the temperature of the infiltration water to near that of 

the aquifer.

Assessment of Water Resources at the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve

The Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve is a 222-acre 

tract located west of the Des Plaines River in Will County, 

Ill. (figs. 1, 17). The Lockport Prairie East Nature Preserve, 

located east of the CSSC, is not included in this discussion. 

The Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve is owned by the Forest 

Preserve District of Will County, as is the adjacent Prairie 

Bluff Preserve. The Prairie Bluff Preserve is used to help 

maintain the natural hydrology of the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve. 

Because of the important role groundwater plays on the 

ecology of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, there has 

been concern over the effects of urbanization and groundwater withdrawals in the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve on its hydrology. Increased groundwater withdrawals within and near the groundwater recharge area for the 

Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve may reduce the volume of 

groundwater discharge to the preserve by removing water 

from the Silurian aquifer that would otherwise flow to the 

preserve. Increased urbanization within the recharge area has 
38 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 5. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water and groundwater at the River South Parcel, Will County, Illinois, September 1994 through November 2014. [mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; --, no sample; bold denotes exceedance of regulatory criteria] Date Alkalinity, in mg/L as CaCO3 Temperature air, in degrees Celsius Temperature water, in degrees Celsius Calcium hardness, in mg/L as CaCO3 Magnesium hardness, in mg/L as CaCO3 Dissolved oxygen, in mg/L pH, in standard units Nitrate as nitrogen, in mg/L Phosphorous, in mg/L Ammonia nitrogen, in mg/L Rivulet downstream from culvert 5 (location shown in fig. 14; data from TAMS Consultants, Inc., 1995 a,b) 9/26/94 368 19 14 216 158 8.5 7.8 3.1 0.03 0.70 8/30/95 364 34 14 256 200 8.8 7.4 4.1 <0.05 0.50 9/29/95 356 27 13 252 204 9.2 7.5 4.8 <0.02 0.17 11/20/95 362 11 9 300 192 10.6 7.0 3.3 0.51 <0.05 Rivulet downstream from culvert 6 (location shown in fig. 14; data from TAMS Consultants, Inc., 1995a) 9/26/94 382 20 14 162 156 8.7 7.7 8.6 0.025 0.70 Rivulet downstream from culvert 4 (location shown in fig. 14; data from TAMS Consultants, Inc., 1995b) 8/30/95 488 33 26 412 324 0.4 7.1 0.63 <0.05 0.73 11/20/95 382 12 5 288 224 10.1 6.9 1.7 0.37 <0.05
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 39

Table 5. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water and groundwater at the River South Parcel, Will County, Illinois, September 1994 through November 2014.—Continued[mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; --, no sample; bold denotes exceedance of regulatory criteria]

Date 

Alkalinity, 

in mg/L as 

CaCO3

Sulfate, 

in mg/L

Chloride, 

in mg/L

Calcium, 

in mg/L

Magnesium, 

in mg/L

Sodium, 

in mg/L

Iron, 

in mg/L

Nitrate as 

nitrogen, 

in mg/L

Phosphorous, 

in mg/L

Total 

Kjeldahl 

nitrogen, 

in mg/L

Surface water at streamgage RS-S1 (location shown in fig. 14; data from Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012)

4/19/06 279 97 210 87 40 75 0.09 1.7 <0.02 1.6

7/19/06 233 76 110 90 41 64 0.07 1.3 0.02 2.110/19/06 249 59 68 75 32 45 0.16 0.78 0.09 <0.60

5/02/07 105 38 93 56 24 57 0.09 0.94 <0.02 3.0

7/25/07 337 38 91 57 33 44 0.39 2.0 0.04 2.010/24/07 422 19 100 108 48 54 3.4 0.64 0.03 <0.60

Surface water at streamgage RS-S2 (location shown in fig. 14; data from Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012)

4/18/06 274 130 250 94 45 92 0.29 0.91 <0.02 20

7/19/06 233 86 110 95 47 58 0.14 2.0 0.13 7.810/19/06 257 51 98 88 41 67 0.23 0.57 <0.02 <0.60

5/02/07 129 68 160 78 37 89 0.15 0.69 0.04 2.67/25/07 351 49 97 64 40 43 0.20 2.0 <0.02 0.9610/24/07 452 24 140 122 57 62 0.29 0.50 <0.02 <0.60

Surface water at seep A (location shown in fig. 14; data from AECOM, 2015b)

11/10/14 327 53 179 101 50 84 -- -- -- --11/14/14 353 56 171 96 48 76 -- -- -- --11/10/14 251 109 121 72 54 58 <0.34 -- -- --

Alluvial deposits at well RS-W2 (location shown in fig. 14; data from Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012

4/18/06 289 130 210 111 42 65 0.73 0.08 0.11 --7/19/06 234 37 120 127 48 74 2.8 0.24 0.74 1.510/19/06 264 340 100 123 50 75 0.98 <0.01 0.18 0.744/30/07 151 35 110 89 37 63 0.84 0.16 0.08 3.67/25/07 436 9 150 77 40 54 0.05 0.50 <0.06 1.110/24/07 493 <1 110 103 43 87 0.15 0.77 0.16 0.81
40 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 5. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water and groundwater at the River South Parcel, Will County, Illinois, September 1994 through November 2014.— Continued [mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; --, no sample; bold denotes exceedance of regulatory criteria] Date Alkalinity, in mg/L as CaCO3 Sulfate, in mg/L Chloride, in mg/L Calcium, in mg/L Magnesium, in mg/L Sodium, in mg/L Iron, in mg/L Nitrate as nitrogen, in mg/L Phosphorous, in mg/L Total Kjeldahl nitrogen, in mg/L Silurian aquifer at well RP-1S (location shown in fig. 14; data from STS/AECOM, 2009) 10/28/05 420 71 92 91 58 31 <0.01 -- -- -- 6/06/06 310 42 58 66 34 27 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer at well RP-1D (location shown in fig. 14; data from STS/AECOM, 2009) 10/28/05 410 86 19 85 48 20 <0.01 -- -- -- 6/06/06 370 85 16 83 47 8.9 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer at well RP-2S (location shown in fig. 14; data from STS/AECOM, 2009) 11/01/05 470 77 76 123 63 28 <0.01 -- -- -- 6/06/06 380 80 84 99 46 31 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer at well RP-2D (location shown in fig. 14; data from STS/AECOM, 2009) 11/01/05 450 172 112 83 84 96 <0.01 -- -- -- 6/05/06 410 189 110 69 74 96 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer at well RP-8S-West (location not shown; data from AECOM, 2015b) 11/10/14 329 51 175 97 48 74 <0.34 -- -- - Silurian aquifer at well RP-10S-South (location not shown; data from AECOM, 2015b) 11/10/14 282 28 55 78 39 26 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer at well RP-8S-East (location not shown; data from AECOM, 2015b) 11/14/14 333 53 173 121 60 120 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer at well RP-9S-South (location not shown; data from AECOM, 2015b) 11/14/14 382 69 141 102 59 62 -- -- -- --
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 41 Des Plaines River

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

ILLINOIS ROUTE 53

RAILROAD

ILLINOIS ROUTE 7

DIVISION STREET

Des Plaines River

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

566

572

610

560

564

554

550

570

614

614

566

564

562

562

558

564

558

564

626

566

568

566

572

562

560

560

558

624

618

568

622

628

616

568

568

570

3

4

1

2

5

MW-3A

586.3

578.22

578.87

578.22

SV1

–

–

581.41

<580.07

MW-3B

570.1

560.68

560.68

563.07

SV2

–

–

581.23

572.46

Division Street

–

–

558.68

558.41

554.9

551.06

551.06

552.08

MW-10C

552.7

550.51

550.51

551.17

MW-10B

555.2

551.18

551.18

552.08

MW-8A

565.5

560.9

561.51

563.74

MW-8B

565.1

560.6

561.09

563.82

MW-10A

MW-11A

564.0

561.2

560.74

561.90

MW-11B

564.1

560.89

561.15

562.05

MW-11C

564.2

560.77

560.83

562.07

MW-6A

591.5

584.4

586.62

586.41

MW-6B

591.3

583.5

586.03

585.82

MW-6C

589.5

583.9

588.02

585.73

MW-6N

593.7

587.7

588.43

–

MW6S –

–

586.41

MW-9A

570.4

566.5

567.20

568.83

MW-9B

569.4

567.3

568.40

568.58

586.21

MW-3A

586.3

578.22

578.87

578.22

SV1

–

–

581.41

<580.07

MW-3B

570.1

560.68

560.68

563.07

SV2

–

–

581.23

572.46

Division Street 

–

–

558.68

558.41

554.9

551.06

551.06

552.08

MW-10C

552.7

550.51

550.51

551.17

MW-10B

555.2

551.18

551.18

552.08

MW-8A

565.5

560.9

561.51

563.74

MW-8B

565.1

560.6

561.09

563.82

MW-10A

MW-11A

564.0

561.2

560.74

561.90

MW-11B

564.1

560.89

561.15

562.05

MW-11C

564.2

560.77

560.83

562.07

MW-6A

591.5

584.4

586.62

586.41

MW-6B

591.3

583.5

586.03

585.82

MW-6C

589.5

583.9

588.02

585.73

MW-6N

593.7

587.7

588.43

–

MW6S –

–

586.41

586.21

MW-9A

570.4

566.5

567.20

568.83

MW-9B

569.4

567.3

568.40

568.58

88°05'20" 88°05'10" 88°05' 88°04'50" 88°04'40" 88°04'30" 88°04'20" 88°04'10" 88°04'

41°35'40"

41°35'30"

41°35'20"

41°35'10"

41°35'

41°34'50"

41°34'40"

41°34'30"

Streamgage location and name 

 with:

 High water level

 Low water level

 July 19, 2012, gage height

 November 26, 2012, gage height

Well location and name with:

 High water level

 Low water level

 July 19, 2012, water level

 November 26, 2012, water level

558.68

558.41

Division 

Street

–

–

558.68

558.41

EXPLANATION

Note: Water level datum is North 

American Vertical Datum of 1988

586 Line of equal elevation—

 Contour interval is 2 feet.

 Datum is North American 

 Vertical Datum of 1988

562

Seep

1 Culvert with identifier

MW-6A

591.5

584.4

586.62

586.41

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 MILE

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 KILOMETER

Orthography from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency

Aerial Photography Field Office 2012 National Agriculture Imagery 

Program (NAIP) Natural Color Imagery for Illinois

Figure 17. Location of selected features and water-level data at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois.
42 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

the potential to alter the quality and quantity of groundwater 

discharged to the preserve because urban landscapes typically contain larger areas of impermeable surfaces that reduce 

recharge to groundwater and increase overland runoff of 

precipitation to streams or wetlands. Urban landscapes also 

tend to have elevated levels of sediment, fertilizers, and road 

salts in the water (U.S. Geological Survey, 2016c) that could 

degrade the habitat at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. 

Topography

Surface topography at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve ranges from about 550 ft NAVD 88 near the Des Plaines 

River to about 575 ft at the base of the bluff in the western 

part of the preserve (figs. 4, 17). The berm for the railroad 

track near the western edge of the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve and for Division Street in the center of the preserve 

are approximately 1–3 and 1–8 ft, respectively, above the surrounding land surface. The elevation of the top of the bluffs in 

the western part of the preserve is about 610–620 ft near Route 

53. Surface topography west of the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve increases to as much as 650 ft.

Biology

Adult HED use has been documented in virtually all 

of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (fig. 2). Adult HED 

activities include feeding, territorial patrol (Cashatt and Vogt, 

1996), breeding, and egg laying (Cashatt and Vogt, 1992) with 

five verified breeding areas. The rivulet emanating from culvert 5 (fig. 18) is the most productive larval HED habitat at the 

Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (Soluk and Mierzwa, 2012). 

Rivulets emanating from culvert 2, culvert 4, and the French 

drains also contain larval habitat. Egg laying was observed at 

rivulet 2 (Cashatt and Vogt, 1992) and near the seeps at the 

base of the bluffs (Cashatt and others, 1993). 

The mean total adult HED population at the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve in 2003 was estimated to be 134 

individuals, which was 66 percent of the estimated adult 

population in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley. Population estimates from 1996 to 2008 indicate between 3 and 563 

larvae at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (Soluk and 

Mierzwa, 2012). The mean total larval HED population at the 

Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve in 2003 was estimated to be 

988 individuals, which was nearly 48 percent of the estimated 

larvae population in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley. The 

HED population at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve has 

been on a decreasing trend since the 1990s, with an estimated 

adult population of 66 in 2011 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

2013b). The downward trend has been exacerbated by the 

2002–03 and 2005 droughts.

Hydrogeology

Groundwater in the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve is contained in the till deposits (the semiconfining unit) in the topographic uplands, the sand and gravel 

deposits (the glacial drift aquifer) along the bluffs, the alluvial 

deposits located in the valley of the Des Plaines River (the 

alluvial aquifer), and the Silurian aquifer. The spatial relation 

of these units is shown in figures 5 and 8. Each of these units 

affects the hydrology of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve.

Alluvial Aquifer

The alluvial aquifer has a saturated thickness of about 

1–5 ft and consists predominately of sand with substantial 

amounts of silt and clay (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and 

Associates, Inc., 2004a). This unit exchanges water with the 

surface-water bodies in the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. 

Hydric soils can be present in association with the alluvial 

aquifer in wetland areas.

Periodic measurements of groundwater levels were taken 

from August 2001 through September 2008 in 18 well points 

open to the alluvial aquifer in the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004a, 

2009a). Water levels typically showed seasonal variations of 

less than about 1 ft, with the lowest water levels being present 

during the summer months. Water levels in the alluvial aquifer 

varied by a total of less than about 2 ft during most of the 

monitoring period but decreased by as much as 4 ft during the 

drought of 2005. These data indicate the alluvial deposit generally has consistent amounts of water except during droughts 

but that small (2–4 ft) changes in water level may result in 

substantial detriment to the HED habitat.

Glacial Drift Aquifer

The glacial drift aquifer near the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve consists of the sand-and-gravel deposits located 

within about 1,500 ft of the bluffs west of the valley of the 

Des Plaines River (figs. 5, 8). The glacial drift aquifer has a 

horizontal hydraulic conductivity ranging from 5.4 to 62 ft/d 

and can transmit water readily (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, 

and Associates, Inc., 2004a). Vertical flow in the glacial drift 

aquifer is directed downward to the Silurian aquifer at a rate 

of about 25 inches per year (in/yr) so that 47,800 ft3/d of water 

flows from the glacial drift aquifer into the Silurian aquifer 

within the groundwater recharge area for the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, 

Inc., 2004a). 

Horizontal flow in the glacial drift aquifer is directed 

toward the seeps along the bluff of the Des Plaines River Valley. Discharge to the seeps from the aquifer was measured to 

range from 140 to 1,300 ft3/d and is affected by the groundwater elevation (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 

2004a).

Groundwater levels in the glacial drift aquifer were 

measured in wells MW-6A and SV1 (fig. 17) by previous 
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 43

A

B

D

F

C

F

F

E

1

2

34

3

4

1

2

5

566

572

610

560

564

554

554

550

554

556

570

564

614

614

566

564

564

562

562

558

564

558

564

626

566

566

568

566

570

572

562

560

560

558

624

618

560

568

622

628

616

568

568

Des Plaines River

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

Prairie Bluff Golf Course

ILLINOIS ROUTE 7

DIVISION STREET

ILLINOIS ROUTE 53

RAILROAD

88°05'20" 88°05'10" 88°05' 88°04'50" 88°04'40" 88°04'30" 88°04'20" 88°04'10" 88°04'

41°35'40"

41°35'30"

41°35'20"

41°35'10"

41°34'50"

41°34'40"

41°34'30"

41°35'

Basin boundary with identifier

Surface-water flow pathway

Rivulet with number

Seep

Culvert with identifier

French drain

EXPLANATION

1

A

1

562 Line of equal elevation—

 Contour interval is 2 feet.

 Datum is North American 

 Vertical Datum of 1988

562

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 MILE

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 KILOMETER

Orthography from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency

Aerial Photography Field Office 2012 National Agriculture Imagery 

Program (NAIP) Natural Color Imagery for Illinois

Figure 18. Location of selected surface-water flow pathways at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois.
44 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

investigators (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, 

Inc., 2008, 2009a) and the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey, 

2016a; tables 1, 6). Groundwater levels within the glacial drift 

aquifer rise and fall by as much as 6 ft in response to recharge 

from individual precipitation events, seasonal variations in 

recharge, and drought. This fluctuation in water levels affects 

the location, frequency, and volume of groundwater flow to 

the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. When water levels are 

high, the volume of discharge from the glacial drift aquifer to 

the seeps and to the underlying Silurian aquifer is high. When 

water levels are low, the volume of discharge from the glacial 

drift aquifer to the seeps and to the underlying Silurian aquifer 

is low (or absent when the glacial drift aquifer is unsaturated). 

During low-flow conditions, a higher percentage of the water 

in the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve originates as flow 

through the semiconfining unit. 

Semiconfining Unit

The semiconfining unit consists of glacial till deposits, 

which are predominately of silt and clay with small amounts 

of interspersed sand and gravel (figs. 5, 8). The till deposits are 

between 30 and 65 ft thick and are present in the topographic 

uplands west of the glacial drift aquifer near the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve. The semiconfining unit is present 

throughout most of the groundwater recharge area for the 

Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (figs. 8, 11) and has an average vertical hydraulic conductivity of 2.3 × 10-4 ft/d (Graef, 

Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004a). Vertical flow 

in the semiconfining unit is directed downward at a rate of 

1–2 in/yr, so that about 14,700–20,000 ft3

/d of groundwater 

flows from the semiconfining unit into the underlying Silurian 

aquifer within the groundwater recharge area for the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004a). 

Groundwater levels were measured in wells MW-7A and 

MW-12A by previous investigators (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, 

and Associates, Inc., 2008, 2009a) and the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey, 2016a; tables 1, 6). These wells are open to the 

shallow part of the semiconfining unit west of the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve (location of the deep wells in the clusters are shown in fig. 9; MW-7C and MW-7D, MW-12B and 

MW-12D, respectively). Water levels in well MW-7A showed 

more than 10 ft of variation during the measurement period, 

with numerous changes of 2–3 ft in response to individual 

precipitation events. Declines of about 4–11 ft were observed 

in well MW-7A during drought periods from about May 2002 

through May 2003, from about May through November 2005, 

and during July and November 2012. Well MW-12A, which 

has a shorter period of record and less frequent measurements, 

had about 2.5 ft of water level change and had lower water 

levels during the 2012 drought.

Periodic measurements of water levels were taken from 

well MW-7B, which is clustered with shallower well MW-7A 

(Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2009a). Well 

MW-7B monitors the bottom of the semiconfining unit, a sand 

deposit between the base of the semiconfining unit and the top 

of the Silurian aquifer, and the uppermost 1–2 ft of the Silurian aquifer (table 1). Water levels in well MW-7B were below 

the bottom of the well screen for about 5 months following 

well construction, possibly because of pumping from a nearby 

irrigation well. Water levels also were below the bottom of 

the well screen during the drought in July 2012 and perhaps 

during the latter part of the drought in 2005. In addition, the 

water level in the well was below the elevation of the bottom 

of the semiconfining unit during most of the period of monitoring. These data indicate that at least parts of the base of the 

semiconfining unit may become unsaturated during prolonged 

dry periods or in response to pumping, reducing recharge to 

the Silurian aquifer.

Periodic measurements were taken from wells CH2A and 

CH3A, which also monitor the bottom of the semiconfining 

unit (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2009a; 

table 6). Well CH2A is about 330 ft north of high-capacity 

well CH10 and is clustered with well CH2B and CH2C 

(shown in fig. 9). Well CH3A is about 140 ft northwest of 

high-capacity well CH11 and is clustered with well CH3B 

(fig. 9). Water levels in wells CH2A and CH3A declined 

by 6–8 ft after the initiation of pumping in wells CH10 and 

CH11, and have remained several feet lower than pre-pumping 

water levels. These declines indicate that the deep part of 

the semiconfining unit is exhibiting drawdown in response 

to high-capacity withdrawals from the underlying Silurian 

aquifer within at least a few hundred feet of the pumped wells, 

diverting water from the deepest part of the semiconfining unit 

to the Silurian aquifer in these areas.

Water levels in the shallow part of the semiconfining unit 

show fairly large changes in response to individual precipitation events as well as seasonal changes in precipitation and 

droughts. Water levels in the deeper part of the semiconfining 

unit typically show no response to individual precipitation 

events but respond to longer term changes in precipitation and 

to high-capacity pumping in localized areas. 

Silurian Aquifer

The Silurian aquifer is approximately 200 ft thick near 

the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (Roadcap and others, 

1993). The dolomite is present at or near the land surface in 

the valley of the Des Plaines River and has about 10–15 ft 

of outcrop along the base of the bluffs (fig. 5). The dolomite 

contains a variety of secondary-permeability features, particularly in the uppermost 15–40 ft where the dolomite is most 

weathered. 

Water in the Silurian aquifer flows from west to east in 

the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (figs. 9, 

10). Water from the weathered, upper part of the aquifer discharges to the seeps at the base of the bluff in the western edge 

of the preserve. A smaller amount of water discharges to the 

alluvial aquifer in the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (Graef, 

Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004a). The horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the Silurian aquifer is moderately 
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 45

Table 6. Summary of groundwater-level data for the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, 2001 through 2014. 

[MM, month; YY, year; NAVD 88; North American Datum of 1988; C, continuous measurement; P, periodic measurement; <, less than; ~, approximate]

Well name Date of measurement

(MM/YY–MM/YY)

Range of water levels, 

in feet above NAVD 88 Factors affecting water level

Glacial drift aquifer

MW-6A 06/01–09/05 C

09/11–08/14 C

07/01–11/12 P

584.4–591.5 Precipitation events, seasonal variation, drought.

SV1 03/03–11/12 P <580.1–~588 Precipitation events, seasonal variation, drought.

Shallow part of semiconfining unit

MW-7A 07/01–04/04 C

07/01–11/12 P

657.2–668.0 Precipitation events, seasonal variation, drought.

MW-12A 08/07–11/12 P 636.4–639.9 Seasonal variation, drought, possibly precipitation events.

Deep part of semiconfining unit

MW-7B 07/01–11/12 P <606–608.2 Drought, possibly pumping, possibly seasonal variation.

CH2A 03/03–11/12 P 583.6–594.5 Pumping, precipitation, seasonal variation, drought.

CH3A 03/03–11/12 P 584.3–597.7 Pumping, precipitation, seasonal variation, drought.

Silurian aquifer overlain by semiconfining unit

MW-7C 07/01–10/05 C

07/01–11/12 P

604.1–609.2 Pumping, drought, possibly seasonal variation.

MW-7D 10/11–05/13 C

07/01–11/12 P

603.7–609.2 Pumping, drought, possibly seasonal variation.

MW-12B 08/07/11/12 P 602.5–603.1 Pumping, drought, possibly seasonal variation.

MW-12C 08/07/11/12 P 602.2–602.9 Drought, possibly seasonal variation.

CH2B 03/03–11/12 P 583.9–592.1 Pumping, drought, possibly seasonal variation.

CH2C 03/03–11/12 P 540.5–579.7 Pumping, drought, possibly seasonal variation.

CH3B 03/03–11/12 P 585.6–599.3 Pumping, drought, possibly seasonal variation.

Silurian aquifer overlain by glacial drift aquifer

MW-3A 04/01–07/04 C

07/01–11/12 P

578.2–584.8 Precipitation, drought, possibly seasonal variation.

MW-3B 05/13–09/13 C

07/01–11/12 P

561.6–570.0 Seasonal variation, drought, possibly precipitation events.

MW-6B 07/01–04/01 C 

08/12–09/13 C

07/01–11/12 P

583.5–589.8 Precipitation, seasonal variation, drought.

MW-6C 07/01–11/12 P 583.9–589.9 Drought, possibly seasonal variation.

SV2 03/03–11/12 P 572.4–588.2 Seasonal variation, drought.

Silurian aquifer in Des Plaines River Valley

MW-8B 07/01–12/04 C

07/01–11/12 P

560.7–564.4 Precipitation, seasonal variation, drought.

MW-9A 11/01–11/05 C

07/01–11/12 P

566.5–570.4 Precipitation, seasonal variation, drought.

MW-9B 04/02–06/05 C

03/12–02/14 C

07/01–11/12 P

567.2–569.4 Drought, possibly seasonal variation.

MW-10A 10/06–11/12 P 551.1–555.0 Drought, possibly seasonal variation.

MW-10B 10/06–11/12 P 551.2–555.2 Seasonal variation, drought.

MW-10C 10/06–11/12 P 550.5–552.7 Seasonal variation, drought.
46 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

Table 6. Summary of groundwater-level data for the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, 2001 through 2014.—

Continued

[MM, month; YY, year; NAVD 88; North American Datum of 1988; C, continuous measurement; P, periodic measurement; <, less than; ~, approximate]

Well name Date of measurement

(MM/YY–MM/YY)

Range of water levels, 

in feet above NAVD 88 Factors affecting water level

Silurian aquifer in Des Plaines River Valley—Continued

MW-11A 10/06–11/12 P 560.7–563.6 Seasonal variation, drought.

MW-11B 10/06–11/12 P 561.2–564.2 Seasonal variation, drought.

MW-11C 10/06–11/12 P 560.8–564.2 Seasonal variation, drought.

low at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, ranging from 1.8 

× 10-1 to 6.8 × 10-1 ft/d (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004a). 

Continuous and periodic measurements of groundwater 

levels were taken in wells open to the Silurian aquifer in the 

vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve at various 

times from 2001 through 2013 (table 6). The wells monitored 

the Silurian aquifer where the semiconfining unit was present, where the glacial drift aquifer was present, and in the Des 

Plaines River Valley. Measurements were taken by previous 

investigators (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 

2008, 2009a) and by the USGS as part of this investigation 

(U.S. Geological Survey, 2016a). 

Groundwater levels were measured in wells MW-7C,D; 

MW-12B,C; CH2B,C; and CH3B (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, 

and Associates, Inc., 2009a; table 6). These wells are open 

to various depths of the Silurian aquifer where the aquifer 

is overlain by the semiconfining unit west of the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve (table 1; fig. 9). Water levels in wells 

MW-7C,D appear to have been periodically lowered (see 2001 

and 2008 data for well MW-7C in fig. 19) by pumping from a 

nearby irrigation well that is no longer in operation and varied 

by a total of about 5 ft. Low water levels were present during 

the 2012 drought but not the 2005 drought (Graef, Anhalt, 

Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2009a), potentially reflecting 

the effects of nearby pumping in 2012. Water levels in wells 

MW-12B,C varied by less than 1 ft, which is a reflection of the 

stability in the flow system and its isolation from surface influences as well as the shorter monitoring period. 

Water levels in well CH3B, open to the shallow part 

of the Silurian aquifer about 140 ft from high-capacity well 

CH11, showed an overall decline of about 14 ft during the 

period of monitoring (table 6; Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and 

Associates, Inc., 2009a). This decline reflects drawdown 

caused by the diversion of water from the aquifer as a result of 

pumping from well CH11. Water levels also have responded to 

the droughts in 2005 and 2012. 

Water levels in well CH2B, open to the shallow part of 

the Silurian aquifer (table 1) declined overall by about 8 ft 

during the period of monitoring (table 6; Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2009a). Water levels in well CH2C, 

open to the deep part of the Silurian aquifer (table 1), declined 

by nearly 40 ft during the same period. These wells are located 

about 330 ft from high-capacity well CH10 (fig. 9), which 

began pumping in August 2003. Pumping from high-capacity 

well CH10 is the cause of the large water-level decreases at 

the CH2B,C well cluster. Drawdown is substantially greater in 

the deeper part of the aquifer than in the shallow part, which 

indicates that the secondary-permeability feature(s) supplying 

most of the water to well CH10 are located in the deeper part 

of the Silurian aquifer. These deep features have good hydraulic connection with (deep) well CH2C but have somewhat 

limited vertical interconnection in this area and perhaps the 

aquifer as a whole. 

Water levels in some of the Silurian-aquifer wells 

screened beneath the semiconfining unit were below the top of 

the Silurian dolomite during drought periods, indicating that 

horizontal flow through the Silurian aquifer exceeded recharge 

from the semiconfining unit during these times. Water levels in 

these wells showed (1) minimal variation where not affected 

by nearby pumping, (2) no response to individual precipitation 

events, (3) no clear response to seasonal changes in precipitation, and (4) muted response to droughts. The muted response 

to precipitation likely is due to the slow movement of recharge 

water through the overlying semiconfining unit.

Groundwater levels were measured in wells MW3A,B; MW-6B,C; and well SV2 (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, 

and Associates, Inc., 2008, 2009a; U.S. Geological Survey, 

2016a). These wells are open to the Silurian aquifer where it 

is overlain by the glacial drift aquifer on the bluff west of the 

Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. Water levels in these wells 

typically varied by 6–8 ft during the period of record (see data 

for well MW-3A in fig. 19; table 6). Water levels varied in 

response to individual precipitation events and typically were 

near the bottom of the range during drought events in 2002–

03, 2005, and 2012. The large (nearly 16 ft) range in water 

levels at well SV2 is due to the abnormally low (about 11 ft 

below typical) water levels measured during the droughts of 

2005 and 2012. These low water levels may reflect dewatering 

of fractures in the upper part of the Silurian aquifer near well 

SV2 in the absence of recharge from the overlying glacial drift 

aquifer during the droughts. The large difference in water levels 

at the MW-3A,B well cluster also indicates periodic unsaturated conditions (likely affected by flow through a complex 

secondary-permeability network in the upper part of the aquifer 

in this area) within the Silurian aquifer between the open 
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 47

603

604

605

606

607

608

609

610

560

565

570

575

580

585

590

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Water level in wells 

MW-3A, MW-8A, MW-9A, 

above North American Vertical Datum of 1988, in feet

Water level in well MW-7C above 

North American Vertical Datum of 1988, in feet

Date 

MW-3A

MW-8A

MW-9A

MW-7C

EXPLANATION

Figure 19. Water levels in wells MW-3A, MW-7C, MW-8A, and MW-9A in the vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will 

County, Illinois, 2001 through 2012.

interval at these wells (about 550–575 ft). Unsaturated conditions in the upper part of the Silurian aquifer in the vicinity of 

well SV2 may explain the lack of seeps in this area (fig. 17). 

Water levels in some of the Silurian-aquifer wells 

screened beneath the glacial drift aquifer showed substantial 

variation in response to individual precipitation events, seasonal variations, and drought. These responses are due to the 

rapid movement of recharge water through both aquifers to the 

seeps. The low water level at well SV2 during drought indicates the potential for a substantial reduction in flow from the 

Silurian aquifer in this area during drought conditions.

Groundwater levels were measured in wells MW-8B; 

MW-9A (fig. 19),MW-9B (fig. 20); MW-10A,B,C; and 

MW-11A,B,C (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 

2009a; U.S. Geological Survey, 2016a; table 6). These wells 

monitor the Silurian aquifer at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve in the valley of the Des Plaines River (fig. 17). Water levels in these wells typically varied by about 4 ft or less, showed 

less than 1 ft response to individual precipitation events, and 

were at the low end of the range during the droughts of 2005 

and 2012. Water levels in these wells were above the top of the 

Silurian aquifer, excepting the MW-10 cluster. Water levels in 

the MW-10 cluster are affected by hydraulic interaction with 

the Des Plaines River. During the 2012 drought measurements, 

water levels were typically less than 1 ft above the top of the 

dolomite. These data indicate that flow from the Silurian aquifer directly to the wetlands in the river valley is a stable source 

of the water sustaining the wetlands at most of the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve but that small changes in water level 

associated with extreme hydrologic events can dry out the 

HED habitat. 

Comparison of water-level data from wells open to different elevations in the Silurian aquifer in the vicinity of the 

Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve indicates variable vertical 

flow within the aquifer (fig. 17, table 1). For example, the July 

2012 measurements indicate upward flow within the aquifer 

at the MW-9 well cluster (higher water levels in the deep 

well [MW-9B]) but downward flow during November 2012 

(fig. 17). These data indicate that the volume of groundwater discharge from the Silurian aquifer to the wetlands at the 

Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve may be affected by drought 

or other factors.

The groundwater recharge area for the Silurian aquifer to 

the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (fig. 21) was determined 

by Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc. (2004a). 

The area of groundwater recharge to that part of the Silurian 

aquifer that flows to Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve is about 

2.6 mi2

. In about 2.3 mi2 of this area the Silurian aquifer is 

overlain by the semiconfining unit. In the remainder of this 

area the Silurian aquifer is overlain by the glacial drift aquifer. 
48 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Specific conductance, in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

18.0

Temperature, in degrees Celsius

1,200

1,220

1,240

1,260

1,280

1,300

1,320

1,340

1,360

1,380

1,400

Water level above North American

Vertical Datum of 1988, in feet

567.0

567.5

568.0

568.5

569.0

569.5

570.0

2012 2013 2014 Jan. Feb. Jan. Mar. Apr. May Feb. June July Aug. Sept. Oct.

Mar.

Nov.

Dec.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Water level

Specific conductance

Temperature

EXPLANATION

Figure 20. Continuous readings of water level, temperature, and specific conductance for well MW-9B, Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve, Will County, Illinois, March 28, 2012, through February 24, 2014.

The total recharge from precipitation within the groundwater 

recharge area to the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve is about 

66,000 ft3

/d, of which about 37,000 ft3/d enters the Silurian 

aquifer and 29,000 ft3

/d enters the glacial drift aquifer (Graef, 

Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004a).

Surface Water

Surface-water flow at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve begins as discharge from seeps along the bluffs in the 

western part of the preserve at an elevation of about 578–585 

ft NAVD 88 (fig. 18; Christopher B. Burke Engineering, 

Ltd, 1996; Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 

2004a,b). Depending on groundwater levels, these seeps emanate from the glacial drift and Silurian aquifers, or from only 

the Silurian aquifer. Field reconnaissance done in March 1996 

identified 25 seeps between the bluff and the railroad tracks 

(Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd, 1996). All but one of 

these seeps were north of Division Street, with the most active 

seeps being approximately halfway between Route 7 and 

Division Street. Field reconnaissance done in 2000 identified 

40 distinct seeps, with additional diffuse areas where seeps 

were present (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 

2004a). All but two of these seeps were located north of Division Street. The location of the seeps indicates that saturated, 

permeable, geologic material intersecting the bluff face is 

more common north of Division Street than south. This interpretation is consistent with the decrease in groundwater-level 

elevations from north to south along the bluffs at the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve (figs. 9, 10).

On an unspecified date during the winter of 2002, 

described as a period of low groundwater levels, an estimated 

14,000 ft3

/d of water was discharged from the seeps (Graef, 

Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004a). On March 

28, 2002, an estimated 36,200 ft3

/d was discharged from the 

seeps (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2008). 

During May 2002, described as a period of high groundwater 

levels, an estimated 21,500 ft3

/d of water was discharged from 

the seeps (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 

2004a). If normal seasonal trends in water level were present during the winter and spring of 2002, these data indicate 

that the volume of discharge from the seeps increases with 

increased groundwater levels.

Water from the seeps collects in pools located west of the 

railroad tracks and enters the eastern part of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve as flow through culverts and French drains 

beneath the railroad bed (fig. 18). Water discharging through 

the culverts and French drains flows in rivulets through the 

wetlands within the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve and 

out to the Des Plaines River. The wetlands also are discharge 

points for groundwater from the Silurian aquifer, receiving an 

estimated 850–1,000 ft3

/d of groundwater discharge (Graef, 

Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004a). The volume 

of direct discharge from the Silurian aquifer to the wetland is 

substantially less than the volume of discharge measured from 

the seeps in 2002. 

There are six surface-water basins (A through F) within 

the wetlands of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (Graef, 

Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004b; fig. 18). 

Major basin boundaries are associated with the topographic 

highs at the railroad tracks and Division Street, which along 

with the culverts represents an alteration from the natural 

surface-water hydrology at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. Smaller topographic high points (hummocks) control 
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 49

CH4

CH5

CH6

CH8 CH7

CH9

CH10

CH11

R1

R3

R#9

R#12

CV#1

CV#2

CV#3

CV#4

WEBER ROAD

ROMEO ROAD

RENWICK ROAD

DIVISION STREET

TAYLOR ROAD

Crest Hill

Lewis 

University 

Airport

revi Rseni al Pse D

Lockport

River South

Parcel

Romeoville

Middle Parcel

Expansion Area

West

Quarry

Expansion

Area

7

30

53

171

7

Com Ed 

and

Long 

Run

Parcels

 East

Quarry

West

Quarry

Middle Quarry

Long

Run Cr

Long Run 

Seep

Nature 

Preserve

Illinois and Michigan Canal Chicago Sanitary\ and Ship Canal

55

55

LOCKPORT LOCK AND DAM

Long

Seep

College View 

Subdivision

Romeoville 

Prairie

Nature 

Preserve

AIRPORT ROAD

Lockport Prairie

Nature Preserve

Lockport Prairie 

East and 

Dellwood West

Nature Preserves 

Prairie Bluff

Preserve

Run

Henry Formation sand

and gravel removed

by quarrying

88°10' 88°09' 88°08' 88°07' 88°06' 88°05' 88°04' 88°03'

41°39'

41°38'

41°37'

41°36'

41°35'

41°34'

41°33'

Surficial geology unit

Equality Formation—Glacial 

 lake plain deposits

Henry Formation—Glacial out-

 wash sand and gravel deposits

Silurian dolomite

Wedron Formation

Recharge area

1/2-mile buffer of 

 recharge area

2-mile buffer of 

 recharge area

High-capacity well

 and name

R#12

Nature preserve

 boundary

Existing quarry (2016)

Quarry expansion area

Parcel boundary

EXPLANATION

0 1 2 MILES

0 1 2 KILOMETERS

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 2001

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection 

Standard parallels 33 ̊ N. and 45 ̊ N.

Central meridian 89 ̊ W.

North American Datum of 1927 

Figure 21. Groundwater recharge area for the Silurian aquifer, with buffers, and location of selected features in the vicinity of the 

Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois (modified from Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004a).
50 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

surface-water flow within the basins in the Des Plaines River 

Valley. Larval HED use appears to be focused in basins B 

and D.

Basin A receives water directly from precipitation, direct 

groundwater discharge to the basin (in contrast to flow from 

the seeps), and overland runoff of precipitation from topographic highs at Route 7 (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004b). Due to the absence of a culvert, Basin 

A, which likely received some overland runoff under natural 

conditions, does not receive surface-water flow from west of 

the railroad tracks. Basin A does not have a defined outflow 

channel, but flow is to the Des Plaines River at the southern 

part of the basin. Installation of a culvert beneath the railroad 

tracks at Basin A would increase the volume of flow into Basin 

A and would decrease flow to Basin B, partly restoring the 

natural hydrology of the northern part of the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve.

Basin B receives water directly from precipitation, direct 

groundwater discharge to the basin, overland runoff of precipitation near Route 53, and from numerous seeps along the bluff 

(Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004b). Water 

is ponded west of the berm associated with the railroad tracks 

and north of Division Street. Surface water flows through 

culverts 4 and 5 in the berm to rivulets and ponds within the 

basin, then discharges to the Des Plaines River at rivulets 3 

and 4 (fig. 18). Inflow at the culverts produces a concentration 

of flow that likely was not present under natural conditions 

and may result in greater erosion near the culverts.

Discharge through weirs installed at the culverts beneath 

the railroad tracks on the west side of the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve and through weirs at rivulets near the Des 

Plaines River was measured during monitoring events in 

1995, fall 2001, and spring through winter 2002 to provide 

insight into the water budget for Basin B (Christopher B. 

Burke Engineering, Ltd, 1996; Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and 

Associates, Inc., 2004b). The typical and maximum discharge 

into Basin B by way of culverts 4 and 5 was low in absolute 

terms but substantially higher at culvert 4 than at culvert 5 

(table 7). This difference likely is affected by the position of 

culvert 4 in the lower part of the basin (fig. 18) where water 

collects near Division Street and the railroad tracks. Note that 

culvert 5 flows to the most productive HED habitat, possibly 

reflecting the effects of the lower discharge rate on the habitat. 

Discharge into basin B at culverts 4 and 5 typically exceeded 

discharge out to the Des Plaines River at rivulets 3 and 4, 

except during some of the precipitation events. Discharge patterns in Basin B likely reflect the comparatively high volume 

of surface-water inflow from the numerous seeps north of 

Division Street. Discharge patterns also indicate that evapotranspiration removes a substantial amount of water from 

Basin B during the summer months. Discharge into and out 

of Basin B varied seasonally, with both typical and maximum 

discharge being highest in spring and fall. Inflow and outflow 

typically were absent during the summer except for infrequent 

flow during sustained periods of elevated precipitation. 

Basin C receives water directly from precipitation, direct 

groundwater discharge to the basin, and perhaps groundwater 

discharge from basin B through the berm at Division Street 

(Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd, 1996; Graef, Anhalt, 

Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004b). Because Division 

Street blocks the natural surface-water flow from Basin B to 

Basin C, Basin C is likely drier under current (2018) conditions than under natural conditions. Surface water flows 

through rivulets and sheet flow in the wetlands and discharges 

to the Des Plaines River at rivulet 2. Outflow from Basin C 

to the Des Plaines River at rivulet 2 varied seasonally, being 

highest in spring and fall (2001 but not 2002) and typically 

absent during the summer (table 7). Flow at rivulet 2 during 

the summer is frequent during precipitation events, possibly 

due to backflow from the river. 

Basin D receives water directly from precipitation, direct 

groundwater discharge to the basin, overland runoff of precipitation near Route 53, and from seeps along the bluff (Graef, 

Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2004b). Water is ponded west of the berm associated with the railroad tracks. Surface water flows through culverts 1, 2, and (to a small extent) 

3 in the berm and (after 1997) three French drains to rivulets 

within the basin, then discharges to the Des Plaines River at 

rivulet 1 (fig. 18). As was the case with the other basins, current (2018) flow in Basin D differs from natural conditions.

The typical inflow to Basin D was substantially higher at 

culvert 2 than at culvert 1 (table 7). Based on a single measurement during spring of 1996, inflow at culvert 3 exceeds 

that at culverts 1 and 2 (Christopher B. Burke Engineering, 

Ltd., 1996; Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 

2004b). If these measurements are representative, these 

differences indicate increased inflow from south to north 

(fig. 18) toward Division Street prior to construction of the 

French drains in 1997. After construction of the French drains, 

culvert 3 was blocked with sediment and did not transmit 

water. Flow readings at the culverts and French drains during 

2001 and 2002 (table 7) indicate minimal surface-water flow 

into Basin B, with most of the flow being through culvert 2, 

which drains to the second most productive HED habitat at 

the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. Outflow from Basin D 

to the Des Plaines River by way of rivulet 1 was typically less 

than 0.1 cubic feet per second (ft3/s), indicating that evapotranspiration removes a substantial amount of water from the 

basin during the summer months. Discharge into Basin D at 

culverts 1, 2, and 3 and out of the basin at rivulet 1 showed no 

clear differences in the 2002 data. It is noted, however, that the 

typical outflow at rivulet 1 during the latter part of the 2001 

(about 0.5 ft3/s) exceeded the total inflow (about 0.1 ft3/s). To 

make up the deficit in the volume of water exiting the basin, 

there must be an additional source of water entering Basin 

D between the culverts and the rivulets. Discharge patterns 

in basin D likely reflect the low volume of inflow from the 

two seeps south of Division Street and a high volume of 

groundwater recharge in comparison to surface-water inflow. 

Flow into and out of Basin D varied seasonally, being highest in spring and fall and absent during the summer except 
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 51

Table 7. Summary of surface-water discharge data for the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois.

[MM, month; YY, year; <, less than; Dec., December; Apr., April; Oct., October; ~, approximate]

Well name Type of 

flow

Date of 

measurement

(MM/YY–MM/YY)

Typical flow, 

in cubic feet per 

second

Range of flow, in cubic feet per second

Basin B (all locations shown in fig. 18)

Culvert 4 Inflow 03/96 0.7 Single measurement.

10/01–12/01 1.0–2.0 1.0–12.0 decrease with time.

04/02–12/02 <0.1–1.0 <0.1–3.0 decrease with time.

Culvert 5 Inflow 03/96 0.1 Single measurement.

10/01–12/01 <0.1 <0.1–0.11 precipitation dependent.

04/02–12/02 <0.1 <0.1–2.7 no flow late July–Dec.

Rivulet 3 Outflow 09/01–12/01 <0.1 <0.1–10 precipitation dependent.

04/02–12/02 <0.1 <0.1–3.0 almost no flow June–Dec. except during substantial 

precipitation.

Rivulet 4 Outflow 09/01–12/01 0.4 <0.1–2.0 base flow higher Oct.–Dec.

04/02–12/02 >0.4 (Apr.–June) 

<0.1 (June–Dec.)

<0.1–1.8 minimal flow July–Dec.

Basin C (all locations shown in fig. 18)

Rivulet 2 Outflow 08/01–12/01 0.25 <0.1–0.70 flashy, base flow higher in Oct.–Dec.

04/02–12/02 ~0.2 (Apr.–June) 

<0.1 (June–Dec.)

<0.1–1.1 decreases after mid-June, fairly frequent summer 

flow during precipitation.

Basin D (all locations shown in fig. 18)

Culvert 1 Inflow 10/01–12/01 <0.1 <0.1–0.3 flow requires substantial precipitation.

04/02–12/02 <0.1 <0.1–3.0 decreases after mid-June.

Culvert 2 Inflow 03/96 0.1 Single measurement.

10/01–12/01 0.1 <0.1–1.7 consistent base flow.

04/02–12/02 <0.1 <0.1–2.1 minimal flow after May.

Culvert 3 Inflow 03/96 0.5 Single measurement.

04/02–12/02 <0.1 Blocked with sediment, 2002 flow reduced by 1997 construction of French drains.

North French drain Inflow 04/02–12/02 <0.1 <0.1–1.8 minimal flow.

South French drain Inflow 04/02–12/02 <0.1 <0.1–0.1 minimal flow.

Rivulet 1 Outflow 08/01–12/01 <0.1–0.5 <0.1–6.0 base flow higher in Oct.–Dec.

04/02–12/02 <0.1 <0.1–3.0 little flow after mid-June.

for infrequent flow during sustained periods of elevated 

precipitation.

Basins E and F were not well characterized but receive 

water directly from precipitation, direct groundwater discharge 

to the basin, and perhaps surface-water inflow from adjacent 

basins during high water events (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, 

and Associates, Inc., 2004b). Basin F also may receive water 

from flooding of the Des Plaines River. Surface water in these 

basins flows through rivulets (basin E) or indistinct channels 

(basin F) whose discharge point is not identified.

Water Use

There are no high-capacity pumping wells within the 

groundwater recharge area for the Silurian aquifer to the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, but there is one high-capacity 

well open to the Silurian aquifer within the 0.5 mi buffer of 

the recharge area (fig. 21). An additional nine high-capacity 

wells in the Silurian aquifer are within the 2-mi buffer of 

the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve recharge area, as is the 

Quarry. Combined withdrawals from high-capacity wells 

R#9 and R#12 within the 2-mi buffer increased from about 

0.37 Mgal/d in 2000 to more than 0.9 Mgal/d in 2011 (Village 

of Romeoville, written commun., 2012). Withdrawals from 
52 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

high-capacity wells (CH7, CH9, CH10, CH11) within the 

2-mi buffer had an average combined discharge of 1.0 Mgal/d 

during 2011 and 2012 (City of Crest Hill, written commun., 

2012).

Nonpumping water levels collected from well R#9 

located west of Weber Road and south of Romeo Road during 

July and November 2012 appear to have been anomalously 

low (about 568 ft NAVD 88), indicating this well was pumping more water from the Silurian aquifer than was being 

readily replenished at the time of measurement. The water 

level collected from well R#12 located at Airport Road west 

of Weber Road during July and November 2012 (about 604 ft) 

also was somewhat low in comparison to the nearby AR well 

(fig. 9). 

Water levels in high-capacity wells CH7, CH10, and 

CH11 taken on July 19, 2012, were substantially lower than 

the stage of the Des Plaines River at the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve (tables 1, 2) and nearby shallow monitoring 

wells (fig. 9). The three-dimensional extent of the pumping 

effects from these wells within the Silurian aquifer is not 

known, but the presence of drawdown in nearby monitoring 

wells CH3A,B and CH2A,B,C indicates pumping effects are 

present within a few hundred feet of the pumped well, especially in the deeper part of the aquifer. Water-level measurements collected from monitoring wells within the groundwater 

recharge area for the Silurian aquifer to the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve show no obvious effects from pumping in 

high-capacity wells. These data do not indicate that pumping 

from these wells is diverting water from the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve; however, a detailed assessment of the flow 

pathways and the location and magnitude of drawdown within 

the Silurian aquifer associated with pumping from the highcapacity wells would help to clarify the potential effects of 

pumping on the habitat.

Results of Groundwater Modeling

Two numerical groundwater-flow models have been 

developed to simulate the groundwater system in the vicinity 

of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. The first model was 

developed by Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc. 

(2008) to assess the hydrology in the vicinity of the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve and the effects of urbanization on flow 

to the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. The second model 

was developed by AECOM (2012, 2013a) and used to assess 

the effects of proposed future quarry operations on the hydrology in the vicinity of the Quarry as well as the effectiveness 

of groundwater mitigation structures. Those aspects of the 

AECOM model that are pertinent to conditions at the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve are discussed in this section. 

Model Focusing on the Water Resources at the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve 

The discussion in this section is restricted to groundwater modeling performed by Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, 

and Associates, Inc. (2008). This model used MODFLOW 

(McDonald and Harbaugh, 1984; Harbaugh and McDonald, 

1996a,b; Harbaugh and others, 2000) to run flow simulations 

and MODPATH (Pollock, 1998) to delineate groundwater 

recharge areas. The model grid has 162 rows with a width 

of 100 to 500 ft and 124 columns with a width ranging from 

25 to 530 ft. The model used 16 layers to simulate various 

units in the unconsolidated and Silurian deposits. The model 

encompassed the Crest Hill area west of the CSSC. The model 

was calibrated to groundwater levels collected in the vicinity 

of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve from 2004 through 

2006 and to the rate of flow to the Des Plaines River and other 

surface-water bodies. Sensitivity analysis was performed. 

The Silurian aquifer is assumed to function as an equivalent 

porous medium. A review of this model was performed by the 

USGS and provided to USFWS (Daniel Feinstein and Douglas 

Yeskis, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2011). The 

review concluded this model was professionally constructed 

with appropriate quality assurance and quality control measures (calibration, verification, scenario testing). The review 

also concluded that the model does yield output relevant to 

issues related to representing the groundwater flow system and 

recharge area and evaluating the effects of a variety of potential stresses to the system. Limitations to the model as applied 

to this investigation include an inability to provide a detailed 

simulation of the effects of quarry operations on the hydrology of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. The absence of 

accurate field measurements of the volume of discharge from 

the seeps along the bluffs also limits the ability of the model to 

simulate this discharge. 

Groundwater modeling indicates that during periods of 

normal or above average precipitation about 36,000 ft3/d of 

groundwater discharges from the Silurian aquifer to seeps at 

the bluffs near the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, whereas 

about 11,000 ft3/d of groundwater discharges from the aquifer 

directly to the wetlands within the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve. During periods of normal or above average precipitation most of the water entering the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve (at the seeps and in the valley) is recharged to the 

Silurian aquifer from the glacial drift aquifer near the bluffs 

west of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. As the amount 

of recharge from the glacial drift aquifer to the Silurian aquifer 

decreases, a greater percentage of the groundwater discharge 

to the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve originates as recharge 

to the Silurian aquifer from the semiconfining unit in the 

western part of the groundwater recharge area and discharges 

directly to the wetlands. A 50-percent reduction in the rate of 

recharge to the Silurian aquifer from the glacial drift aquifer, 

either as a seasonal or drought-related decrease in the amount 

of precipitation or due to increased runoff of precipitation, 

results in a simulated decrease in discharge to the seeps and 

direct discharge to the wetlands of 58 and 24 percent, respectively. These simulations are consistent with the water-level 

monitoring in the Silurian aquifer that indicates flow in the 

river valley is lower, but more stable, than at the bluffs. These 

simulations indicate that maintaining recharge to the glacial 
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 53

drift aquifer along the bluffs near the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve, and likely other habitats in the Lower Des Plaines 

River Valley, is crucial to ensuring sufficient water supply to 

the HED habitat, but that maintaining flow in the rest of the 

groundwater recharge area also is important as a buffer against 

drought and other sources of decreased recharge.

Model simulations indicate that pumping at the Quarry 

and other high-capacity wells in the Silurian aquifer based on 

2005 pumping volumes reduced flows to the seeps at Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve by 13–26 percent and to the wetlands 

in the river valley by 9–14 percent relative to conditions in 

which there was no pumping. The lower end of the range in 

the reduction of flow assumes typical recharge, whereas the 

upper end assumes a 50-percent reduction in recharge. Model 

simulations of discharge to the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve assuming pumping volumes from the Quarry and nearby 

high-capacity wells based on 2030 population estimates 

indicate a decrease in flow to the seeps of 4–9 percent and in 

direct discharge to the wetlands of 3–4 percent in comparison 

to 2005 conditions. The effects of this reduction on the HED 

habitat are outside the scope of the model.

Model Focusing on the Effects of Quarry Operations 

on the Water Resources at the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve 

The discussion in this section is restricted to the modeling 

performed by AECOM (2012, 2013a). Simulations performed 

using this model indicate that the groundwater recharge area 

for the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve is just outside of the 

groundwater capture zone in the Silurian aquifer associated 

with the maximum impacts of the dewatering of the Quarry 

at build-out conditions (fig. 11); however, model simulations 

indicate increased pumping in support of mining the West 

Quarry Expansion Area will induce as much as 1 ft of drawdown within the groundwater recharge area for the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve west of Route 53. Groundwater modeling also indicates that increased pumping from the Silurian 

aquifer associated with the expansion of dewatering operations 

at the West Quarry will induce an estimated maximum of 0.20 

ft of drawdown in the Silurian aquifer at the MW-9 well cluster in the north-central part of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (AECOM, 2013a). The total difference in water levels 

in the Silurian aquifer within the groundwater recharge area 

for the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve exceeds 30 ft based 

on the July 2012 measurements (fig. 9), so this drawdown will 

only slightly reduce the hydraulic gradient within that part of 

the Silurian aquifer flowing to the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve. Modeling indicates the amount of discharge from 

the Silurian aquifer to the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve 

will decrease from about 16,400 ft3/d at the start of the expansion process to about 16,000 ft3

/d when mining is completed 

(AECOM, 2013b). These effects will dissipate once mining in 

the West Quarry ceases and the West Quarry fills with water. 

To offset the effects of increased pumping from the 

West Quarry Expansion Area on the Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve, a stormwater retention and infiltration pond has been 

proposed for construction in part of a former sand and gravel 

quarry near the northern boundary of the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve south of Renwick Road and west of Route 53 

(fig. 8). This pond will collect runoff from a 186-acre watershed west of Route 53, enhancing the amount of recharge to 

the Silurian aquifer along the bluff northwest of the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve. Simulations indicate that the pond 

will recharge about 5,660 ft3/d to the Silurian aquifer, exceeding the modeled decrease in flow from the aquifer to the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve associated with increased pumping at the West Quarry Expansion Area (AECOM, 2013a). 

Water Quality

There were numerous surface-water sampling efforts 

during 1991–2001 at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve 

(table 8). Surface-water samples were collected from four 

locations at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve during 1991 

(Cashatt and Vogt, 1992). The sample location(s) and precise 

date of sampling are not described. Measurements of surfacewater temperature, specific conductance, hardness, pH, and 

dissolved oxygen (DO) were taken approximately weekly at 

three locations (upstream, midstream, downstream) in each 

of three rivulets from May 26 through July 29, 1993 (Lin and 

others, 1993). The locations of the measurement sites are not 

precisely known, but the rivulets are described as being close 

to the river and on the north (near culvert 4) and south (near 

culvert 5) sides of the road next to the railroad tracks (fig. 17). 

Surface-water samples were collected approximately monthly 

from August 1997 through November 1998 and from April 

through December 2001 at culverts 2 and 5 (fig. 17) and at 

an unspecified seep described as being near Route 53 (Soluk 

and others, 1999; Soluk and Moss, 2002). These samples were 

analyzed for a variety of metals, field parameters, nutrients, 

major ions, and general water-quality indicators.

Calcium was the cation present at the highest concentrations at every site. Bicarbonate, as indicated by the high 

alkalinity values, was the dominant anion. Alkalinity values 

showed an overall increase from April through December 

at the seep near Route 53 and at culverts 2 and 5 (table 8). 

Seasonal changes in concentrations of sulfate, sodium, and 

magnesium also were observed, particularly in the 1997 and 

1998 sampling at the seep and culvert 5. The timing of these 

seasonal changes was not uniform between constituents or 

locations. Seasonal changes in geochemically sensitive constituents, such as sulfate, where present, may reflect variations 

in the intensity of microbiologic activity and sources of water. 

Chloride concentrations next to the road at culvert 2 (geometric mean 128 mg/L) were higher than at culvert 5 (geometric mean 66 mg/L) and the seep (geometric mean 42 mg/L). 

The presence of elevated chloride at culvert 2, which is near 

Division Street, likely indicates the increased presence of 

overland runoff of precipitation and snowmelt affected by the 

application of road salt at culvert 2 relative to culvert 5. Much 

of the water at culvert 5 likely is derived from the groundwater 
54 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 8. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, 1991 through 2001. [mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; --, no data; bold denotes exceedance of criteria] Date Alkalinity, in mg/L as CaCO3 Sulfate, in mg/L Chloride, in mg/L Calcium, in mg/L Magnesium, in mg/L Sodium, in mg/L Iron, in mg/L Nitrate as nitrogen, in mg/L pH, in standard units Manganese, in mg/L Site 1, precise location and sampling date unknown (data from Cashatt and Vogt, 1992) 1991 272 67 65 93 41 31 0.29 31 8.0 0.013 Site 2, precise location and sampling date unknown (data from Cashatt and Vogt, 1992) 1991 263 68 72 104 40 31 0.12 38 8.0 <0.004 Site 3, precise location and sampling date unknown (data from Cashatt and Vogt, 1992) 1991 290 86 65 97 43 26 0.20 22 8.2 0.020 Site 4, precise location and sampling date unknown (data from Cashatt and Vogt, 1992) 1991 421 2 49 94 47 15 10 <0.1 7.8 0.43
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 55

Table 8. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, 1991 through 2001.—Continued[mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; --, no data; bold denotes exceedance of criteria]

Date Station number

Water temperature,

in degrees 

Celsius

pH,

in standard units

Flow velocity, 

in feet per second

Hardness, 

in mg/L as CaCO3

Dissolved oxygen, 

in mg/L

Culvert 4 (location shown in fig. 17; data from Lin and others, 1993)

 5/26/93 Upstream 11 7.3 0.62 -- 8.7

Midstream 15 7.3 <0.07 300 7.0Downstream 16 7.4 0.52 -- 7.4

 6/02/93 Upstream 10 7.1 0.39 -- 8.2

Midstream 14 7.1 <0.07 308 7.7Downstream 15 7.3 0.92 -- 7.1

 6/10/93 Upstream 11 7.4 0.59 -- 8.3

Midstream 19 7.3 <0.07 236 7.1Downstream 19 7.3 1.6 -- 5.8

 6/16/93 Upstream 10 7.2 0.95 -- 8.4

Midstream 17 7.2 <0.07 300 5.9Downstream 17 7.3 0.36 -- 6.3

 6/23/93 Upstream 12 7.3 0.66 -- 8.9

Midstream 22 7.3 <0.07 305 7.8Downstream 20 7.4 0.69 -- 5.8

07/01/93 Upstream 12 7.2 0.56 -- 8.7

Midstream 23 7.3 <0.07 310 8.6Downstream 20 7.2 0.62 - 5.9

7/07/93 Upstream 13 7.1 0.49 -- 8.7

Midstream 24 7.3 <0.07 312 8.1Downstream 21 7.1 0.66 -- 5.8

7/14/93 Upstream 12 7.3 0.69 -- 8.9

Midstream 18 7.4 <0.07 323 7.9Downstream 20 7.5 0.56 -- 5.9

7/21/93 Upstream 13 7.3 <0.07 -- 3.0

Midstream 20 7.3 0.30 345 5.4Downstream 21 7.4 0.92 -- 7.1

7/28/93 Upstream 12 7.2 0.69 -- 8.1

Midstream 19 7.3 <0.07 320 8.2Downstream 21 7.3 0.56 -- 6.7
56 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 8. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, 1991 through 2001.—Continued [mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; --, no data; bold denotes exceedance of criteria] Date Station number Water temperature, in degrees Celsius pH, in standard units Flow velocity, in feet per second Hardness, in mg/L as CaCO3 Dissolved oxygen, in mg/L Culvert 3 (location shown in fig. 17; data from Lin and others, 1993) 5/26/93 Upstream 12 7.6 0.72 -- 7.4 Midstream 14 7.6 0.56 328 8.1 Downstream 14 7.6 0.23 -- 8.8 6/02/93 Upstream 12 7.2 0.49 -- 8.6 Midstream 12 7.3 0.33 330 7.1 Downstream 12 7.4 0.33 -- 7.9 6/10/93 Upstream 13 7.6 0.92 -- 8.2 Midstream 14 7.8 0.75 352 8.5 Downstream 15 7.7 0.20 -- 8.3 6/16/93 Upstream 13 7.5 0.66 -- 7.5 Midstream 15 7.6 0.95 380 7.1 Downstream 16 7.6 0.56 -- 7.5 6/23/93 Upstream 15 7.5 0.62 -- 7.3 Midstream 17 7.6 0.92 345 7.7 Downstream 18 7.6 0.49 -- 7.4 7/01/93 Upstream 16 7.4 0.69 -- 7.1 Midstream 17 7.5 0.85 362 7.7 Downstream 17 7.6 0.59 -- 7.4 7/07/93 Upstream 15 7.4 0.79 -- 7.1 Midstream 17 7.8 1.0 362 7.8 Downstream 17 7.5 0.69 -- 7.5 7/14/93 Upstream 15 7.3 0.69 -- 7.3 Midstream 18 7.7 0.85 335 7.7 Downstream 19 7.8 0.59 -- 7.8 7/21/93 Upstream 19 7.3 0.75 -- 6.9 Midstream 21 7.6 0.98 332 7.5 Downstream 20 7.4 0.43 -- 7.7 7/28/93 Upstream 16 7.2 0.62 -- 7.0 Midstream 17 7.4 0.85 328 7.9

Downstream 18 7.6 0.59 -- 7.4
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 57

Table 8. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, 1991 through 2001.—Continued[mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; --, no data; bold denotes exceedance of criteria]

Date Station number

Water temperature,

in degrees 

Celsius

pH,

in standard units

Flow velocity, 

in feet per second

Hardness, 

in mg/L as CaCO3

Dissolved oxygen, 

in mg/L

Surface water close to Des Plaines River (precise location unknown; data from Lin and others, 1993)

 5/26/93 Upstream 17 7.5 <0.07 -- 4.4

Midstream 13 7.5 0.43 356 6.8Downstream 12 7.2 0.95 -- 7.5

 6/02/93 Upstream 17 7.0 <0.07 -- 3.0

Midstream 14 7.3 0.59 360 6.7Downstream 14 7.4 0.75 -- 7.6

 6/10/93 Upstream 18 7.2 <0.07 -- 3.5

Midstream 17 7.5 0.46 320 7.4Downstream 16 7.5 1.5 -- 6.9

 6/16/93 Upstream 20 7.2 <0.07 -- 3.1

Midstream 19 7.4 0.56 340 7.8Downstream 19 7.3 0.98 -- 7.5

 6/23/93 Upstream 23 7.1 <0.07 -- 2.2

Midstream 19 7.6 0.72 350 6.7Downstream 19 7.4 1.1 -- 7.0

7/01/93 Upstream 17 7.2 <0.07 -- 3.5

Midstream 16 7.3 0.43 356 7.0Downstream 16 7.3 1.1 -- 6.9

7/07/93 Upstream 23 7.0 <0.07 -- 2.8

Midstream 22 7.2 0.39 354 5.8Downstream 21 7.5 1.0 -- 6.9

7/14/93 Upstream 18 7.1 <0.07 -- 2.8

Midstream 17 7.2 0.33 332 5.7Downstream 16 7.4 0.85 -- 7.0

7/21/93 Upstream 19 7.0 <0.07 -- 3.0

Midstream 17 7.3 0.29 345 5.4Downstream 16 7.4 0.92 -- 7.1

7/28/93 Upstream 21 7.1 <0.07 -- 2.8

Midstream 20 7.1 0.26 368 5.3Downstream 20 7.5 1.1 -- 7.4
58 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 8. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, 1991 through 2001.—Continued [mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; --, no data; bold denotes exceedance of criteria] Date Alkalinity, in mg/L as CaCO3 Sulfate, in mg/L Chloride, in mg/L Calcium, in mg/L Magnesium, in mg/L Sodium, in mg/L Iron, in mg/L Nitrate as nitrogen, in mg/L Dissolved oxygen, in mg/L Manganese, in mg/L Culvert 5 (location shown in fig. 17; data from Soluk and others, 1999; Soluk and Moss, 2002) 8/21/97 328 80 49 109 52 24 0.34 0.09 2.5 0.25 9/24/97 328 17 57 83 43 21 0.14 0.13 2.7 0.01 10/30/97 309 27 56 79 40 19 0.12 0.20 3.3 <0.01 11/19/97 344 24 57 92 48 24 0.27 0.07 6.3 0.04 12/17/97 308 47 58 95 47 25 0.17 0.84 -- 0.07 1/30/98 250 59 75 89 47 36 <0.04 3.1 9.7 <0.01 3/26/98 233 56 121 91 45 53 0.04 1.6 6.1 <0.01 4/29/98 244 35 77 76 37 37 <0.04 1.0 7.7 <0.01 5/21/98 264 25 78 72 37 39 0.04 0.50 4.2 0.03 6/19/98 289 10 53 77 37 28 0.15 0.30 3.0 0.13 7/23/98 352 10 45 153 43 25 0.11 <0.01 3.5 0.26 8/25/98 422 7 48 107 52 45 0.37 <0.01 4.3 0.50 9/15/98 410 3 50 103 51 28 0.20 0.01 4.7 0.37 10/30/98 347 10 56 94 47 28 0.23 0.08 2.3 0.13 11/19/98 341 16 56 92 46 28 0.02 0.32 6.6 0.14 4/23/01 148 39 89 56 37 38 0.07 0.65 6.7 0.01 5/11/01 306 33 70 92 47 42 <0.01 0.77 9.3 <0.004 6/16/01 319 26 75 94 45 38 <0.01 0.49 3.1 0.004 7/26/01 363 27 53 101 49 31 0.04 0.06 1.3 <0.002 08/29/01 -- -- -- -- -- -- <0.01 -- -- -- 09/28/01 424 44 73 127 60 35 <0.01 0.01 1.7 0.23 10/29/01 260 88 151 -- -- -- <0.01 0.52 6.4 -- 12/20/01 548 65 88 -- -- -- <0.01 0.58 8.7 --
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 59

Table 8. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, 1991 through 2001.—Continued[mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; --, no data; bold denotes exceedance of criteria]

Date 

Alkalinity, 

in mg/L as 

CaCO3

Sulfate, 

in mg/L

Chloride, 

in mg/L

Calcium, 

in mg/L

Magnesium, 

in mg/L

Sodium, 

in mg/L

Iron, 

in mg/L

Nitrate as 

nitrogen, 

in mg/L

Dissolved 

oxygen, 

in mg/L

Manganese, 

in mg/L

Culvert 2 (location shown in fig. 17; data from Soluk and others, 1999; Soluk and Moss, 2002)

8/21/97 357 155 109 144 61 64 0.04 0.51 7.9 0.049/24/97 362 143 116 131 54 58 0.05 0.43 7.8 0.0310/30/97 371 146 103 124 50 46 <0.01 0.42 8.3 0.0211/19/97 368 143 100 127 55 56 <0.01 0.41 8.8 0.0212/17/97 357 129 100 130 56 53 0.03 0.39 -- 0.031/30/98 335 133 92 129 57 60 <0.01 0.60 10. <0.013/26/98 307 110 102 130 54 76 0.05 1.6 7.5 <0.014/29/98 312 99 155 115 49 67 <0.01 1.0 8.1 <0.015/21/98 345 85 147 112 48 69 0.03 1.0 5.9 0.036/19/98 359 73 151 117 50 67 0.03 1.1 6.5 0.057/23/98 383 82 123 180 53 65 0.02 2.0 7.1 0.148/25/98 372 93 128 133 55 65 0.05 1.3 6.9 0.109/15/98 386 95 126 131 57 66 <0.01 1.1 7.2 0.0510/30/98 374 117 125 135 59 70 0.07 0.8 6.2 0.0411/19/98 362 117 138 128 56 65 0.05 0.8 10.2 0.044/23/01 165 73 132 64 44 50 0.01 4.0 8.5 0.0035/11/01 300 86 134 110 55 71 <0.01 3.7 8.9 <0.0026/16/01 345 85 159 144 57 78 <0.01 0.67 6.0 0.0097/26/01 361 205 160 136 59 81 <0.01 0.64 6.4 0.0048/29/01 352 111 158 146 60 74 <0.01 0.55 6.1 0.0509/28/01 376 112 156 146 61 81 <0.01 0.44 7.3 0.05810/29/01 289 113 158 -- -- -- <0.01 0.33 5.1 --12/20/01 732 106 120 -- -- -- <0.01 0.57 6.9 --
60 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 8. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, 1991 through 2001.—Continued [mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; --, no data; bold denotes exceedance of criteria] Date Alkalinity, in mg/L as CaCO3 Sulfate, in mg/L Chloride, in mg/L Calcium, in mg/L Magnesium, in mg/L Sodium, in mg/L Iron, in mg/L Nitrate as nitrogen, in mg/L Dissolved oxygen, in mg/L Manganese, in mg/L Seep near Route 53 (precise location unknown; data from Soluk and others, 1999; Soluk and Moss, 2002) 8/21/97 234 60 69 89 46 31 0.03 9.8 10.6 -- 9/24/97 229 52 28 74 37 11 <0.02 9.7 9.8 -- 10/30/97 228 44 39 69 34 16 <0.02 6.5 9.2 -- 11/19/97 224 39 27 71 36 22 <0.02 5.4 9.2 -- 12/17/97 235 36 38 72 36 17 <0.02 5.1 - -- 1/30/98 224 35 35 80 40 23 <0.02 12.0 10.1 -- 3/26/98 205 37 112 79 38 59 <0.02 10.0 10.8 -- 4/29/98 187 37 41 65 32 20 <0.02 8.0 11.2 -- 5/21/98 197 36 49 59 30 38 <0.02 7.9 7.5 -- 6/19/98 186 36 24 60 31 12 <0.02 7.2 13.7 -- 7/23/98 196 37 19 149 32 10 <0.02 7.0 10.4 -- 8/25/98 202 37 18 60 34 9 <0.02 6.0 10.6 -- 9/15/98 210 35 20 62 32 12 <0.02 5.0 8.6 -- 10/30/98 235 35 28 68 35 21 <0.02 4.3 10.1 -- 11/19/98 241 34 19 67 35 16 <0.02 4.1 11.2 -- 4/23/01 124 36 124 41 33 51 0.04 3.8 9.4 <0.02 5/11/01 209 46 82 83 39 44 <0.01 4.3 8.8 0.007 6/16/01 214 46 91 76 38 47 <0.01 4.3 9.3 <0.002 7/26/01 214 48 38 70 37 22 <0.01 4.7 9.5 <0.002 8/29/01 221 49 69 75 39 37 <0.01 5.0 9.3 <0.004 9/28/01 233 49 70 76 38 43 <0.01 4.1 9.3 <0.004 10/29/01 186 41 117 -- -- -- <0.01 7.3 9.4 -- 12/20/01 388 48 25 -- -- -- <0.01 3.9 7.6 --
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 61

that has discharged to the seeps, with a small amount of water 

derived from overland runoff. Chloride concentrations showed 

no clear temporal trends; however, the high chloride concentrations likely indicate the presence of effects from road salts.

Nitrate concentrations substantially exceeded the MCL 

of 10 mg/L in three of the samples collected during 1991 

(Cashatt and Vogt, 1992) and in several samples collected 

from the seep near Route 53 during 1998 (Soluk and others, 

1999). The elevated concentration of nitrate at the seep likely 

indicates fertilizer application in the recharge area for the seep 

(likely over the glacial drift aquifer) is affecting water quality. 

Nitrate concentrations in 1997–2001 at the culverts typically 

were higher during the spring than the rest of the monitoring 

period and (as was the case with chloride concentrations) were 

higher at culvert 2 than at culvert 5. Nitrate concentrations in 

many of these samples are high enough to indicate the effects 

of fertilizers on surface water and shallow groundwater in the 

vicinity of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. Seasonal 

trends in nitrate concentrations at the culverts may reflect the 

presence of increased amounts of fertilizer-affected runoff 

during the spring. Ammonia typically was not detected (detection limit of 0.01 mg/L) during the sampling, except during 

April 2001, when it was detected at all three sampling sites 

at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 0.07 mg/L, potentially 

reflecting the presence of fertilize-affected runoff. 

Water-quality data from the culverts and seep likely indicate seasonal differences in the water sources to the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve. During a typical year, water quality 

at the seep would be most affected by the chemistry of the 

water recharging the glacial drift aquifer during the winter and 

spring and increasingly by the water quality of the semiconfining unit during the summer and fall. Water quality at culvert 

2 may have contained a higher percentage of water derived 

from overland runoff of precipitation during the winter months 

in comparison to the seep and culvert 5. These sources could 

have resulted in increased chloride and decreased alkalinity 

during the winter and spring in comparison to the rest of the 

year. The variations in the amount of water from different 

sources (overland runoff of precipitation and groundwater) 

may affect the quality of the water in the wetland and thereby 

the HED habitat.

Water temperatures tended to be lower at the upstream 

parts of the rivulets in the western part of the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve than in the downstream areas and near the 

Des Plaines River (table 8). Cooler water may be associated 

with proximity to the seeps and other areas of groundwater 

discharge. 

Concentrations of DO typically were above 2.0 mg/L, 

making these waters slightly oxic. Concentrations of DO 

showed no consistent spatial pattern or temporal trends. 

Additional analyses for phosphorous, mercury, and trace 

metals was done (Cashatt and Vogt, 1992; Soluk and others, 

1999; Soluk and Moss, 2002). With the exception of manganese (<0.02–0.37 mg/L) and phosphorus (<0.01–0.11 mg/L), 

these compounds either were not detected, or were detected at 

concentrations below regulatory criteria. 

Concentrations of manganese exceeded the aquatic life 

chronic threshold (table 3) in several samples from culverts 

2 and 5 and in one of the samples collected during 1991. The 

MCL for nitrate was exceeded in most of the samples collected during 1991 and in some of the seep samples. Phosphorous concentrations (not shown in table 8) exceeded the EPA 

criteria for flowing water in one sample from culvert 5. 

Continuous Monitoring of Groundwater

Continuous measurements of groundwater temperature 

and specific conductance were collected from March 28, 2012, 

through February 24, 2014, in well MW-9B (fig. 20). Groundwater temperatures showed seasonal variation, increasing from 

about 7 °C in February or March to about 16 °C in September. 

This trend likely is an effect of the conductive transfer of 

heat from the atmosphere and soil (Taylor and Stefan, 2009). 

Specific conductance values in well MW-9B showed a small 

overall decrease but were generally stable at 1,220 to 1,300 

microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (μS/cm). 

Specific conductance values often showed small decreases 

during periods of increased water levels, reflecting the presence of low-conductivity precipitation in the groundwater. 

Future Monitoring 

Land use in the drainage area for the proposed infiltration 

pond north of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve indicates that water in the pond could be affected by runoff from 

roadways and a golf course south of Renwick Road and west 

of Route 53. The effect of these land uses on the quality of 

the water in the pond, and the effect of recharge of this water 

on the quality of the groundwater (including temperature) 

entering the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, is not known. 

Pond water and downgradient groundwater will be sampled 

periodically by the Quarry operators to evaluate the effect of 

water from the infiltration pond on the HED habitat (Hanson 

Material Service Corporation, 2016).

Assessment of Water Resources at the Com Ed 

and Long Run Parcels

The Com Ed and adjacent Long Run Parcels occupy 

about 300 acres east of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, 

approximately 0.5 mi south of Romeo Road, and west of New 

Avenue (figs. 1, 22). A railroad is located along the eastern 

edge of the parcels. Buried oil pipelines are present along the 

railroad tracks and at the boundary between the parcels.

A subterranean pipeline break occurred on December 14, 

2010, just north of the boundary between the parcels (fig. 22; 

Groundwater and Environmental Services, Inc., 2017). Crude 

oil from this break drained to a ditch along New Avenue, 

through a culvert that drains to a depression along the boundary between the parcels, to a marsh in the northeast part of the 

Long Run Parcel that currently (2018) is a pond created by the 

excavation of sediment down into bedrock. Oil from this leak 
62 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois 578 578 578

588

586

584

592

588

588

584

586

588

095 095

584

685

586

584

588

584

586

586

584

584

586

588

586

584

582

600

600

602

596

586

586

584

584

586

586

586

584

Com Ed

Parcel 

Long Run Parcel

HIGH ROAD

Approximate

area of

pipeline break

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

Illinois and Michigan Canal

South Ditch

Long Run

Creek

Bruce

Lake

Com Ed

Parcel 

Long Run Parcel

HIGH ROAD

Approximate

area of

pipeline break

Long

Bruce

Lake

Run

Creek

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

Illinois and Michigan Canal

South Ditch

NEW AVENUE

RAILROAD TRACK

88°03'50" 88°03'40" 88°03'30" 88°03'20"

41°38'10"

41°38'

41°37'50"

41°37'40"

41°37'30"

41°37'20"

88°03'10" 88°03' 88°02'50"

CEP-2S

586.5

584.5

584.76

585.49

CEP-2D

586.4

584.3

584.63

585.54 CEP-4S

583.7

577.8

579.07

582.05

CEP-10S–

– 580.78

584.56

LRW1

LRS1

CEP-3S

591.2

589.5

589.49

590.46

CEP-3D

591.3

589.5

590.07

590.8

CEP-4D

583.6

577.7

578.99

582.01

CEP-7S

585.65

586.66

CEP-9WT

–

–

585.66

586.59

CEW2

CEP-11S–

– 580.45

584.15

CEP-12S

–

–

584.28

587.51

CEP-11D

–

–

580.43

584.00

CEP-5S

583.5

578.1

578.49

580.17

CEP-1S

587

583.5

584.58

586.16

CEP-6S–

– 584.89

586.01

CEP-8WT

–

–

586.09

586.82 CES2

CEP-1D

587

583.5

584.58

586.43

–

–

WL4

585.0

<581.0

WL5

585.0

<581.0

–

–

–

–

WL3

585.0

<581.0

–

– CEW1

–

–

587.5

<586.27

CEP-2S

586.5

584.5

584.76

585.49

CEP-2D

586.4

584.3

584.63

585.54 CEP-4S

583.7

577.8

579.07

582.05

CEP-10S–

– 580.78

584.56

LRW1

LRS1

CEP-3S

591.2

589.5

589.49

590.46

CEP-3D

591.3

589.5

590.07

590.8

CEP-4D

583.6

577.7

578.99

582.01

CEP-7S

585.65

586.66

CEP-9WT

–

–

585.66

586.59

CEW2

CEP-11S–

– 580.45

584.15

CEP-12S

–

–

584.28

587.51

CEP-11D

–

–

580.43

584.00

CEP-5S

583.5

578.1

578.49

580.17

CEP-1S

587

583.5

584.58

586.16

CEP-6S–

– 584.89

586.01

CEW1

–

–

587.5

<586.27

CEP-8WT

–

–

586.09

586.82

CEP-1D

587

583.5

584.58

586.43

–

–

CES2

WL4

585.0

<581.0

WL5

585.0

<581.0

–

–

–

–

WL3

585.0

<581.0

–

–

Wetland depression

Excavated sediment

Pond

Parcel boundary

Drainage

Rivulet

Streamgage location and

 name with:

 High water level

 Low water level

Well location and name

 with:

 High water level

 Low water level

 July 19, 2012, water level

 November 26, 2012, 

 water level

CEP-3S

591.2

589.5

589.49

590.46

EXPLANATION

WL3

585.0

<581.0

Note: Water-level datum is 

North American Vertical Datum

of 1988

586 Line of equal elevation—

 Contour interval is 2 feet.

 Datum is North American

 Vertical Datum of 1988

590

Orthography from Esri World Imagery for Chicago, 2011

Map image is the intellectual property of Esri and is used herein under license. 

Copyright © 2017 Esri and its licensors. All rights reserved.

0 0.1 0.2 MILE

0 0.1 0.2 KILOMETER

Figure 22. Location of selected features and water-level data at the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels, Will County, Illinois.
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 63

entered surface water, sediments, and groundwater, mostly 

near the boundary between the parcels. The leak is being 

remediated, partly by excavation of contaminated sediment, 

but some residual oil remains. 

Topography

The area east of the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels 

(fig. 22) is bluff rising in elevation from about 590 ft NAVD 

88 near New Avenue to more than 650 ft near High Road 

(fig. 4). The parcel itself consists of flat land surface with an 

elevation between about 591 ft in the northeastern edge of the 

parcel to 584 ft near the Illinois and Michigan Canal. The elevation of most of the parcel is between about 587 and 584 ft. 

The Illinois and Michigan Canal is a vertical drop of 5–7 ft 

from the western edge of the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels. 

Excavation to remove contaminated sediment in the northeast 

part of the Long Run Parcel has lowered the land surface in 

this area from natural, pre-spill conditions, potentially altering 

the hydrology.

Biology

Larval HED use was documented during August 2011 at 

crayfish burrows near the pond south of well CEP-10S (Brown 

and Soluk, 2012; Soluk and Mierzwa, 2012; fig. 22). Adult 

HED use has been documented in the vicinity of rivulets in the 

eastern part of the Com Ed Parcel and the northern part of the 

Long Run Parcel (fig. 2). Adult use includes perching, transit, 

territorial patrol, and breeding (Mierzwa and Webb, 2010; 

Soluk and Mierzwa, 2012). Some of these areas were affected 

by the oil spill. The leafy prairie clover (Dalea foliosa) inhabits the site but is mainly present in the drier portion of the 

Com Ed Parcel. The Blanding’s turtle (Emys blandingii) also 

inhabits the Com Ed and Long Run Parcel but little is known 

regarding the species use of the site.

Hydrogeology

Groundwater is present in parts of the alluvial deposits 

that constitute the alluvial aquifer and the underlying Silurian 

aquifer within the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels. These units 

are hydraulically connected to each other and to the surfacewater bodies. 

Alluvial Aquifer

The alluvial deposits at the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels consist of 1–2 ft of sand. Alluvial sands were excavated 

prior to the oil spill in areas within the north-central part of the 

Com Ed Parcel and after the oil spill in the northeast part of 

the Long Run Parcel (AECOM, 2011, 2013b). Hydric soils are 

present in wetland areas where the alluvial deposits have not 

been excavated (Hanson Material Service Corporation, 2016). 

Continuous measurements of groundwater levels were 

taken from April 2006 through December 2012 in wells 

CEW1 and LRW1, which are open to the alluvial aquifer 

(Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012, 2013). Water levels 

in well CEW1 typically were below the sensor, indicating that 

the alluvial deposits typically were unsaturated in the northcentral part of the Com Ed Parcel. Water levels occasionally 

rose to within about 0.3 ft of land surface for short periods 

following precipitation events in the fall through spring. Summer precipitation events typically did not produce an increase 

in water levels sufficient to raise the water level to the level of 

the sensor. Water levels in well LRW1 typically were within 

1.5 ft of land surface during the fall through spring, occasionally increasing to above land surface for short periods following precipitation events during the fall through spring. Water 

levels typically were below the sensor (more than 2 ft below 

land surface) during the summer months, even following 

precipitation events. 

Silurian Aquifer

At the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels, the top of the 

Silurian dolomite is present at about 583–591 ft NAVD 88, 

generally decreasing from east to west. The Silurian aquifer at 

the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels has a horizontal hydraulic 

conductivity ranging from 2.1 × 10-1 to 1.0 × 101 ft/d (STS/

AECOM, 2009). The geometric mean horizontal hydraulic 

conductivity value for the upper 25 ft of the aquifer was 2.1 

× 100 ft/d and was 1.0 × 10-1 ft/d for the deeper part. These 

values are indicative of moderately low to moderately high 

aquifer permeability, with the shallow part of the Silurian 

aquifer being more permeable than the deep part. 

Periodic measurements of groundwater levels in wells 

open to the Silurian aquifer from October 2005 through 

November 2013 indicate that the overall direction of groundwater flow in this area is from east to west, approximately perpendicular to the Illinois and Michigan Canal (figs. 9, 10; STS 

Consultants, 2007; STS/AECOM, 2009; AECOM, 2013a). 

These data, combined with continuous monitoring data from 

May 2011 through April 2012 (AECOM, 2013a), indicate that 

water levels in the Silurian aquifer (1) were lowest during 

the summer and highest during winter and spring, (2) often 

exceeded the elevation of land surface during the spring and 

fall, and (3) indicate periodic discharge from the Silurian 

aquifer to the wetlands. The lowest water levels were observed 

during drought conditions in October through December 2005 

and were less than about 3.5 ft below their highest recorded 

level at the CEP-1 and CEP-2 well clusters. Groundwater 

levels in the Silurian aquifer also tended to show progressively 

more variation from the eastern part of the parcel (about 2.5 ft) 

to the western part (about 6 ft) (AECOM, 2013a), reflecting 

the effects of increased drainage from the aquifer to the Illinois and Michigan Canal with proximity to the canal. 

Water levels in Silurian-aquifer wells CEP-1S,D often 

exceeded the stage of nearby streamgages WL3, 4, and 5, indicating that groundwater from the Silurian aquifer discharges 
64 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

to surface water in the northern part of the Com Ed Parcel. 

Groundwater levels in other well clusters indicate variable vertical hydraulic gradients at the site. Water levels at the CEP1S,D; CEP-3S,D; and CEP-4S,D well clusters frequently or 

typically have upward hydraulic gradients (AECOM, 2013a), 

whereas the CEP-2S,D and CEP-11S,D clusters typically have 

downward gradients. These variations of vertical gradients 

indicate groundwater discharge to surface water at Com Ed 

and Long Run Parcels is affected by localized changes in 

the flow regime, similar to those at Lockport Prairie Nature 

Preserve.

Surface Water

Long Run Creek enters the center of the Long Run Parcel 

then bifurcates, with one branch flowing west to the Illinois 

and Michigan Canal and a second branch flowing south 

beyond the parcel boundary (fig. 22). The watershed for Long 

Run Creek is about 16,800 acres and extends about 8 mi east 

of the Long Run Parcel (Integrated Lakes Management, Inc., 

2008). Discharge of Long Run Creek was measured monthly 

at the approximate middle of the bluff between High Road and 

New Avenue from March through September 2008 and ranged 

from 5.2 to 28.5 ft3/s (Integrated Lakes Management, Inc., 

2008). 

The “south ditch” is present a few hundred feet south of 

the Long Run Parcel (fig. 22). This ditch flows from the bluff 

east of the parcel to the Illinois and Michigan Canal. South 

ditch intercepts Long Run Creek south of the Long Run Parcel, potentially diverting some of the creek flow.

Continuous measurements of surface-water levels were 

taken at streamgage LRS1 from June 2009 through December 2012 (Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012, 2013). 

This streamgage monitors Long Run Creek near its entrance 

to the Long Run Parcel (fig. 22). Water was present at the 

streamgage for most of the monitoring period, indicating 

inflow from the creek is a potentially substantial source of 

water to the wetlands in the southern part of the Long Run 

Parcel. Baseline water levels varied by less than 2 ft for most 

of the monitoring period and were lowest during the summer 

and highest during the winter and spring in response to annual 

cycles in snowmelt, precipitation, and evapotranspiration. 

Increases of as much as 4 ft were superimposed on these baseline water levels during precipitation events. Water levels were 

below the sensor during parts of September and October 2010 

and from April through December 2012. The low water levels 

during 2012 were a response to drought. 

There are a number of ponds, ditches, and rivulets in 

the Com Ed Parcel and the northern part of the Long Run 

Parcel that are hydraulically connected to Bruce Lake northwest of the Com Ed Parcel (fig. 22). Hourly measurements 

of surface-water levels were taken at streamgages WL3 and 

WL4, located at the pond at the northern edge of the Com Ed 

Parcel, and streamgage WL5, located at a rivulet in the westcentral part of the parcel, from October 2005 through August 

2008 (STS Consultants, 2007; STS/AECOM, 2008b, 2009). 

These streamgages were dry in response to drought prior to 

about December 2005 but had about 2 ft of water for the rest 

of the monitoring period. The average water level at all three 

streamgages was approximately 584.2 ft NAVD 88, with 

water levels at streamgage WL5 often being somewhat lower, 

particularly during the summer months. These data indicate 

that once the stage of the pond at streamgage WL4 exceeds 

about 582.5 ft NAVD 88, surface water can flow from Bruce 

Lake through the rivulets and ditches in the northeast part of 

the Com Ed Parcel into the Illinois and Michigan Canal near 

streamgage CES2 (STS Consultants, 2007; STS/AECOM, 

2008b, 2009). Water from Bruce Lake is potentially a substantial source of water in the wetlands in the northwestern part of 

the Com Ed Parcel. 

Surface water enters the northeast part of the Long Run 

Parcel through a culvert transmitting water from the upland 

area east of the Long Run Parcel, including the area of the oil 

spill. Water from the upland area is partly derived from seep 

flow. This water flowed to a former marsh area that is the current (2018) site of a pond associated with the excavated sediment in the northeast part of the Long Run Parcel. The marsh 

(pond) also receives discharge from upwelling groundwater 

and seeps. Surface water in the northern part of the Long Run 

Parcel flows from the pond through rivulets for about 1,000 ft 

to the west-northwest (fig. 22; STS Consultants, 2007; STS/

AECOM, 2008b, 2009; AECOM, 2011). The drainage then 

intersects a rivulet draining from a small pond in the northcentral part of the Long Run Parcel, which appears to be partly 

fed by rivulets draining wetlands to the south. The rivulets 

flow to the north, entering a wetland area that discharges to 

the Illinois and Michigan Canal near streamgage CES2 (STS/

AECOM, 2009; AECOM, 2011). Discharge rates and surfacewater levels in this area, which includes the HED larval habitat, have not been measured. 

Continuous measurements of surface-water levels were 

taken from April 2006 through December 2012 at streamgage 

CES2 (Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012, 2013). This 

streamgage monitors water levels in soil adjacent to a rivulet 

that drains most of the Com Ed Parcel and the northern part 

of the Long Run Parcel at the point of discharge to the Illinois 

and Michigan Canal. Measurements at this streamgage are 

assumed to be representative of water levels in the rivulet. 

Water was present at the streamgage for most of the period of 

monitoring but was typically below ground surface (fig. 23), 

indicating only periodic flow of surface water from the Com 

Ed and Long Run Parcels. Baseline water levels typically 

varied by less than 1 ft and were consistently lowest during the summer and highest during the winter and spring in 

response to annual cycles in snowmelt, precipitation, and 

evapotranspiration. Water-level increases of as much as 4 ft 

were occasionally superimposed on these broad trends. These 

increases lasted 7–10 days and were associated with precipitation events resulting in surface-water discharge to the canal. 

There is nothing clearly anomalous in the 2011 water-level 

data at streamgage CES2 that could be attributed to the effects 

of post-December 2010 oil-spill remediation activities. Low 
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 65 Ground elevation = 584.84 feet Sensor elevation = 582.17 feet

Water level below sensor

Water level above North American Vertical Datum of 1988, in feet 

Date

588.84587.84586.84585.84584.84583.84582.84581.84580.84

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Figure 23.

Water levels at streamgage CES2, Com Ed Parcel, Will County, Illinois, April 2006 through October 2012 (from Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012, 2013).
66 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

water levels observed after September 2011, although present 

for a somewhat longer than typical period of time, appear to 

be part of normal seasonal variations resulting from a lack of 

precipitation and elevated evapotranspiration in the wetlands. 

The low water levels observed during much of 2012 are likely 

a response to drought conditions. 

Water Use 

The groundwater recharge area for the Silurian aquifer 

at the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels (fig. 24) encompasses 

about 14,500 acres extending approximately 11 mi to the 

southeast of the parcels based on AECOM (2011) flow-net 

analysis of the potentiometric surface of the Silurian aquifer 

provided by Roadcap and others (1993). Several homes at 

the bluffs east of the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels draw 

water for domestic use from the Silurian aquifer. In addition, 

at least five high-capacity wells that draw water from the 

Silurian aquifer are located within the groundwater recharge 

area for the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels, with additional 

wells being contemplated. The volume of water discharged 

from the high-capacity wells on an annual basis is unknown 

but is likely to exceed 2.0 Mgal/d based on 2016 population 

estimates for Lockport (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017) and an 

80-gal/d per capita water use. The effect of pumping from 

these wells on water levels and flow at the Com Ed and Long 

Run Parcels has not been investigated. 

It is assumed that the CSSC is a hydraulic boundary to 

groundwater flow that prevents drawdown due to pumping at 

the East Quarry from migrating to the east beneath the CSSC 

in the deeper part of the Silurian aquifer (figs. 9, 10); therefore, increased pumping in support of quarry expansion at the 

West or Middle Quarries is expected to have no effect on the 

hydrology of the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels (AECOM, 

2013a). The validity of this assumption will be checked by 

ongoing water-level monitoring at the parcels by the Quarry 

operators (Hanson Material Service Corporation, 2016).

Water Quality

Groundwater samples were collected from 2005 through 

2007 from several wells open to the alluvial aquifer and the 

Silurian aquifer at the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels (STS/

AECOM, 2009; Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012; 

AECOM, 2013a,b). Surface-water samples were collected during 2006 and 2007 from the two ponds in the northwest part of 

the Com Ed Parcel (Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012). 

This sampling was done in support of investigations into the 

HED habitat (table 9). 

Calcium and bicarbonate (measured as alkalinity) were 

the dominant cation and anion in these samples (table 9). 

Chloride concentrations typically were high enough to indicate 

the presence of road salts and were higher in the shallow 

wells at each well cluster. Sulfate concentrations were higher 

in the deep well, indicating a natural source. Phosphorous 

concentrations in surface water were often above regulatory 

criteria for flowing water (0.1 mg/L), especially at streamgage 

CES2. Total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations (if present as 

ammonia) also exceeded regulatory criteria in some of the 

surface-water samples. Nitrate as nitrogen concentrations were 

less than 1.5 mg/L, which is below levels indicative of the 

presence of anthropogenic contamination. The pH values were 

slightly alkaline at 7.5–7.8.

Surface-water samples were collected during December 

2010 and January 2011 to assess the effects of the pipeline 

break in the east-central part of the Com Ed and Long Run 

Parcels. Benzene was detected in the rivulet flowing from the 

excavated area to the outfall to the Illinois and Michigan Canal 

at S12 (fig. 25). Concentrations were above acute screening 

levels (table 3) near the pond excavation. Post-remediation 

sampling performed during September 2016 did not detect 

benzene in surface water at the locations where samples were 

collected. 

Groundwater samples also were collected during 2013 

from 13 wells open to the Silurian aquifer to assess the effects 

of the pipeline break (fig. 25). Benzene was detected at the 

northeast part of the boundary between the parcels at concentrations as high as 3,780 μg/L; however, concentrations 

were below 1 μg/L within about 1,000 ft of the pipeline break. 

Post-remediation sampling from these wells performed in 

September 2016 detected benzene concentrations in groundwater that were substantially lower than during April 2012, 

with detections only in the vicinity of the railroad. Benzene 

concentrations remain above the MCL (table 3) near the location of the pipeline break. Residual contamination in the form 

of oil sheen and seeps was observed near the railroad tracks 

(Groundwater and Environmental Services, Inc., 2017).

Surface water and groundwater in the Com Ed and Long 

Run Parcel is alkaline with a neutral to alkaline pH. Ranges in 

constituent concentrations typically were similar for surface 

water and groundwater and indicate the Silurian aquifer is the 

primary source of surface water. The EPA flowing water criteria for phosphorus are exceeded in some samples. The chemistry of this water, particularly the surface water, is affected 

by anthropogenic processes such as the application of road 

salts. The presence of oil associated with a historical pipeline 

break affected surface-water quality along the flow pathways 

in much of the center of the parcel and groundwater quality in 

the eastern part of property along the boundary between the 

parcels. 

Assessment of Water Resources at the Long Run 

Seep Nature Preserve

The Long Run Seep Nature Preserve is an 80-acre parcel 

located east of the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels (fig. 1). The 

portion of the parcel of concern for the HED is the hillside 

between New Avenue, High Road, South Ditch, and Long Run 

Creek where a number of groundwater seep-fed rivulets are 

located (fig. 26). 
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 67

!

! !

!

! !

Long

Run

Long Run 

Seep Nature 

Preserve

Com Ed and

Long Run 

Parcels 

Lockport Prairie East

and Dellwood West

Nature Preserves 

Romeoville Prairie

Nature Preserve

L11

L10 L14

L12

L13

L6

Creek

Creek

Lockport

Romeoville

7

171

83

53

355

355

80

55

Spring

45

Des Plaines River

Chicago Sanitary

and Ship Canal

88°05' 88°00' 87°55' 87°50'

41°40'

41°35'

EXPLANATION

Nature preserve

Lockport city limits

Romeoville city limits

Parcel boundary

Groundwater recharge area for

 Silurian aquifer at Com Ed 

 and Long Run parcels, Will 

 County, Illinois (modified 

 from AECOM, 2010)

High-capacity well and name L6

!

0 1 2 3 4 5 MILES

0 1 2 3 4 5 KILOMETERS

Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:100,000, 2001

Albers Equal-Area Conic projection 

Standard parallels 33 ̊ N. and 45 ̊ N.

Central meridian 89 ̊ W.

North American Datum of 1927 

Figure 24. Groundwater recharge area for the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels, and location of high-capacity pumping wells, Will 

County, Illinois (modified from AECOM, 2011).
68 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 9. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water and groundwater at the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels, Will County, Illinois, 2005 through 2007. [mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; --, no sample; bold denotes exceedance of regulatory criteria] Date Alkalinity, in mg/L as CaCO3 Sulfate, in mg/L Chloride, in mg/L Calcium, in mg/L Magnesium, in mg/L Sodium, in mg/L Iron, in mg/L Nitrate as nitrogen, in mg/L Phosphorous, in mg/L Total Kjeldahl nitrogen, in mg/L Silurian aquifer well CEP-5S (location shown in fig. 22, data from STS/AECOM, 2009) 10/27/05 360 82 15 102 46 13 <0.01 -- -- -- 6/05/06 310 73 16 80 35 9.8 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer well CEP-1S (location shown in fig. 22, data from STS/AECOM, 2009) 10/25/05 280 184 109 104 53 48 <0.01 -- -- -- 6/05/06 310 172 96 88 46 44 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer well CEP-1D (location shown in fig. 22, data from STS/AECOM, 2009) 10/27/05 450 188 69 148 70 27 <0.01 -- -- -- 6/05/06 430 220 48 135 61 20 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer well CEP-3S (location shown in fig. 22, data from STS/AECOM, 2009; AECOM, 2013a) 10/27/05 490 126 120 132 60 48 <0.01 -- -- -- 6/02/06 380 148 128 121 54 45 -- -- -- -- 5/20/11 280 130 140 160 85 80 -- -- -- -- 10/13/11 380 110 160 160 80 68 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer well CEP-3D (location shown in fig. 22, data from STS/AECOM, 2009; AECOM, 2013a) 10/27/05 460 125 128 131 612 49 <0.01 -- -- -- 6/02/06 410 160 110 117 54 39 -- -- -- -- 5/20/11 310 150 100 150 79 51 -- -- -- -- 10/13/11 390 150 110 130 67 42 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer well CEP-2S (location shown in fig. 22, data from STS/AECOM, 2009; AECOM, 2013a) 10/27/05 430 173 108 133 60 76 <0.01 -- -- -- 6/02/06 380 189 118 124 54 46 -- -- -- -- 5/20/11 220 130 130 130 57 72 -- -- --- -- 10/13/11 360 180 39 110 57 30 -- -- -- --
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 69

Table 9. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water and groundwater at the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels, Will County, Illinois, 2005 through 2007.—Continued[mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; -, no sample; bold denotes exceedance of regulatory criteria]

Date 

Alkalinity, 

in mg/L as 

CaCO3

Sulfate, 

in mg/L

Chloride, 

in mg/L

Calcium, 

in mg/L

Magnesium, 

in mg/L

Sodium, 

in mg/L

Iron, 

in mg/L

Nitrate as 

nitrogen, 

in mg/L

Phosphorous, 

 in mg/L

Total 

Kjeldahl 

nitrogen, 

in mg/L

Silurian aquifer well CEP-2D (location shown in fig. 22, data from STS/AECOM, 2009; AECOM, 2013a)

10/25/05 450 178 62 116 59 42 <0.01 -- -- --6/02/06 410 208 46 47 51 100 -- -- -- --5/20/11 260 180 38 110 58 31 -- -- -- --10/13/11 370 130 130 120 56 63 -- -- -- --

Silurian aquifer well CEP-4S (location shown in fig. 22, data from STS/AECOM, 2009)

 10/25/05 470 169 140 131 64 80 <0.01 -- -- - 6/05/06 230 203 130 112 49 94 -- -- -- -10/13/11 360 160 180 120 56 94 -- -- -- -

Silurian aquifer well CEP-4D (location shown in fig. 22, data from STS/AECOM, 2009)

10/25/05 410 263 94 161 78 36 <0.01 -- -- --6/05/06 430 267 88 153 72 33 -- -- -- --

Alluvial deposit well CE-W1 (location not shown, data from Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012)

04/19/06 280 30 4.2 68 29 8.9 0.50 1.4 <0.02 --10/19/06 255 40 1.0 83 37 13 0.35 0.09 <0.02 <0.60

Surface water at streamgage WL4 (location shown in fig. 22, data from Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012)

4/18/06 314 14 130 116 51 40 0.13 1.3 <0.02 1.07/19/06 148 68 98 20 36 48 0.16 <0.05 0.04 3.010/19/06 255 62 90 86 45 49 0.04 <0.01 <0.02 <0.604/30/07 126 73 77 63 40 43 0.53 0.15 <0.02 0.937/25/07 308 47 91 48 40 34 0.61 0.17 <0.02 <0.6010/24/07 299 50 150 68 63 38 0.19 0.09 0.35 <0.60
70 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 9. Concentration of selected constituents in surface water and groundwater at the Com Ed and Long Run Parcels, Will County, Illinois, 2005 through 2007.—Continued [mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; -, no sample; bold denotes exceedance of regulatory criteria] Date Alkalinity, in mg/L as CaCO3 Sulfate, in mg/L Chloride, in mg/L Calcium, in mg/L Magnesium, in mg/L Sodium, in mg/L Iron, in mg/L Nitrate as nitrogen, in mg/L Phosphorous, in mg/L Total Kjeldahl nitrogen, in mg/L Surface water at streamgage CES2 (location shown in fig. 22, data from Applied Ecological Services, Inc., 2012) 4/18/06 184 130 180 63 29 56 0.73 1.4 0.19 1.0 7/19/06 232 31 81 92 44 44 0.09 <0.05 0.26 2.7 10/19/06 226 70 66 68 31 41 0.65 0.14 0.22 <0.60 4/30/07 102 65 76 61 32 43 0.28 0.17 0.09 0.73 7/25/07 318 150 63 75 44 28 0.36 0.18 0.06 <0.60 10/24/07 472 94 83 150 63 38 0.86 0.58 0.10 <0.60 Silurian aquifer well CEP-10S (location shown in fig. 22, data from AECOM, 2013a) 5/27/11 280 110 95 98 47 55 -- -- -- -- 10/13/11 430 45 150 120 53 55 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer well CEP-11S (location shown in fig. 22, data from AECOM, 2013a) 5/20/11 200 77 13 79 50 12 -- -- -- -- 10/13/11 300 89 18 77 43 8.6 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer well CEP-11D (location shown in fig. 22, data from AECOM, 2013a) 5/20/11 280 190 7.5 91 66 48 -- -- -- -- 10/13/11 340 210 3.7 110 62 23 -- -- -- -- Silurian aquifer well CEP-12S (location shown in fig. 22, data from AECOM, 2013a) 5/20/11 270 230 77 110 64 55 -- -- -- -- 10/13/11 360 190 69 110 56 74 -- -- -- --
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 71 Illinois and Michigan Canal

Com Ed Parcel

Long Run Parcel

RAILROAD TRACK

NEW AVENUE

HIGH ROAD

Approximate

area of

pipeline break

Com Ed Parcel 

Long Run Parcel

RAILROAD TRACK

NEW AVENUE

HIGH ROAD

Approximate

area of

pipeline break

Bruce

Lake

Illinois and Michigan Canal

MW1

117

<0.5

MW2

<1

<0.5

MW3

3,780

39

MW4

463

160

MW5

<1

<0.5

MW6

23

<0.5

MW7

<1

<0.5

MW8

28

<0.5

MW9

FP

105

MW10

456

12

MW11

<1

<0.5

MW12

<1

<0.5

MW13

<1

<0.5

MW14

28

<0.5

MW15

<1

<0.5

MW16

<1

<0.5

MW17

<1

<0.5

MW18

<1

<0.5

CEP2S

574

<0.5

CEP2D

<1

<0.5

S1

2

–

S2

229

<0.5

S3

192

S4 <0.5

350

–

S5

1,560

– S6

769

<0.5

S7

<1

–

S8

455

<0.5

S9

<1

<0.5

S10

142

–

S11

<1

–

S12

18

–

S13

39

–

S14

293

–

S15

2

<0.5

S16

<1

<0.5

P

376

–

MW1

117

<0.5

MW2

<1

<0.5

MW3

3,780

39

MW4

463

160

MW5

<1

<0.5

MW6

23

<0.5

MW7

<1

<0.5

MW8

28

<0.5

MW9

FP

105

MW10

456

12

MW11

<1

<0.5

MW12

<1

<0.5

MW13

<1

<0.5

MW14

28

<0.5

MW15

<1

<0.5

MW16

<1

<0.5

MW17

<1

<0.5

MW18

<1

<0.5

CEP2S

574

<0.5

CEP2D

<1

<0.5

S1

2

–

S2

229

<0.5

S3

192

S4 <0.5

350

–

S5

1,560

– S6

769

<0.5

S7

<1

–

S8

455

<0.5

S9

<1

<0.5

S10

142

–

S11

<1

–

S12

18

–

S13

39

–

S14

293

–

S15

2

<0.5

S16

<1

<0.5

P

376

–

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

#

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

88°03'30" 88°03'20"

41°38'10"

41°38'

41°37'50"

88°03'10" 88°03' 88°02'50"

EXPLANATION

Wetland depression

Excavated sediment

Pond

Parcel boundary

Rivulet

Streamgage location and name with:

 Maximum benzene concentration in 2011

 samples, in micrograms per liter;

 Benzene concentration in samples collected

 during September 2016, in micrograms per liter

Well location and name with:

 Maximum benzene concentration in samples

 collected during December 2010 and

 January 2011, in micrograms per liter;

 Benzene concentration in samples collected

 during September 2016, in micrograms per liter

 Note: FP, Free Product; –, no data; <, less than

S9

<1

#<0.5

MW5

<1

<0.5 !

0 0.1 0.2 MILE

0 0.1 0.2 KILOMETER

Base image from U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, 2015 

National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP), Illinois

Figure 25. Concentration of benzene in surface water and groundwater after oil spill, Com Ed and Long Run Parcels, Will County, 

Illinois (modified from Antea Group, 2012).
72 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

612

628

588

632

590

604

590

626

588

634

656

592

6

08

594

600

594

5

88

6 52

588

5 96

592

610

586

624

606

652

6 1 2

61 4

5 9 0

630

612

586

598

592

602

590

594

596

652

626

588

630

644 588

628

590

640

590

588

654

620

5 88

642

608

592

630

586

6 14

5 90

590

588

588

610

624

608

590

652

652

646

638

610

634

592

636

624

588

622

632

592

606

5 90

610

632

592

618

652

592

592

596

5 94

604

622

648

652

652

586

616

6 10

616

612

618

592

6 56

602

588

590

620

598

622

614

650

608

6 1 0

594

588

588

612

592

60 0

598

594

594

6 54

654

656

590

588

658

608

658

586

586

612

628

588

632

590

604

590

626

588

634

656

592

6

08

594

600

594

5

88

6 52

588

5 96

592

610

586

624

606

652

6 1 2

61 4

5 9 0

630

612

586

598

592

602

590

594

596

652

626

588

630

644 588

628

590

640

590

588

654

620

5 88

642

608

592

630

586

6 14

5 90

590

588

588

610

624

608

590

652

652

646

638

610

634

592

636

624

588

622

632

592

606

5 90

610

632

592

618

652

592

592

596

5 94

604

622

648

652

652

586

616

6 10

616

612

618

592

6 56

602

588

590

620

598

622

614

650

608

6 1 0

594

588

588

612

592

60 0

598

594

594

6 54

654

656

590

588

658

608

658

586

586

W1

W2 W3

W5

W6

LRS1

LRS2

LRS3

S1

S4

S5

S6

S8

S2

S3

W4

LRS4

W1

W2 W3

W5

W6

LRS1

LRS4

LRS2

LRS3

S1

S4

S5

S6

S8

S2

S3

W4

HIGH ROAD

South Ditch

Long Run Creek

NEW AVENUE

South Ditch

Long Run Creek

88°03'10" 88°03'00" 88°02'50"

41°37'40"

41°37'30"

41°37'20"

0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 MILE

0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 KILOMETER

Imagery from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, Aerial Photography Field Office, 2015 

National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) Natural Color Imagery for Illinois, 

accessed through Esri World Imagery

Map image is the intellectual property of Esri and is used herein under license. 

Copyright © 2017 Esri and its licensors. All rights reserved.

EXPLANATION

Rivulet

Seep location and name

W1 Well location and name

S1

586

Nature preserve boundary

Line of equal elevation—

 Contour interval is 2 feet.

 Datum is North American

 Vertical Datum of 1988

590

Figure 26. Location of selected features at the Long Run Seep Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois.
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 73

Topography

The Long Run Seep Nature Preserve occupies the hillside 

near the bluff along the eastern part of the Des Plaines River 

Valley (fig. 26). The parcel slopes toward the river from an 

elevation of about 650 ft NAVD 88 near the top of the bluff in 

the eastern part of the parcel near High Road to about 590 ft at 

the base of the bluff at New Avenue (figs. 4, 26).

Biology

The HED has documented larval and adult use at the 

Long Run Seep Nature Preserve (fig. 2). Larval habitat is present along the rivulet emanating from seep S4 (fig. 26; Hanson 

Material Service Corporation, 2016). Larval populations were 

estimated to average 46 individuals during surveys from 1995 

through 2011, making the Long Run Seep Nature Preserve 

at least periodically the third most productive larval habitat 

in Illinois (Soluk and Mierzwa, 2012). Adult use at the site 

includes egg laying, feeding, foraging, and territorial patrols 

(Cashatt and Vogt, 1996). Adult populations were estimated 

to be between 2 and 9 individuals (Mierzwa and Webb, 2010; 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2013b). 

Hydrogeology

Construction logs for residential wells in the vicinity of 

the Long Run Seep Nature Preserve obtained from the Illinois 

State Geological Survey (ISGS) from their well log database 

(Illinois State Geological Survey, [n.d.]) indicate that the Silurian aquifer is present below an elevation of about 590 ft, the 

approximate elevation of the land surface at New Avenue (fig. 

4, 26). The Silurian aquifer is overlain by 2–50 ft of sand and 

gravel constituting the glacial drift aquifer, which intersects 

the lower part of the hillside at the Long Run Seep Nature 

Preserve. The glacial drift aquifer is overlain by 15–30 ft of 

silt and clay deposits forming a semiconfining unit, which 

intersects the topographic upland. 

Periodic measurements of groundwater levels taken from 

September 20, 2006, through December 4, 2008, in wells open 

to the upper 5 ft of the glacial drift aquifer (fig. 26) indicate 

the depth to water was less than 1.5 ft below land surface 

in every well except LRS1; was periodically less than 0.5 ft 

above land surface at wells W5, W6, and LRS3 on the lower 

part of the bluff; and varied by less than 1 ft in any well (Integrated Lakes Management, Inc., 2008). Water levels collected 

by the USGS during July 2012 varied from less than 1.5 ft 

below land surface at wells LRS1 and LRS2 to less than 0.5 ft 

above land surface at wells LRS3 and LRS4 (table 1). These 

data indicate that recharge to the glacial drift aquifer through 

the overlying semiconfining unit is likely to sustain at least 

some of the seeps in this area, even during drought conditions. 

These data are consistent with the seeps being derived from 

groundwater emanating from the glacial drift aquifer. 

Surface Water 

Long Run Creek is present in the northern part of the 

Long Run Seep Nature Preserve and South Ditch approximates the southern boundary. The Long Run Creek watershed 

(which includes South Ditch) occupies an area of 26.3 mi2

and extends about 5 mi east of the preserve (Integrated Lakes 

Management, Inc., 2008). Because conditions at Long Run 

Creek and South Ditch do not affect the HED habitat, they are 

not discussed in this report.

Seep-fed rivulets are located along the hillside between 

Long Run Creek and South Ditch at elevations below about 

610 ft (fig. 26; Integrated Lakes Management, Inc., 2008). 

These seeps emanate from the unconsolidated deposits. Water 

from these rivulets is blocked by ditches along New Avenue 

and diverts to the South Ditch. Seeps also have been identified 

along the hillslope in the southeast part of the Long Run Seep 

Nature Preserve north of South Ditch (TAMS Consultants, 

Inc., 1995b).

Water Quality

Surface water was collected at the Long Run Seep 

Nature Preserve on four occasions during 1991 (Cashatt 

and Vogt, 1992). The samples were analyzed for major ions, 

several metals, and nutrients. The water body, location, and 

dates of sampling are not described. Concentrations of major 

ions showed minimal variation. Calcium was the dominant 

cation (112–132 mg/L) with substantial concentrations of 

magnesium (about 59 mg/L) and sodium (about 35 mg/L). 

Alkalinity ranged from 358 to 375 mg/L as CaCO3, with substantial concentrations of chloride (70–75 mg/L) and sulfate 

(114–131 mg/L). The pH values were alkaline at 7.9–8.2. 

Nitrate concentrations ranged from 2.1 to 7.6 mg/L, indicating 

an anthropogenic component to at least some of the samples. 

Concentrations of all constituents, including serval trace metals and nutrients, were below regulatory criteria. 

Surface-water samples were collected approximately 

monthly from August 1997 through November 1998 at an 

unidentified location at the Long Run Seep Nature Preserve 

(Soluk and others, 1999). These samples were analyzed for a 

variety of metals, nutrients, and major ions. Bicarbonate was 

the dominant anion (as measured from alkalinity values) with 

approximately equal concentrations of sulfate and chloride 

(table 10). Concentrations of DO were greater than 7.0 mg/L 

and typically were higher during 1998 than 1997 sampling 

events. No constituent was detected above regulatory criteria. 

Water samples were collected at the seeps four times 

from March 9 through April 21, 2006 (Integrated Lakes Management, Inc., 2008). The average temperature ranged from 

about 7.3–10.5 oC and typically was substantially higher on 

April 21 than during the other sampling events, indicating that 

the readings were influenced by atmospheric temperatures. 

Concentrations of DO typically ranged from 4 to 10 mg/L 

and tended to be lowest at seeps 4 and 8. The pH was 7.0–8.2. 

Alkalinity values were typically between 350 and 450 mg/L 
74 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 10. Concentration of major ions and nutrients in surface water at the Long Run Seep Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois, August 1997 through November 1998 (from Soluk and others, 1998). [mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; <, less than; --, no data] Date Alkalinity, in mg/L as CaCO3 Sulfate, in mg/L Chloride, in mg/L Calcium, in mg/L Magnesium, in mg/L Sodium, in mg/L Amnonia, in mg/L Nitrate as nitrogen, in mg/L Dissolved oxygen, in mg/L Total phosphorous, in mg/L 8/21/97 375 134 113 129 69 59 0.04 1.4 8.7 0.02 9/24/97 315 144 124 123 64 57 0.04 1.5 7.9 0.02 10/30/97 385 152 129 119 60 46 0.01 1.5 7.7 <0.01 11/19/97 386 141 119 127 67 62 <0.01 1.5 8.3 0.02 12/17/97 382 122 105 132 67 59 0.05 1.4 -- 0.02 1/30/98 375 132 106 133 71 65 <0.01 1.3 9.0 0.02 3/26/98 367 154 122 141 74 67 0.03 1.3 9.5 <0.01 4/29/98 370 184 150 131 69 65 0.02 1.0 10.6 0.03 5/21/98 384 150 127 121 64 61 0.02 1.3 8.8 0.02 6/19/98 360 146 107 124 65 58 0.04 1.2 10.0 0.03 7/23/98 355 147 112 139 67 62 0.02 1.0 9.5 0.06 8/25/98 374 144 111 127 69 62 0.03 1.2 9.4 0.03 9/15/98 368 150 114 129 70 62 <0.01 1.2 8.4 0.04 10/30/98 341 159 133 136 73 67 0.05 1.2 9.5 0.03 11/19/98 326 155 122 131 69 32 0.04 1.2 10.5 0.05
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 75

as CaCO3. Average chloride concentrations ranged from 85 to 

280 mg/L, with several samples exceeding the EPA chronic 

threshold for aquatic life of 230 mg/L (table 3). 

Samples were collected in April and December 2007 and 

April, July, and October 2008 from each of the wells (fig. 26; 

Integrated Lakes Management, Inc., 2008). These wells are 

open to the glacial drift aquifer. Alkalinity ranged from 257 

to 1,000 mg/L as CaCO3 but was typically between 300 and 

500 mg/L as CaCO3. Chloride concentrations ranged from 160 

to 260 mg/L, exceeding the EPA chronic threshold for aquatic 

life of 230 mg/L in several samples. Chloride concentrations 

tended to be highest in April 2008, likely indicating the presence of roadside runoff. Groundwater temperature varied seasonally, being lowest (about 4–9 o

C) during December 2007 

and highest (about 15–19 oC) during July 2008. The pH was 

neutral to alkaline, ranging from about 6.6 to 8.2. Concentrations of nitrogen as nitrate ranged from <0.01 to 2.2 mg/L and 

typically were less than 1 mg/L. Concentrations of DO ranged 

from about 2 to 10 mg/L. Concentrations of total phosphorus as P often were above the EPA criteria for open water of 

0.1 mg/L. 

Water quality at the Long Run Seep Nature Preserve 

is affected mainly by the dissolution of dolomite and other 

carbonate minerals present in the unconsolidated deposits. 

Application of road salts appears to result in the concentrations of chloride occasionally above regulatory limits in both 

surface water and groundwater. The presence of somewhat 

elevated concentrations of nitrate in some of the surface-water 

samples indicates that fertilizer application or discharge from 

nearby septic systems may be affecting water quality. 

Assessment of Water Resources at the 

Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve

The Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve is located 

north of the Quarry in Will County (figs. 1, 27). The Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve is about 155 acres in size and 

has been the subject of minimal biologic and hydrologic 

characterization. 

Topography

The Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve occupies the 

flood plain of the Des Plaines River Valley. Surface topography at the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve has minimal 

relief, with a typical elevation of 585–590 ft NAVD 88 (figs. 4, 

27). The bluff that defines the boundary of the Des Plaines 

River Valley has lower relief than at some of the other sites 

and is located as much as about 0.5 mi west of the Romeoville 

Prairie Nature Preserve.

Biology

Adult use for transit has been documented at the site 

during a small number of surveys. Recent observations of a 

copulating pair of HED and a teneral adult (an adult that has 

recently molted) indicate that larval habitat may exist along a 

rivulet in the center of the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve 

(fig. 27; Soluk and Mierzwa, 2012). This site has less forest 

vegetation than many of the other HED habitats, potentially 

reducing its suitability as habitat.

Hydrogeology

The Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve is underlain by 

1–2.5 ft of partly saturated alluvium and clayey topsoil. Continuous measurements of groundwater levels were taken from 

January through September 2006 at well points 1 through 4 

(Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2007a). These 

well points are open to the alluvial aquifer along a northwestsoutheast transect (fig. 27). Baseline water levels decreased 

from about 585.6 ft in the northwest well 2 to about 584.2 ft 

in the southeast well 4, indicating flow toward the river under 

typical conditions. Water levels showed numerous severalday-long increases of about 1 ft in response to precipitation 

events and possibly high water in the Des Plaines River. Water 

levels also showed numerous several-day-long decreases of 

about 0.5 ft during June through August that were likely in 

response to evapotranspiration. 

Continuous measurements of groundwater levels were 

taken from May 2005 through August 2006 in well RPPW4 

and well S (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 

2007a). These wells are open to the upper part of the Silurian 

aquifer in the west-central part of the Romeoville Prairie 

Nature Preserve. Water levels in well RPPW4 were about 

591.5 ft during the summer months in 2005 and 2006 and 

increased to about 592.7 ft during the intervening winter. 

Numerous increases of about 1–2 ft associated with precipitation events were superimposed on the baseline, indicating 

hydraulic interconnection within the upper part of the aquifer. 

Baseline water levels in well S increased from about 588 ft 

during the (drought) summer of 2005 to about 590.8 ft after 

January 2006 as the 2005 drought ended. 

Surface Water

A creek is located along the southwestern boundary of 

the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve (fig. 1). Numerous 

creeks and ponds also are present in the northern part of the 

Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve. These water bodies do 

not appear to affect hydrologic conditions at the HED habitat 

in the center of the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve and are 

not discussed further.

Several seeps are present along a northeast to southwest 

trending line in the middle of the preserve at an elevation of 

about 587 to 589 ft (fig. 27). Unlike many of the other sites 

where discharging groundwater at the base of the bluffs is 

the source of water to the seeps, these seeps appear to be 

recharged by upwelling groundwater. The location of the seeps 

and identified upwelling groundwater may indicate flow from 
76 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

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88°04'20" 88°04'10" 88°04'00"

41°39'30"

41°39'20"

41°39'10"

0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 MILE

0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 KILOMETER

Imagery from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, Aerial Photography Field Office, 2015 

National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) Natural Color Imagery for Illinois, 

accessed through Esri World Imagery

Map image is the intellectual property of Esri and is used herein under license. 

Copyright © 2017 Esri and its licensors. All rights reserved. 

EXPLANATION

Rivulet

Seep location and name

Well location, name, and

 water level

1/585.0

S1

586

Nature preserve boundary

590 Line of equal elevation—

 Contour interval is 2 feet.

 Datum is North American

 Vertical Datum of 1988

Note: Water-level datum is 

North American Vertical Datum

of 1988

Figure 27. Location of selected features in the central and northern part of the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, 

Illinois. Baseline water levels, May 2005–September 2006, from Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., (2007a).
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 77

a permeable feature in the Silurian aquifer to the wetlands. The 

seeps provide water to a network of rivulets in the center of 

the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve that flow to wetlands 

in the eastern part of the preserve and then to the Des Plaines 

River. The only described rivulet is the one with HED shown 

in figure 27.

Water Use 

The groundwater recharge area for the Silurian aquifer to 

the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve extends about 2.3 mi to 

the northwest, terminating just north of Interstate I-55 (fig. 28; 

Locke and others, 2005). High-capacity well R#1 withdraws 

water from the Silurian aquifer within this recharge area. Highcapacity wells R#3 and R#5 withdraw water from the Silurian 

aquifer within 0.5 mi of the recharge area. The volume of water 

pumped from wells R#1, R#3, and R#5 during 2010 was estimated to be 360,000; 780,000; and 120,000 gal/d, respectively 

(AECOM, 2012). Available data (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, 

and Associates, Inc., 2007a; figs. 9, 10) do not clearly indicate 

that pumping affects water levels in the shallow groundwater 

at the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve; however, the effect 

of this high-capacity pumping on the hydrology of the Preserve 

needs to be investigated.

A quarry is located along the Des Plaines River about 

3,000 ft northeast of the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve 

(fig. 3). The elevation of the base of the quarry excavation is 

490 ft according to Google EarthTM. The quarry is dry, indicating that pumping at the quarry has dewatered the Silurian 

aquifer to an elevation of less than 490 ft. The volume of 

pumping from this quarry, and its effects on the hydrology of 

the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve, are unknown. 

Model simulations indicate that the additional groundwater withdrawals associated with dewatering of the West 

Quarry and Middle Parcel Expansion Areas will not affect the 

hydrology at the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve (AECOM, 

2012, 2013a). Water-level measurements will be collected at 

the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve by the Quarry operators 

to assess the future pumping effects from the Quarry. If future 

pumping associated with the Quarry expansion is determined to 

affect groundwater north of the Quarry, mitigation efforts have 

been proposed (Hanson Material Service Corporation, 2016).

Water Quality

A surface-water sample was collected in 1991 from the 

Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve. This sample was analyzed for major ions, several metals, and nutrients (Cashatt 

and Vogt, 1992). The location and date of sampling are not 

described. Calcium was the dominant cation (118 mg/L) 

with substantial concentrations of magnesium (57 mg/L) 

and sodium (96 mg/L). The alkalinity value was 316 mg/L 

as CaCO3, with high concentrations of chloride (215 mg/L) 

and sulfate (113 mg/L). The pH was 7.9. Concentrations of 

nitrate (15 mg/L) and arsenic (120 μg/L) exceeded their MCLs 

(table 3). Concentrations of arsenic are anomalously high and 

warrant further characterization. Concentrations of the remaining analytes were below regulatory criteria. These values indicate that road salt and fertilizer application may have affected 

the chemistry of the sample. 

Assessment of Water Resources at the 

Keepataw Forest Preserve

The Keepataw Forest Preserve is located north of the 

Des Plaines River, south of Bluff Road, and west of Interstate I-355 in Will County (figs. 3, 29). The Keepataw Forest 

Preserve is about 215 acres in size and has been the subject of 

minimal biologic and hydrologic characterization. Construction of Interstate I-355 began in this area in 2004 (Plankell, 

2014). The roadway was opened for use in 2007.

Topography

The Keepataw Forest Preserve occupies the flood plain of 

the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, typically at an elevation 

of about 587–600 ft NAVD 88 (fig. 29). Land-surface elevation increases to as much as about 670 ft at the top of the bluff 

south of Bluff Road. Land-surface elevation increases to more 

than 700 ft at the topographic uplands north of Bluff Road. 

There is a shallow “U” shaped depression directly south of the 

seeps at the bottom of the bluff. The low point of this depression appears to be near seep 6.

Biology

The larvae of HEDs have been identified at the Keepataw Forest Preserve near seeps 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7 (Soluk and 

Mierzwa, 2012; Soluk and others, 2015). The highest larvae 

populations were estimated at seeps 3 (average of 55 from 

2004 to 2010) and 1 (average of 36 from 2004 to 2010), two 

of the westernmost seeps, with a total larvae population in 

seeps 1, 3, and 6 of 80 in 2014 (Soluk and others, 2015). 

These habitats appear to be located in the topographic depression south of the bluffs. The adult population was estimated to 

be 10 individuals. Adult use for foraging, travel, and territorial 

patrol has been observed south of the bluff at the Keepataw 

Forest Preserve (Soluk and others, 2010). The growth rate for 

captive HED larvae at man-made rivulets south of the seeps 

is lower than in natural habitats (Soluk and others, 2015). The 

lower growth rate is due to an environmental factor other than 

food availability. 

Hydrogeology

Boring logs obtained from the ISGS database (Illinois 

State Geological Survey, [n.d.]) indicate the elevation of the 

top of the Silurian dolomite at the Keepataw Forest Preserve 

is about 584 ft NAVD 88 near Interstate I-355 about 1,500 ft 
78 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

55

R#3

R#1

R#5

NORMANTOWN ROAD

JOLIET ROAD

NORTH INDEPENDENCE ROAD

DALHART AVENUE

VETERANS PARKWAY

CROSSROADS PARKWAY

MARQUETTE DRIVE

ENTERPRISE DRIVE

BOLINGBROOK

DRIVE

ROMEO ROAD

88°06'00" 88°05'30" 88°05'00" 88°04'30" 88°04'00"

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41°38'30"

0 0.5 MILE

0 0.5 KILOMETER

Roads from Illinois Department of Transportation, 2014

Water from U.S. Geological Survey National Hydrography Dataset, 2012 

EXPLANATION

Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve

Groundwater recharge area

R#1 Well location and name

Figure 28. Location of groundwater recharge area for the Silurian aquifer to the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve and selected highcapacity wells, Will County, Illinois (modified from Locke and others, 2005).
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 79

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Des Plaines River

BLUFF ROAD

I-355

88°02'20" 88°02'10" 88°02'00" 88°01'50"

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0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 MILE

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Imagery from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, Aerial Photography Field Office, 2015

National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) Natural Color Imagery for Illinois

EXPLANATION

Seep1 Seep location and name

Line of equal elevation—

 Contour interval is 5 feet.

 Datum is North American

 Vertical Datum of 1988

586 590

Forest preserve boundary

Figure 29. Location of selected features in the eastern part of the Keepataw Forest Preserve, Will County, Illinois.
80 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

north of the Des Plaines River. The overlying unconsolidated 

deposits consist of a mixture of silt and clay till with sand and 

gravel lenses. The unconsolidated deposits are likely to be 

1–2 ft thick near the Des Plaines River, increasing to about 

20 ft south of the bluff, and are more than 90 ft north of Bluff 

Road. Groundwater is present in the unconsolidated deposits 

and the underlying Silurian aquifer at the Keepataw Forest 

Preserve. 

Surface Water 

Several seeps are present in the Keepataw Forest Preserve 

along a northeast to southwest trending line on the face of the 

bluff at an elevation between about 590 and 597 ft NAVD 88 

(fig. 29). Based on the bedrock elevation at nearby borings, the 

seeps are emanating from the unconsolidated deposits. These 

seeps were documented as having water during the entirety 

of the droughts of 1988–89 and 2005 (Soluk and Mierzwa, 

2012), which indicates stable flow from the lower part of the 

thick unconsolidated deposits in the topographic uplands north 

of the Keepataw Forest Preserve. 

The shallow topographic depression south of the seeps 

appears to be part of an intermittent surface-water drainage 

entering from the northeast part of the Keepataw Forest Preserve. This drainage receives overland runoff from Interstate 

I-355 east of the preserve and a commercial park north of the 

preserve. Some portion of this runoff may flow south out of 

the depression by way of a rivulet in the topographic gap south 

of seep 6, potentially reducing water velocity and erosion 

west of seep 6 at the primary HED habitats near seeps 1 and 

3. A network of additional rivulets is present at the Keepataw 

Forest Preserve that transmits surface water to ponds and 

wetlands in the southern part of the Keepataw Forest Preserve 

and to the Des Plaines River (Soluk and others, 2010). The 

elevation of the ponds in the center of the preserve south of the 

seeps is about 587 to 589 ft NAVD 88 based on figure 29. 

Water Use 

The elevation of the base of the quarry southwest of the 

Keepataw Forest Preserve (fig. 3) is about 481 ft according to 

Google EarthTM. The quarry is dry, indicating that pumping at 

the quarry has dewatered the Silurian aquifer to an elevation 

of less than 481 ft. The volume of pumping from the Silurian 

aquifer and its effect on the hydrology of the Keepataw Forest 

Preserve is unknown. 

Water Quality

Surface-water samples were collected approximately 

monthly from August 1997 through November 1998 from 

seeps 1, 2, 3, and 4 (fig. 29; Soluk and others, 1999). All of 

the waters were alkaline (table 11), with substantial concentrations of sulfate and chloride. Calcium was the dominant cation, 

with substantial concentrations of magnesium and sodium. 

Excepting the (potentially erroneous) calcium, magnesium, and 

sodium data from seeps 1 and 2 during March 1998 and perhaps the periodically low chloride at seep 3 (the westernmost 

seep) during August 1997 and December 1997 through April 

1998, concentrations of major ions were generally consistent 

between sampling events and sites. Nitrate and ammonia concentrations were low at all sites. 

Samples from seeps 1, 2, 3, and 4 collected from August 

1997 through November 1998 also were analyzed for concentrations of several trace metals and phosphorous. Only manganese (<0.02–0.10 mg/L) was detected at a concentration above 

regulatory criteria (table 3).

Temperature of water in the rivulets measured at the 

Keepataw Forest Preserve during June 2011 ranged from about 

11 to 13.3 oC, likely reflecting the temperature of the groundwater source of the water in the rivulets (Soluk and others, 

2012). Temperatures increased with increasing distance downstream, reflecting the influence of atmospheric temperature.

Assessment of Water Resources at the Black 

Partridge Woods Nature Preserve

The Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve is located 

north of Bluff Road, west of Lemont Road, and east of Interstate I-355 at the western edge of Cook County (fig. 30). The 

Black Partridge Woods Forest Preserve is located south of 

Bluff Road. For the purposes of this report, these two entities 

are combined to constitute the Black Partridge Woods Nature 

Preserve (figs. 3, 30). The Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve is about 80 acres in size and has been the subject of some 

biologic, hydrogeologic, and water-quality characterization. 

Topography

Much of the Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve 

occupies the flood plain of the Des Plaines River Valley. Landsurface elevation in the valley typically is about 580–585 ft 

NAVD 88 (fig. 30). In the northern and western parts of the 

Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve, the land-surface 

elevation increases to about 590–625 ft near Bluff Road and 

exceeds 675 ft north of Bluff Road.

Biology

Adult use for undescribed purposes was documented at 

the Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve in 1990 and 1992, 

primarily near the edge of a seepage marsh in the northeast part 

of the preserve (Cashatt and Vogt, 1996). Although small numbers of larvae have been identified at the preserve, breeding 

areas have not been confirmed and HED populations have not 

been calculated (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2013b). The 

area of potential adult HED habitat is estimated to be about 6.4 

acres south of Bluff Road that is interspersed within the larger 

preserve where HED habitat is not present (TAMS Consultants, Inc., 1995a). 
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 81

Table 11. Concentration of major ions and nitrogen compounds in surface water at the Keepataw Forest Preserve, Will County, Illinois, August 1997 through November 1998 (from Soluk and others, 1998).[mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; --, no data; <, less than]

Date 

Alkalinity, 

in mg/L as 

CaCO3

Sulfate, 

in mg/L

Chloride, 

in mg/L

Calcium, 

in mg/L

Magnesium, 

in mg/L

Sodium, 

in mg/L

Amnonia,

in mg/L

Nitrate,

 in mg/L

Dissolved 

oxygen, 

in mg/L

Seep 1 (location shown in fig. 29)

8/21/97 376 236 56 132 67 19 0.06 0.09 7.3

9/24/97 336 244 54 134 67 20 0.10 0.05 3.8

10/30/97 396 166 63 122 59 15 0.05 0.08 2.0

11/19/97 395 238 55 133 67 22 0.03 0.03 2.4

12/17/97 403 230 49 127 67 20 0.05 0.04 --

1/30/98 374 126 48 133 67 22 0.06 0.09 3.6

3/26/98 386 140 54 61 39 11 0.06 <0.01 4.74/29/98 375 177 54 128 64 20 0.03 <0.01 5.65/21/98 387 152 54 126 64 20 0.04 <0.01 5.06/19/98 366 149 57 131 64 20 0.07 0.02 4.17/23/98 366 151 57 133 66 22 0.02 <0.01 3.5

8/25/98 380 151 59 133 69 22 0.09 0.02 6.9

9/15/98 366 151 57 138 70 22 0.04 0.01 4.6

10/30/98 362 161 66 139 71 24 0.11 0.03 4.6

11/19/98 354 161 63 136 69 23 0.08 <0.01 1.7

Seep 2 (location shown in fig. 29)

8/21/97 375 141 48 128 66 16 0.10 <0.01 4.8

9/24/97 327 149 46 128 63 14 0.12 <0.01 2.6

10/30/97 385 160 46 131 65 16 0.08 <0.01 2.7

11/19/97 381 145 44 126 65 16 0.07 <0.01 3.6

12/17/97 379 127 41 132 65 15 0.11 <0.01 --

1/30/98 327 137 35 129 67 14 <0.01 0.11 9.5

3/26/98 357 143 42 42 21 5 0.09 <0.01 4.9

4/29/98 370 155 53 127 64 15 0.02 <0.01 6.1

5/21/98 379 153 51 126 65 16 0.08 <0.01 5.3
82 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 11. Concentration of major ions and nitrogen compounds in surface water at the Keepataw Forest Preserve, Will County, Illinois, August 1997 through November 1998 (from Soluk and others, 1998).—Continued [mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; --, no data; <, less than] Date Alkalinity, in mg/L as CaCO3 Sulfate, in mg/L Chloride, in mg/L Calcium, in mg/L Magnesium, in mg/L Sodium, in mg/L Amnonia, in mg/L Nitrate, in mg/L Dissolved oxygen, in mg/L Seep 2 (location shown in fig. 29)—Continued 6/19/98 361 155 49 130 65 16 0.08 0.02 4.7 7/23/98 357 158 49 138 66 16 0.03 <0.01 3.2 8/25/98 365 154 51 132 69 17 0.10 <0.01 4.6 9/15/98 360 162 51 133 69 17 0.07 <0.01 5.3 10/30/98 352 161 57 136 70 18 0.15 0.02 4.3 11/19/98 344 165 53 134 68 18 0.08 <0.01 5.6 Seep 3 (location shown in fig. 29) 8/21/97 367 74 21 105 48 11 0.10 0.09 2.8 9/24/97 339 150 43 128 63 13 0.14 <0.01 4.0 10/30/97 394 156 46 129 64 17 0.07 <0.01 2.8 11/19/97 395 145 42 128 64 15 0.04 <0.01 3.9 12/17/97 376 169 24 145 68 10 0.06 0.06 -- 1/30/98 336 153 26 124 60 11 0.10 0.14 7.1 3/26/98 340 163 28 126 60 13 0.18 0.01 6.3 4/29/98 346 186 29 123 59 12 0.07 <0.01 7.4 5/21/98 374 166 43 129 65 15 0.10 <0.01 4.8 6/19/98 357 160 43 130 64 15 0.07 0.09 4.6 7/23/98 369 153 44 155 65 15 0.08 <0.01 4.7 8/25/98 366 160 43 130 67 15 0.13 0.02 5.0 9/15/98 370 154 43 131 67 15 0.08 0.02 4.3 10/30/98 349 152 40 128 64 15 0.11 0.04 4.9 11/19/98 333 200 59 130 35 16 0.14 0.01 7.4 Seep 4 (location shown in fig. 29) 8/21/97 377 131 56 133 68 17 0.04 <0.01 3.3 9/24/97 344 138 59 136 68 16 0.10 <0.01 1.6
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 83

Table 11. Concentration of major ions and nitrogen compounds in surface water at the Keepataw Forest Preserve, Will County, Illinois, August 1997 through November 1998 (from Soluk and others, 1998).—Continued[mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; --, no data; <, less than]

Date 

Alkalinity, 

in mg/L as 

CaCO3

Sulfate, 

in mg/L

Chloride, 

in mg/L

Calcium, 

in mg/L

Magnesium, 

in mg/L

Sodium, 

in mg/L

Amnonia,

in mg/L

Nitrate,

 in mg/L

Dissolved 

oxygen, 

in mg/L

Seep 4 (location shown in fig. 29)—Continued

10/30/97 404 148 56 135 67 17 0.05 <0.01 1.711/19/97 398 136 55 134 68 18 <0.01 <0.01 3.812/17/97 404 124 53 144 71 17 0.09 <0.01 --1/30/98 356 134 51 135 69 17 <0.01 <0.01 6.13/26/98 377 150 51 143 70 17 0.05 <0.01 3.64/29/98 367 147 59 132 66 17 <0.01 <0.01 6.35/21/98 388 147 54 131 67 18 0.01 <0.01 6.76/19/98 377 144 50 131 66 17 0.07 <0.01 4.97/23/98 356 153 50 160 66 17 0.04 <0.01 4.78/25/98 380 139 52 132 68 18 0.09 <0.01 3.49/15/98 372 142 51 135 70 18 0.06 <0.01 1.510/30/98 367 149 56 133 67 18 0.15 <0.01 1.311/19/98 342 151 54 134 67 18 0.09 <0.01 3.2
84 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

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DU PAGE COUNTY

COOK COUNTY

Goose Lake

Des Plaines River

Black

Partridge Creek

1S

4S

2S 3S 5S

BLUFF ROAD

I-355

Goose Lake

Des Plaines River

LEMONT ROAD

Black

Partridge Creek

1S

4S

2S 3S 5S

DU PAGE COUNTY

COOK COUNTY

COOK COUNTY

WILL COUNTY

BLUFF ROAD

88°00'10" 88°00'20" 88°00'30" 88°00'40" 88°00'50" 88°01'00" 88°01'10" 88°01'20" 88°01'30" 88°01'40" 88°01'50"

41°41'10"41°41'00"41°40'50"41°40'40"41°40'30"41°40'20"

0 0.5 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 MILE0 0.5 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 KILOMETER

Imagery from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, Aerial Photography Field Office, 2015 National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) Natural Color Imagery for Illinois

586

EXPLANATION

Nature preserve boundaryLine of equal elevationRivulet and name

—

 Contour interval is 5 feet. Datum is North American Vertical Datum of 1988

590

1S

Figure 30. Location of selected features at the Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve, Cook County, Illinois.
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 85

Hydrogeology

There are no wells in the Black Partridge Woods Nature 

Preserve, but an investigation performed due south of the preserve between the Des Plaines River and the CSSC indicated 

that the top of the Silurian dolomite at the Black Partridge 

Woods Nature Preserve is present at about 582–588 ft (Kay 

and others, 2016). Observations at outcrops in the southern 

part of the preserve along the bank of the Des Plaines River 

indicate the dolomite is overlain by 1 to 2.5 ft of silt and clay 

alluvium in the river valley. The depth to water beneath the 

site is not known but is at or near land surface in wells open 

to the Silurian aquifer south of Black Partridge Woods Nature 

Preserve across the Des Plaines River and is likely shallow at 

the wetlands in the Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve. 

The horizontal hydraulic conductivity in the upper 70 ft of 

the Silurian aquifer typically was less than 0.05 ft/d south of 

the Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve (Kay and others, 

2016). Water collects on top of the dolomite, ponding in areas 

where the surface of the dolomite forms a basin. If these conditions are representative of the Black Partridge Woods Nature 

Preserve, groundwater flow to the wetlands would be focused 

in the alluvial aquifer.

Surface Water 

Black Partridge Creek is located near the western part 

of the Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve (fig. 30). The 

creek drains a predominately residential and commercial area 

north of Bluff Road. Several ponds and wetlands, including 

Goose Lake, are present in the central and southern parts of 

the Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve. Several rivulets 

are present north and west of Goose Lake. 

Water Quality

Samples of surface water were collected twice during 

1991 at the Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve (Cashatt 

and Vogt, 1992). These samples were analyzed for major ions, 

several metals, and nutrients (table 12). The location and dates 

of sampling are not described. Calcium was the dominant 

cation and alkalinity (as bicarbonate) was the dominant anion. 

Concentrations of nitrate were less than 3 mg/L, indicating the absence of an anthropogenic component (Mueller 

and Helsel, 1996). The pH readings were 7.8–8.2, indicating 

alkaline water. With the exception of iron (1.1–1.4 mg/L) and 

manganese (0.04–0.18 mg/L), which were detected above the 

above the EPA chronic threshold for aquatic life in at least one 

sample (table 3), concentrations of trace metals were below 

regulatory criteria.

Samples collected monthly during May 2011 through 

May 2012 from Black Partridge Creek immediately south 

of Bluff Road also were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, 

and metals (Plankell, 2014). Sodium typically was the cation 

present at highest concentrations in these samples and chloride 

was the cation typically present at highest concentrations 

(table 12). Concentrations of the major ions showed seasonal 

variation, being high in May 2011, lower in June through 

December 2011, and higher in January through May 2012. The 

high concentrations of chloride and sodium and the seasonality 

in the values indicate likely effects of road salt application on 

the water quality of the creek. The pH readings were 7.9–8.2. 

Nitrate concentrations were below the threshold indicating 

anthropogenic sources. Trace metals were either not detected 

in the Creek samples, or were detected at concentrations below 

regulatory criteria. Concentrations of chloride were above the 

EPA chronic threshold for aquatic life (230 mg/L) and phosphorus was detected above the EPA criteria for open water of 

0.1 mg/L. 

Assessment of Water Resources at the Waterfall 

Glen Forest Preserve

The Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve is located north of the 

Des Plaines River and east of Bluff Road in DuPage County 

(fig. 31). The Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve surrounds 

Argonne National Laboratory (fig. 3) and is nearly 2,500 acres 

in size. The focus area for this discussion is the southwest part 

of the preserve at the drainages to Emerald Fen. 

Topography

The Emerald Fen part of the Waterfall Glen Forest 

Preserve is located at the base of the bluff along the northern part of the Des Plaines River Valley (fig. 31). The parcel 

slopes toward the river from a surface elevation of about 605 

ft NAVD 88 in the northern area near the 1U,L well cluster to 

about 590 ft near the 3U,L well cluster (Plankell and others, 

2009). Land surface at the fen typically is between 590 and 

595 ft. 

Biology

The HED has documented larval and adult use in the 

vicinity of the natural rivulet draining to the Emerald Fen 

(Soluk and others, 2008). Larval use in historical habitat at 

Emerald Fen has not been identified since 2009. Adult use at 

the site includes traveling, foraging, perching, and territorial 

patrol (Cashatt and Vogt, 1996; Soluk and others, 2010, 2011). 

Attempts are being made to create HED habitat at a series of 

artificial rivulets north of the fen (Plankell and others, 2009).

Hydrogeology

Groundwater at the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve is 

present in the semiconfining unit, glacial drift aquifer, and the 

Silurian aquifer (Plankell and others, 2009). The top of the 

dolomite that constitutes the Silurian aquifer slopes toward the 

river, ranging in elevation from about 593 ft NAVD 88 near 
86 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 12. Concentration of major ions, nitrogen compounds, and metals in surface water at the Black Partridge Woods Nature Preserve, Cook County, Illinois, 1991 through 2012. [mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; - -, no data; <, less than; bold denotes exceedance of regulatory criteria] Date Alkalinity, in mg/L as CaCO3 Sulfate, in mg/L Chloride, in mg/L Calcium, in mg/L Magnesium, in mg/L Sodium, in mg/L Amnonia, in mg/L Nitrate, in mg/L Iron, in mg/L Manganese, in mg/L Surface water (location and dates of sampling unknown; data from Cashatt and Vogt, 1992) 1991 336 170 53 128 54 22 -- 2.1 1.4 0.043 1991 356 145 99 128 57 44 -- 0.4 1.1 0.182 Black Partridge Creek directly south of Bluff Road (location shown in fig. 30; data from Plankell, 2014) 5/18/11 253 76 346 94 44 216 0.16 0.33 0.027 0.018 6/20/11 107 23 233 33 23 99 <0.03 0.23 0.062 0.006 7/27/11 139 38 264 46 30 116 <0.03 0.20 0.024 <0.002 8/24/11 144 37 249 44 19 94 <0.03 0.21 0.037 0.005 92/28/11 141 41 156 48 21 105 <0.03 0.25 0.058 0.007 11/09/11 141 40 152 43 19 98 <0.03 0.30 0.032 0.007 12/07/11 218 67 177 72 29 105 <0.03 0.19 <0.024 0.005 1/11/12 249 83 216 83 37 127 <0.03 0.09 <0.024 0.005 2/27/12 222 82 496 95 42 276 <0.03 <0.07 <0.024 0.005 3/27/12 227 78 470 92 44 265 <0.03 0.09 <0.024 0.008 5/01/12 180 66 356 67 33 216 <0.03 0.19 <0.024 0.006
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 87

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Imagery from Esri World Imagery for Chicago, 2015Map image is the intellectual property of Esri and is used herein under license. Copyright © 2017 Esri and its licensors. All rights reserved.

EXPLANATION

Emerald Fen boundary

586

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Well location and name

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4L

Line of equal elevation

—Contour 

 interval is 5 feet. Datum is North  American Vertical Datum of 1988

Figure 31. Location of features in the vicinity of Emerald Fen at the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, DuPage County, Illinois.
88 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

the 1U,L cluster to about 587 ft near the 3U,L well cluster. 

The Silurian deposits contain secondary-permeability features, 

including a prominent subhorizontal fracture at an elevation 

of about 545 ft NAVD 88. The bedrock is directly overlain by 

the glacial drift aquifer, which consists of as much as 10 ft of 

glacial sand and gravel in the northern part of the property. 

The sand and gravel aquifer pinches out in the southern part of 

the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve. The top of the glacial drift 

aquifer is at about 602 ft NAVD 88 at well 1L, 591 ft at well 

2U, and is absent at well 3L. Overlying the glacial drift aquifer 

in the northern part of the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, and 

directly overlying the bedrock in the southern part, are silt and 

clay deposits that form a semiconfining unit. These deposits 

are as much as 10 ft thick.

Groundwater levels were measured periodically from 

November 2007 through December 2008 in wells open to the 

glacial drift aquifer (wells 1U, 2U), semiconfining unit (well 

3U), and the upper 10 ft of the Silurian aquifer (wells 1L, 3L, 

4L, 6L). Water levels ranged from about 600 ft NAVD 88 

in the northern part of the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve to 

about 593 ft in the southern part, indicating that the overall 

direction of groundwater flow is toward the Des Plaines River 

(Plankell and others, 2009). Groundwater levels tended to be 

lowest during the summer through fall and highest during the 

spring. This trend was interrupted by high water levels associated with flooding of the Des Plaines River in September 

2008. Groundwater levels varied by as much as 4.1 ft in a well 

during the flood.

There was less than 0.05 ft of difference in water-level 

elevation between the glacial drift and Silurian aquifers at 

the 1U,L well cluster, indicating hydraulic connection of the 

upper part of the groundwater system in this area where they 

are in direct contact. Water levels in well 3U typically were 

about 1 ft higher than in well 3L, indicating the semiconfining 

unit restricts flow into the Silurian aquifer where the units are 

in contact. Groundwater levels at wells 3U and 3L typically 

exceeded the stage of the Emerald Fen at streamgage C, indicating groundwater discharge to the fen. 

Groundwater levels at well AW1, which is open to the 

deeper part of the Silurian aquifer, were above land surface 

(about 603 ft NAVD 88). Natural discharge from this well was 

measured to be at least 30 gal/min (Plankell and others, 2009). 

Surface Water 

A natural rivulet is located in the northern part of Emerald Fen (fig. 31). Water from this rivulet is derived from seeps 

emanating from the unconsolidated material (likely the glacial 

drift aquifer) north of the fen at an elevation of about 593 ft. 

Water from this rivulet discharges into the fen.

Four north-south trending artificial rivulets located north 

of the fen also discharge to the fen. Water from the Silurian 

aquifer flowing under artesian conditions out of well AW1 

is channeled to the artificial rivulets (fig. 31). Beginning in 

2008, water from well AW1 was discharged to a pond before 

draining to the artificial rivulets in an effort to improve the 

HED habitat by moderating water temperature in the rivulets 

(Soluk and others, 2010). Discharge measurements taken from 

each of the artificial rivulets on July 21, 2010, ranged from 

3.1 × 10-4 to 5.1 × 10-4 ft3/s (Soluk and others, 2011). Discharge measurements taken from each of the artificial rivulets 

on August 24, 2011, ranged from 8.1 × 10-5 to 2.1 × 10-4 ft3/s 

(Soluk and others, 2012). Discharge measurements taken from 

each of the artificial rivulets on May 22, 2012, ranged from 4.9 

× 10-2 to 8.1 × 10-1 ft3/s (Soluk and others, 2013). These data 

demonstrate minimal, but present, flow in the artificial rivulets 

during the late summers of 2010 and 2011, indicating that the 

artificial flow regime prevents the rivulets from becoming dry.

Monthly stage measurements were taken of the natural 

rivulet at streamgage D (fig. 31) from March 2008 through 

December 2008 (Plankell and others, 2009). Water levels were 

consistently about 591 ft NAVD 88, with the exception of an 

increase to about 592.5 ft during September when the Des 

Plains River was in flood stage. The effects of this flooding on 

the HED habitat at the rivulet is not known, but erosive forces 

associated with flood events may be detrimental to the survival 

of eggs laid in the sediment of the rivulet.

Water Quality

A surface-water sample was collected from the Waterfall 

Glen Forest Preserve once during 1991 (Cashatt and Vogt, 

1992). The location and date of sampling are not described, 

but the artificial rivulets likely were not in place in 1991. 

The sample was analyzed for concentrations of major ions, 

several metals, and nutrients. Calcium was the dominant 

cation (121 mg/L) with lower concentrations of magnesium (68 mg/L) and sodium (15 mg/L). Bicarbonate was the 

dominant anion (alkalinity 412 mg/L as CaCO3), with lower 

concentrations of chloride (35 mg/L) and sulfate (136 mg/L). 

The pH was 7.7. The concentration of nitrate was 2.9 mg/L. 

Concentrations of all constituents were below regulatory 

criteria. 

Continuous measurements of water temperature were 

taken from November 2007 through January 2009 in the natural and artificial rivulets (Plankell and others, 2009). Average 

daily water temperatures in the natural rivulet at streamgage 

D showed seasonal variations, decreasing from about 7 oC in 

November 2007 to about 1 oC in February 2008, increasing 

to about 18 oC in the summer of 2008, before decreasing to 

about 5 oC in January 2009. The timing of the trends in water 

temperature at the natural rivulet were similar to trends in 

atmospheric temperature, but water temperature was about 

5 oC warmer than the atmosphere during the winter and about 

5 oC cooler during the summer. Water temperatures in the 

upstream part of the artificial rivulets near the point of the discharge from the well ranged from about 10 to 12 o

C, approximating the water temperature in the Silurian aquifer. Water 

temperatures were generally modified by interaction with the 

atmospheric temperature with increased distance downstream 

(Soluk and others, 2011). 
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 89

Continuous measurements of the specific conductance 

of water in the natural and artificial rivulets were taken from 

November 2007 through January 2009 (Plankell and others, 2009). Specific conductance values in the natural rivulet at streamgage D typically ranged from about 1,000 to 

1,300 μS/cm. Large decreases in specific conductance were 

associated with precipitation events, reflecting the presence 

of overland runoff from precipitation. Specific conductance 

values in the natural rivulet were lower during the spring 

than the rest of the year, indicating dilution of natural rivulet 

water by overland runoff from snowmelt and precipitation. 

The lower conductivity during the spring also may reflect the 

effects of increased amounts of low-conductivity recharge 

from snowmelt and precipitation to the shallow groundwater 

that discharges to the natural rivulet. Specific conductance 

values in the artificial rivulet at streamgage H2 typically were 

consistently between 1,200 and 1,300 μS/cm but also showed 

large decreases during precipitation events. 

Continuous measurements of the pH of water in the 

natural and artificial rivulets were taken from January 2008 

through December 2008 (Plankell and others, 2009). Values in 

the natural rivulet showed an overall decrease from about 7.7 

in January to about 6.3 in December. Values in the artificial 

rivulet typically were between 7.0 and 7.5, reflecting the pH of 

its source water from the Silurian aquifer. 

Groundwater samples were collected at least once and as 

often as quarterly from December 2007 through September 

2008 from wells 1U, 1L, 2U, 3L, 4L, 6L and AW2; from an 

artificial rivulet fed by artesian water from well AW1; and 

from the natural rivulet at streamgage D (table 13). These 

samples were analyzed for concentrations of metals, major 

ions, and nutrients, and organic carbon (Plankell and others, 

2009). Water-quality criteria were exceeded in the Silurian 

aquifer for iron at wells 3L (1.3 mg/L), 6L (11 mg/L), and 

AW2 (1.1 mg/L); manganese at well 3L (0.92 mg/L) and 6L 

(1.7 mg/L); and phosphorus at well 6L (0.17 mg/L; table 3). 

Water quality criteria also were exceeded in some samples 

from the natural rivulet for manganese (geometric mean 

0.12 mg/L). The data indicate calcium was the dominant 

cation and that the water was alkaline, indicating that dissolution of carbonate minerals in the unconsolidated and bedrock 

deposits affected water quality at the Waterfall Glen Forest 

Preserve. Chloride concentrations greater than 75 mg/L in 

both surface and groundwater indicate the effect of road salts. 

Constituent concentrations in the artificial rivulet are similar to 

those in well AW2. This similarity is expected because wells 

AW1 and AW2 are both open to the deeper part of the Silurian 

aquifer and well AW1 is the water source for the artificial rivulets. Constituent concentrations in the natural rivulet typically 

are lower than in the artificial rivulet and are generally consistent with concentrations in well 1U, indicating the water in the 

natural rivulet is derived from the unconsolidated deposits. 

Assessment of Water Resources at the 

McMahon Fen Nature Preserve

The McMahon Fen Nature Preserve occupies 373 acres 

approximately 4 mi east of the Des Plaines River in southwest 

Cook County (fig. 3). The McMahon Fen Nature Preserve 

is bounded by the Calumet Sag Channel to the south, 107th 

Street to the north, Willow Springs Road to the west, and 

Route 45 to the east (figs. 3, 32). The area of concern to this 

investigation is in the west-central part of the preserve south 

of Crooked Creek (fig. 32).

Topography

The McMahon Fen Nature Preserve contains a northwestsoutheast trending topographic high at an elevation of about 

610 ft NAVD 88 (fig. 32). North of this high, land surface 

slopes toward Crooked Creek at a minimum elevation of about 

604 ft near 107th Street. South of the high, land surface slopes 

down to the Calumet Sag Channel at an elevation of about 

587 ft. North of 107th Street, land surface increases to more 

than 700 ft. Berms are present near the western and southern 

parts of the preserve.

Biology

Adult HED use of the McMahon Fen Nature Preserve 

for foraging, territorial patrol, and breeding has been periodically documented (Cashatt and others, 1993; Cashatt and Vogt, 

1996; Soluk and others, 2014), often in the vicinity of springfed rivulets near the east end of the preserve. HED larvae have 

been identified at rivulets in the eastern part of the McMahon 

Fen Nature Preserve (Soluk and others, 2010, 2014). 

Hydrogeology

The surficial geology transitions from glacial river 

bottom sand and gravel in much of the northern part of the 

preserve to peat and muck in the southern part at the approximate location of the tree line south of the open area in the 

center of the preserve (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2007b). The berms in the western and southern parts 

of the preserve consist of fill. Lithologic logs obtained from 

the ISGS database (Illinois State Geological Survey, [n.d.]) 

indicate the top of the Silurian dolomite, which constitutes the 

Silurian aquifer, is present at an elevation of about 575 ft. The 

unconsolidated deposits are 10–30 ft thick in this area.

Lithologic logs for well MF1D installed by the USGS in 

the northwest corner of the McMahon Fen Nature Preserve 

during the spring of 2013 (fig. 32) indicate the presence of at 

least 12 ft of semiconfining unit consisting of silt and clay till. 

The log for USGS well MF3 indicates the presence of a sand 

deposit constituting the glacial drift aquifer at a depth of about 

6 ft (elevation of about 600 ft) overlain by silt and clay. 
90 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 13. Concentration of major ions and nitrogen compounds in surface water and groundwater at the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, DuPage County, Illinois, December 2007 through September 2008. [mg/L, milligram per liter; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; GM, geometric mean value of all samples from location; <, less than] Sample location (shown in fig. 31) Sample date Unit monitored Calcium, in mg/L Magnesium, in mg/L Sodium, in mg/L Alkalinity, in mg/L as CaCO3 Chloride, in mg/L Sulfate, in mg/L Nitrate as nitrogen, in mg/L Ammonia as nitrogen, in mg/L 1U 12/18/07 Unconsolidated 93 GM 47 GM 77 GM 294 GM 158 GM 73 GM 0.62 GM All <0.06 3/11/08 6/17/08 9/16/08 1L 12/18/07 Shallow Silurian aquifer 100 GM 48 GM 60 GM 315 GM 213 GM 84 GM 0.44 GM 0.09 GM 3/11/08 6/17/08 9/16/08 2U 12/18/07 Unconsolidated 128 51 52 317 130 143 0.31 <0.06 3L 12/18/07 Shallow Silurian aquifer 121 50 35 388 78 75 <0.07 0.96 4L 12/18/07 Shallow Silurian aquifer 119 54 83 356 188 102 0.34 <0.06 Artificial rivulet flow from well AW1 12/18/07 Surface water derived from deep Silurian aquifer 140 GM 55 GM 56 GM 342 GM 134 GM 148 GM <0.07 0.57 GM 3/11/08 6/17/08 9/16/084 Natural rivulet 12/18/07 Surface water 87 GM 44 GM 63 GM 273 GM 126 GM 70 GM 0.22 GM All <0.06 3/11/08 6/17/08 9/16/08 AW2 12/18/07 Deep Silurian aquifer 144 54 54 339 128 154 <0.07 0.60
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 91

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Imagery from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, Aerial Photography Field Office, 2015 National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) Natural Color Imagery for Illinois

EXPLANATION

586

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—Rivulet

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SeepCrooked Creek

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Well location and name MF3

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Figure 32. Location of selected features at the McMahon Fen Nature Preserve, Cook County, Illinois.
92 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

The USGS measured water levels in wells MF1S and 

MF1D five times from June 10 through November 27, 2013 

(U.S. Geological Survey, 2016a). Individual measurements 

are presented in the USGS NWIS database (U.S. Geological 

Survey, 2017). Well MF1S is open to the semiconfining unit 

from 5 to 8 ft below land surface. Well MF1D is open to the 

semiconfining unit from 9 to 12 ft. Depth to water was 1–4.5 ft 

below land surface (water elevation 596.5–599.75 ft) at well 

MF1S and about 1.3 ft above land surface to 1.6 ft below land 

surface at well MF1D (elevation 600.4–603.3 ft). Water levels 

showed seasonal variation, being highest in June and November and lowest in September. Water levels in well MW1D 

were consistently higher than in well MW1S, indicating the 

potential for upward groundwater flow in this area. This flow 

may help sustain the surface-water bodies.

The USGS took continuous and periodic water-level measurements at well MF3 from April through November 2013 

(fig. 33; U.S. Geological Survey, 2016a). Well MF3 is open to 

the glacial drift aquifer from 3.6 to 6.6 ft below land surface. 

Water levels decreased by as much as about 3 ft overall from 

April to late October, likely in response to a seasonal reduction 

in the amount of recharge to groundwater, before increasing in 

November. There were also a number of short-term increases 

that could exceed 1 ft associated with recharge from precipitation events. Water levels did not drop below the top of the 

sand layer (about 600 ft), indicating the glacial drift aquifer is 

connected to a stable source of recharge that may extend north 

of the McMahon Fen Nature Preserve. Water levels in well 

MF3 were consistently below the elevation of the land surface 

(606 ft).

Surface Water 

Crooked Creek traverses the northern part of the McMahon Fen Nature Preserve. The elevation of the base of the 

creek ranges from about 615 ft at 107th St in the northeastern 

part of the McMahon Fen Nature Preserve to about 605 ft at 

107th St in the northwestern part. Surface-water modeling 

indicates that the stage of Crooked Creek may occasionally flood the center and southern parts of the McMahon Fen 

Nature Preserve, partly due to constriction of flow by the west 

culvert beneath 107th Street (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and 

Associates, Inc., 2009b). A larger culvert in this area would 

decrease the magnitude of flooding in the McMahon Fen 

Nature Preserve. If the floodwater extends to HED habitat, it 

could result in erosion and other effects that are detrimental to 

HED survival. 

A large seep is located near the center of the McMahon 

Fen Nature Preserve at an elevation of about 600 ft (fig. 32). 

The location of the seep roughly corresponds to the area where 

the geology transitions from river bottom deposits to the north 

to peat and muck deposits to the south (Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2007b). The seep is present where 

the elevation of land surface is equal to the elevation of the top 

of the sand deposit identified at well MF3. 

Seep-fed rivulets are located in the center of the McMahon Fen Nature Preserve. The rate of base flow is about 0.2 

ft3/s at rivulet R9 and about 0.01 ft3/s at rivulets R1 and R2. 

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EXPLANATION

Figure 33. Water level, specific conductance, and temperature of groundwater in well MF3, McMahon Fen 

Nature Preserve, Cook County, Illinois, April through November, 2013.
Assessment of Conditions that Affect the Water Resources at Selected Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats 93

rivulet R9 has eroded through the surficial geologic deposits 

and contains gravel-sized sediment with minimal detritus. Erosion likely is caused by high water velocities associated with 

the elevated flow and topographic gradient at some segments 

of rivulet R9. The lack of detritus and high water velocities 

likely reduce the chance for survival of any HED eggs deposited in rivulet R9.

Continuous water-level measurements taken from March 

through October 2013 by the USGS at rivulet R9 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2016a) indicate baseline water levels are near 

land surface with periodic increases of as much as 0.60 ft associated with precipitation events (fig. 34). The spike in water 

level in April may be associated with flooding of Crooked 

Creek. Water was present at the rivulet throughout the measurement period, indicating stable discharge from the seep 

supplying the rivulet.

Water Quality

Continuous measurements of specific conductance and 

temperature were taken by the USGS at well MF3 (fig. 33) 

and rivulet R9 (fig. 34) during most of 2013 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2016a). Specific conductance values in groundwater at well MF3 typically were about 650–700 μS/cm but 

tended to change when water levels increased during recharge 

events. Specific conductance values in the water at rivulet R9 

increased from about 700 to 1,200 μS/cm from March through 

June and showed a small overall decrease to about 1,100 μS/

cm by late October. Numerous short-term decreases in specific conductance were observed during precipitation events. 

Although specific conductance values are lower at MF3 than 

at rivulet R9, the baseline specific conductance values at 

rivulet R9 likely are a reflection of the specific conductance 

of the groundwater discharging to the rivulets. Increasing 

conductance values observed in the rivulet during the spring 

likely reflect the presence of water derived from snowmelt 

and spring rains being replaced by groundwater derived from 

longer-term recharge entering the glacial drift aquifer north 

of the McMahon Fen Nature Preserve. Sharply lower conductance values reflect the presence of precipitation in the rivulet. 

Water temperatures in well MF3 and rivulet R9 were similar, 

ranging from about 6 oC in March to about 15 oC in September before decreasing to about 10 oC in late November. These 

values reflect the effects of groundwater temperature, modified 

by atmospheric interaction, on water temperature at rivulet R9.

Other Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly Habitats in 

Illinois

In addition to the HED habitats described, HED adults 

have been documented at the Lockport Prairie East and 

Dellwood West Nature Preserves (Hanson Material Service 

Corporation, 2016), which are located across the Des Plaines 

River from the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (fig. 2). 

These properties appear to be used for foraging by HED 

from the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (Hanson Material 

Service Corporation, 2016). Biologic, hydrologic, and waterquality conditions at this property have not been investigated. 

Geologic conditions are likely to be similar to those at the 

Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve.

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EXPLANATION

Figure 34. Water level, specific conductance, and temperature of rivulet 9 at streamgage 414130087521301, 

McMahon Fen Nature Preserve, Cook County, Illinois, March through October, 2013.
94 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

HED larval and adult use has been documented southwest of the Lockport Lock and Dam (fig. 2; Hanson Material 

Service Corporation, 2016). This property is near a wastewater 

treatment plant, which may affect the hydrology and water 

quality of the habitat. Biologic, hydrologic, and water-quality 

conditions at this property have not been investigated. Geologic conditions are likely to be similar to those at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve.

Larvae of the HED have been identified in the northwest 

corner of the Argonne National Laboratory and adult use has 

been observed in the southeast corner of the Laboratory (fig. 3; 

Danial Soluk, University of South Dakota, written commun., 

2016, 2017). This habitat consists of a small wetland area in 

the topographic uplands approximately 1.8 mi north of the 

bluffs of the Des Plaines River Valley. This wetland is associated with seeps located in the upper few feet of the unconsolidated deposits. Depth to the Silurian bedrock in this area 

is more than 100 ft according to well logs obtained from the 

ISGS (Illinois State Geological Survey, [n.d.]). The habitat 

in the southeast corner of the Argonne National Laboratory appears to be associated with a wastewater discharge. 

Biologic, hydrologic, geologic, and water-quality conditions 

associated with HED use at the Argonne National Laboratory 

have not been investigated. 

HED adults have been documented at the Cherry Hill 

Woods and Horsetail Lake Forest Preserves (Cashatt, 2015). 

These sites are south of McMahon Fen (fig. 3). Territorial 

patrols have been observed at both sites. Biologic, hydrologic, 

and water-quality conditions at these properties have not been 

investigated. 

In addition to areas in and near the Lower Des Plaines 

River Valley, HED larval and adult use has been documented 

at the Spring Lake Forest Preserve in northwest Cook County. 

The Spring Lake Forest Preserve is approximately 35 mi 

northwest of the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (Soluk 

and others, 2016). HED habitat in this area is associated 

with springs emanating from unconsolidated deposits. Well 

logs indicate the depth to bedrock in this area exceeds 120 ft 

(Illinois State Geological Survey, [n.d.]). Biologic, hydrologic, 

geologic, and water-quality conditions at this property have 

not been investigated. 

Implications for Habitat Preservation 

and Future Data Collection

A summary of the conditions at selected HED habitats 

(table 14) demonstrates that HED habitat in Illinois is associated with alkaline seeps emanating from dolomite bedrock or 

unconsolidated deposits that can be more than 100 ft above 

bedrock. Because alkaline seeps in unconsolidated deposits 

are present in much of Illinois and the northern United States, 

suitable conditions for HED habitat may extend beyond the 

Lower Des Plaines River Valley; however, the (apparent) 

requirement for seep flow makes the quality of the HED 

habitat susceptible to small changes in the groundwater flow 

system that take place seasonally, over periods of months or 

years, or that are permanent. 

Hydraulic, geologic, and water-quality conditions at 

many of the HED habitats discussed in this report are inadequately understood. The source of water to seeps (bedrock or 

unconsolidated deposits), surface-water flow pathways, location of the groundwater recharge area, water use within the 

groundwater recharge area, discharge rates from seeps, water 

chemistry, variations in water levels, volume of direct discharge from groundwater to the wetlands, location where there 

is direct discharge from groundwater to the wetlands, and the 

relation of these hydraulic and chemical phenomena to the 

HED populations requires characterization at many habitats.

The water-quality characterization at many of the habitats 

is limited by a lack of precise information on sample location and date of collection. Many of the analyses, especially 

pesticides and mercury, have elevated detection limits relative 

to their regulatory criteria. Re-sampling many of these water 

bodies using currently available (2018) analytical techniques 

would improve the understanding of the threat these constituents pose to the HED. Finally, anomalous sample results were 

observed in some areas, such as arsenic at the Romeoville 

Prairie Nature Preserve. Confirmation sampling to verify 

anomalous data should improve understanding of water-quality conditions.

Changes in the hydraulics within areas supplying 

groundwater to the HED habitats can be caused by altering 

the timing and amount of recharge to groundwater associated 

with seasonal cycles in recharge from precipitation, multiyear 

droughts, as well as long-term climate change. Understanding 

the effects of changes in precipitation on water levels and flow 

at, and within, the groundwater recharge areas that support different HED habitats can be useful in assessing the long-term 

potential for HED survival. For example, the conditions that 

result in comparatively stable discharge from the Silurian and 

(to a lesser extent) glacial drift aquifers to the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve render this site somewhat less susceptible 

to the effects of variations in precipitation than the shallow 

unconsolidated deposits at sites such as Romeoville Prairie; 

however, even small reductions in water levels in the Silurian 

aquifer at many of the HED habitats could result in a substantial decrease in the quality of the habitat. Ongoing periodic 

and continuous measurement of water levels at selected locations within the Lower Des Plaines River Valley would help to 

identify hydraulic stresses on the flow system and the source 

of the stress. 

In addition to the effects of climate on the timing and 

amount of precipitation, changes in the groundwater flow 

system can be caused by a reduction in the amount of recharge 

to groundwater associated with an increase in the amount 

of overland runoff of precipitation from impervious surfaces within the groundwater recharge area for a particular 

habitat. Of particular importance for the HED habitat in the 

Lower Des Plaines River Valley is maximizing the amount 

of recharge to the glacial drift aquifer along the bluffs at the 
Implications for Habitat Preservation and Future Data Collection 95

Table 14. Summary of conditions at Hine’s emerald dragonfly habitats in Illinois (compiled from Cashatt and Vogt, 1992, 1996; Mierzwa and Webb, 2010, 2012a,b) [A, adult; T, transit; F, feeding/foraging; L, larval; B, breeding; P, perching; TP, territorial patrol; E, egg laying; D, dolomite; U, unconsolidated deposits]

Site names

(shown in 

figs. 1, 2, or 3)

Hine’s emerald 

dragonfly use

Hine’s emerald 

dragonfly behavior Site of larval habitat Source of seeps Potential hydrologic and water-quality threats to habitat

Quarry

A T, F Not since at least 2005 No seeps 

identified

Reduction in flow due to high-capacity pumping and reduction 

in watershed area due to excavation. Water-quality changes due to application of road salt.

River South Parcel A,L B, F, T, P, TP, E Rivulets in southern part 

of property

D Reduction in water due to high-capacity pumping in recharge 

area; impervious surface in recharge area. Flow disruption from roadbed in habitat. Water-quality changes due to application of road salt, fertilizer, and possibly pesticides.

Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve A, L B, TP, E, F, P, T Rivulets near center of 

property 

U, D Reduction in water due to high-capacity pumping near recharge area and increased impervious surfaces in recharge 

area. Flow disruption from culvert and roadbed in habitat. Water-quality changes due to application of road salt, fertilizer, and possibly pesticides. 

Com Ed/Long Run Parcels A,L F, TP, T, B Rivulets near open water 

south of boundary between parcels

D Reduction in water due to high-capacity pumping in and near 

recharge area; impervious surface in recharge area. Flow disruption from roadbed in habitat and sediment excavation. Water-quality changes due to oil spill and application of road salt.

Long Run Seep Nature Preserve A,L B, TP, F, E Rivulets in western part 

of property

U Reduction in water due to impervious surface in recharge area. 

Water-quality changes due to application of road salt, fertilizer, and possibly pesticides.

Romeoville Prairie Nature 

Preserve

A B, T Possibly in rivulet in 

center of site

D Reduction in water due to high-capacity pumping in and near 

recharge area; impervious surface in recharge area. Waterquality changes due to application of road salt and fertilizer. Flooding on Des Plaines River.

Keepataw Forest Preserve A,L F,T, TP Seeps area

U Reduction in water due to high-capacity pumping near 

recharge area; impervious surface in recharge area. Waterquality changes due to application of road salt. Hydrologic and erosive effects of intermittent drainage in northeast part of property.

Black Partridge Woods Forest 

Preserve

A,L Unknown None identified

U Insufficient characterization to assess hydrologic threats. 

Water-quality changes due to application of road salt.

Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve A,L T, F, P, TP Natural rivulet

U Water-quality changes due to application of road salt. Artificial 

rivulet water may be too cold. Flow rate may be too high in artificial rivulet. Flooding of Des Plaines River.
96 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois Table 14. Summary of conditions at Hine’s emerald dragonfly habitats in Illinois (compiled from Cashatt and Vogt, 1992, 1996; Mierzwa and Webb, 2010, 2012a,b)—Continued [A, adult; T, transit; F, feeding/foraging; L, larval; B, breeding; P, perching; TP, territorial patrol; E, egg laying; D, dolomite; U, unconsolidated deposits] Site names (shown in figs. 1, 2, or 3) Hine’s emerald dragonfly use Hine’s emerald dragonfly behavior Site of larval habitat Source of seeps Potential hydrologic and water-quality threats to habitat McMahon Fen Nature Preserve A,L B, F, TP Rivulet in eastern part property

U Periodic loss of water in seeps due to below average precipitation. Water-quality changes due to application of road salt. 

Erosion and diversion of flow in some rivulets.

Dellwood West and Lockport 

Prairie East Nature Presereves

A T, F None identified Unknown Insufficient characterization to assess threats.

Southwest of Lockport Lock and 

Dam

A,L Unknown Unknown Unknown Insufficient characterization to assess threats.

Argonne National Laboratory

L Unknown Wetland in northeast part 

of property

U Insufficient characterization to assess threats.

Spring Lake Nature Preserve A,L Unknown Springs 

U Insufficient characterization to assess threats.

valley boundaries. Use of best management practices, which 

has been done in parts of the recharge area for the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve, has the potential to offset the effects 

of the reductions in groundwater recharge due to runoff from 

impervious surfaces. Reducing overland flow of runoff from 

precipitation has the potential to reduce erosion and sediment 

deposition in some of the habitats and has the potential to 

improve some components of water quality.

Changes in the groundwater system can be caused by 

high-capacity pumping in and near the groundwater recharge 

areas by removing water from the Silurian aquifer that would 

otherwise have discharged to HED habitat. The area within 

which pumping from a high-capacity well open to the Silurian 

aquifer can divert water from a particular HED habitat and the 

volume of water diverted are affected by the hydraulic properties of the aquifer, the location and degree of interconnection 

between the secondary-permeability features at the well and 

the habitat, and the volume of pumping from the well. None 

of these factors are well understood within the Lower Des 

Plaines River Valley as a whole or within the groundwater 

recharge area for any of the HED habitats. Better understanding of these factors would be gained from monitoring 

the timing of pumping as well as monthly assessment of the 

volume of discharge from the high-capacity wells. Detailed 

characterization of the flow system within the Silurian aquifer by performance of continuous water-level monitoring, 

geophysical logging, and aquifer testing would enable more 

accurate identification of how the hydraulic stresses will affect 

the habitats. This characterization is of particular importance 

at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, River South Parcel, 

Com Ed and Long Run Parcels, and the Romeoville Prairie 

Nature Preserve.

Surface-water flow pathways within many of the wetlands have been substantially altered by the construction 

of culverts, roads, and railroads. This alteration likely has 

affected the HED habitat by drying some areas and increasing water levels, streamflow, and erosion in others, particularly near culverts. An important consideration during future 

construction is to replicate the natural hydrology, particularly 

with regard to the placement of culverts at locations that result 

in flow to natural drainages. Accurate assessment of discharge, 

velocity, sedimentation, and erosion at these features along 

with ongoing identification of the location of HED populations 

has the potential to add insight to the hydraulic and chemical 

effects on the HED habitat so that more effective mitigation 

can be devised. This characterization is of particular importance at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, the River South 

Parcel, the Com Edison and Long Run Parcels, and the McMahon Fen site.

Flooding of the Lower Des Plaines River has the potential to result in HED mortality. The extent of floodwater needs 

to be identified and compared to locations of HED use to 

better identify and protect potential HED habitat. For example, 

larval HED use at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve and 

the River South Parcel are near the western parts of the river 

valley, away from the river. The area inundated by the Des 
Summary and Conclusions 97

Plaines River at sites subject to periodic flooding could be 

evaluated to determine if high water, sediment deposition, and 

erosion have affected the HED population.

The water balance (volume of water entering a habitat 

as surface-water flow, groundwater flow, and precipitation as 

compared to the amount of water exiting the site as surfacewater flow and evapotranspiration) is unknown for all of the 

sites. This information is critical to assessing the stability of 

the various HED habitats. Collection of the geologic, climate, 

water use, and hydrologic information outlined in this section 

should enable an accurate water balance to be developed for at 

least some of the sites.

The effects of oil spills, as well as the application of road 

salts and fertilizers at many of the sites, is a potential concern 

to the HED habitat, particularly with regard to its effects on 

the flora and fauna that support the HED. Additionally, the 

alteration of surface-water flow pathways has altered water 

temperatures at some of the HED habitats. Of particular concern is the effect of damming seep discharge behind the berms 

of the railroad tracks and diverting flow to the culverts on the 

temperature of the water entering the wetlands. A reduction 

in the amount of groundwater discharge to the wetlands also 

has the potential to alter the temperature and water chemistry 

in the habitats. Collection of periodic and continuous data on 

temperature, alkalinity, chloride, nutrients, suspended solids, 

and pesticides in surface and groundwater would improve the 

understanding of the sources and types of water-quality stressors in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley. This information 

could be used to improve HED productivity and mortality.

Understanding how changes in hydrology affect the 

HED habitats also requires an understanding of how (if at all) 

current and natural hydraulic conditions differ, with natural 

conditions presumably being closer to optimal for the HED. 

The natural hydrology of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley 

has been altered by construction of canals, modification of 

the course of the Des Plaines River, urbanization, groundwater pumping, and other processes. Water-level data collected 

from well 414217087592801 open to the Silurian aquifer at 

Argonne National Laboratory showed a decrease of about 15 

ft from 1948 through 1990 (U.S. Geological Survey, 2016), 

partly in response to nearby high-capacity pumping that 

ceased in January 1997. Water levels only recovered about 5 

ft when pumping ceased, indicating that long-term processes 

may have permanently altered hydraulic conditions in the 

Silurian aquifer—and the wetlands they discharge to—in at 

least parts of the Lower Des Plaines River Valley. Modeling 

efforts designed to assess natural groundwater flow conditions 

have been completed at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve 

(Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer, and Associates, Inc., 2008) but 

are not available for any of the other focus areas. Application 

of groundwater-flow modeling to assess natural conditions is 

particularly important for the River South Parcel.

Summary and Conclusions

The federally endangered Hine’s emerald dragonfly 

(HED) inhabits wetlands in parts of the Lower Des Plaines 

River Valley and other areas in northeast Illinois that are 

recharged by cool, slow moving, alkaline groundwater derived 

from Silurian dolomite or unconsolidated deposits consisting 

partly of eroded Silurian dolomite. The habitat requirements 

of the dragonfly are constrained so that small changes in the 

amount and quality of groundwater being discharged into the 

wetlands can have a substantial effect on the habitat. Previous 

investigations of the biology, geology, hydrology, and water 

quality at the various HED habitats in the Lower Des Plaines 

River Valley have identified potential threats to the habitats, as 

well as potential work activities that could improve the quality 

of the various habitats. 

The West, East, and Middle Quarries (hereafter referred 

to collectively as “the Quarry”) contain a flat wetland area in 

the center of the Middle Parcel Expansion Area that is currently (2018) used by adult HED mainly for foraging and as a 

flight corridor. The wetland receives water from precipitation 

and inflow of surface water from small drainages near Route 

53 offsite and perhaps some groundwater discharge from the 

Silurian and glacial drift aquifers during short periods of high 

water. Water exits the Middle Parcel Expansion Area as evapotranspiration, through surface-water drainage, as drainage to 

the Silurian aquifer during periods of lower water levels, and 

as drainage from the Silurian aquifer to the quarries in at least 

the southern part of the Middle Parcel Expansion Area. Waterquality data indicate a variety of contaminants in surface water 

and, to a lesser extent, groundwater.

Removal of much of the watershed that fed the southern 

drainage and diversion of groundwater to quarry dewatering 

centers has produced a hydrologic regime at the Middle Parcel 

Expansion Area that is substantially drier than would occur if 

the Quarry did not exist. These drier conditions have degraded 

the Middle Parcel Expansion Area as HED habitat. Because 

HED activities at the Quarry are restricted to transit and foraging, increased pumping to support expanded mining at the East 

and Middle Quarries is expected to have minimal effect on the 

HED at the Quarry. Model simulations indicate that increased 

pumping to support expanded mining at the West Quarry will 

substantially reduce the amount of groundwater discharged to 

the River South Parcel and will reduce groundwater discharge 

to the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve by a small amount. 

Model simulations indicate that recharge from groundwater 

mitigation features will be sufficient to offset this decrease.

The River South Parcel contains wetland areas that are 

the second most productive HED breeding habitat in Illinois. The wetlands receive water directly from precipitation, 

surface-water inflow derived from the Silurian aquifer at seeps 

along the bluffs, groundwater discharge from the Silurian 

aquifer in the river valley, and periodic inflow from the Des 

Plaines River in the southern part of the River South Parcel. 

Water exits the River South Parcel as evapotranspiration and 

surface-water drainage to the Des Plaines River in the eastern 
98 Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois

and southern parts of the parcel. Water levels show large 

variations in the Silurian aquifer near the bluffs in response to 

changes in precipitation, resulting in substantial variation in 

the amount of flow to the seeps. Water-level data show fairly 

small variation in the river valley, indicating stable flow to 

the wetland from the Silurian aquifer. Small changes in water 

level at the River South Parcel appear to have potentially 

large effects on HED habitat. Surface-water and groundwater 

quality data indicate predominately calcium and alkaline water 

derived from the Silurian aquifer with some modification by 

anthropogenic sources of chloride, nitrate, and phosphorus. 

The hydrologic regime at the River South Parcel has 

been altered by pumping at the Quarry. Expansion of quarry 

operations into the West Quarry Expansion Area is expected to 

divert additional water from the River South Parcel. Artificial 

infiltration to shallow groundwater in this area, coupled with 

intensive monitoring, is anticipated to ameliorate the expected 

hydrologic effects of quarry expansion.

The Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve contains wetlands 

that constitute the largest single HED habitat in Illinois. The 

wetlands receive water directly from precipitation, surfacewater inflow derived from seeps fed by the glacial drift aquifer 

and the upper part of the Silurian aquifer along the bluffs and 

groundwater discharge from the Silurian aquifer in the river 

valley. Flow from the seeps appears to constitute a larger 

portion of the flow into the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve north of Division Street than south. Discharge from the 

Silurian aquifer to the wetlands appears to constitute a higher 

percentage of the total volume of water in the wetland south 

of Division Street than north. Water exits the Lockport Prairie 

Nature Preserve as evapotranspiration and surface-water 

drainage to the Des Plaines River in the eastern part of the 

preserve. The amount of discharge from the glacial drift and 

Silurian aquifers to the seeps at the bluff varies in response 

to changes in the amount of groundwater recharge that takes 

place at a variety of time scales. Discharge from the Silurian 

aquifer to the alluvial deposit in the valley of the Des Plaines 

River is more consistent due to an increased amount of water 

originating from the semiconfining unit in this part of the flow 

regime. Water levels in the Silurian aquifer in the river valley 

consistently indicate the potential for consistent, stable flow to 

the alluvial aquifer and the wetlands at most of the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve but show less potential to recharge to 

these deposits during droughts. The stable flow helps to sustain the wetlands during drier periods when water from other 

sources is reduced.

Surface water at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve is 

alkaline and calcium rich. Lower surface-water temperatures 

presumably associated with areas of groundwater discharge 

have been observed. Temperatures are increasingly affected 

by atmospheric temperature with increased distance from the 

point of discharge. Water quality shows inconsistent seasonal 

trends and appears to be affected by changes in the source 

water, roadside runoff, and fertilizer application. 

Modeling indicates the hydrologic regime at the Lockport 

Prairie Nature Preserve may have been altered by pumping 

from nearby high-capacity wells and possibly the Quarry, but 

this pumping has no obvious effects on water levels measured 

within the groundwater recharge area for the Silurian aquifer 

at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. Model results also 

indicate that small changes in water level in the Silurian aquifer at the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve may substantially 

affect the volume of discharge to the wetlands. Model simulations indicate that future pumping associated with dewatering 

of the West Quarry will reduce the volume of water discharged 

from the Silurian aquifer to the Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, but that increased recharge from proposed mitigation 

features will be sufficient to offset this reduction.

The Com Ed and Long Run Parcels contain substantial 

wetland areas used by HED larvae and adults. These wetlands 

receive water from precipitation, inflow of surface water from 

offsite sources such and Bruce Lake and Long Run Creek, and 

groundwater discharge from the Silurian aquifer in at least the 

eastern and central parts of the Com Ed Parcel. Water levels in 

the parcels are affected by seasonal and longer term variations in recharge from precipitation and groundwater, which 

periodically results in the wetlands and alluvial aquifer going 

dry in parts of this area. Water levels at a location typically 

vary by less than a few feet, even during drought conditions. Surface water drains from the wetlands to the Illinois 

and Michigan Canal and to the Silurian aquifer in the western part of the parcels. Water-quality data indicate this area 

contains alkaline water derived primarily from the Silurian 

aquifer, with the likely presence of road-salt constituents in 

the shallow water. Expansion of dewatering operations at the 

Quarry is not expected to affect the hydrology of the Com Ed 

and Long Run Parcels. The effect of increased high-capacity 

pumping within the groundwater recharge area for the parcels 

has not been investigated.

The Long Run Seep Nature Preserve contains larval 

HED habitat associated with seep-fed rivulets discharging 

from the glacial drift aquifer. Water chemistry in the rivulets 

and shallow groundwater likely are affected by dissolution of 

carbonate minerals in the unconsolidated materials, road salt 

and fertilizer application, and possibly discharge from nearby 

septic systems. 

The Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve is used by adult 

HED in areas of seep-fed rivulets discharging from the thin 

unconsolidated deposits, potentially from a fracture in the 

near-surface bedrock. Water levels in the unconsolidated 

deposits and shallow bedrock are typically stable but are 

affected by precipitation events. Water levels in the unconsolidated deposits also are affected by evapotranspiration 

during the summer months. The Silurian aquifer is used for 

high-capacity groundwater withdrawals within and near the 

groundwater recharge area for the Romeoville Prairie Nature 

Preserve. The effects of this pumping on the hydrology of the 

Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve have not been assessed. 

Elevated concentrations of chloride, nitrate, and arsenic 

indicate that human activities are affecting water quality at an 

unidentified surface-water feature in the Romeoville Prairie 

Nature Preserve.
References 99

The Keepataw Forest Preserve is used by adult HED in 

areas of seep-fed rivulets likely discharging from unconsolidated deposits and partly fed by surface-water drainage from 

the northeast part of the property. The hydrology and geology 

at the Keepataw Forest Preserve have not been characterized, 

particularly the effects of seep flow and surface-water runoff 

on the HED habitat in the topographic depression south of the 

seeps. The effect of groundwater withdrawals from the Silurian aquifer south of the Keepataw Forest Preserve also has 

not been characterized. Water quality at the seeps is calcium 

bicarbonate in type with substantial concentrations of sulfate 

and chloride. The effects of surface-water runoff from Interstate I-355 on surface-water quality at the HED habitats in the 

Keepataw Forest Preserve are unknown.

The Black Partridge Woods Forest Preserve is occasionally used by larvae and adult HED near a seepage marsh in 

the northeast part of the preserve. Biologic, hydrologic, and 

water-quality conditions at the habitat have not been characterized. Elevated concentrations of chloride indicate that anthropogenic activities are affecting surface-water quality at Black 

Partridge Creek.

The natural rivulet in the Emerald Fen area of the 

Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve contains larval and adult HED 

habitat. The fen receives water from a natural seep-fed rivulet 

discharging from the unconsolidated deposits as well as four 

artificial rivulets whose water is derived from artesian flow 

from a water-supply well open to the Silurian aquifer. The 

rivulets appear to have flowing water year round. Discharge at 

the natural rivulet is occasionally affected by flooding of the 

Des Plaines River. Water temperature, specific conductance, 

and pH in the natural rivulet display more variation than in 

the artificial rivulets. In combination with differences in the 

major ion chemistry, these differences reflect differences in the 

source of the water in the rivulets and the amount of modification in water temperature due to atmospheric interaction. 

Water chemistry indicates the dissolution of carbonate minerals in the unconsolidated deposits and the Silurian aquifer 

affects water chemistry, as does the application of road salts.

Seeps associated with groundwater discharging from the 

glacial drift aquifer at the McMahon Fen Nature Preserve provide water to a number of rivulets that provide at least periodic 

adult and larval HED habitat. Discharge to the seeps is likely 

to be sustained by recharge to the glacial drift aquifer near the 

seeps, in areas north of the preserve, and perhaps upwelling 

from the underlying semiconfining unit. Bed erosion along 

some of the rivulets may reduce the quality of this habitat for 

the survival of HED eggs and larvae.

In addition to the above mentioned habitats, uncharacterized and recently discovered (2016) HED habitats are present 

in Illinois. These habitats indicate HED habitat may exist in 

areas of Illinois beyond the Lower Des Plaines River Valley 

and in areas not directly overlying dolomite bedrock.

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For more information about this publication, contact

Director, USGS Central Midwest Water Science Center 

405 N. Goodwin 

Urbana, IL 61801

(217) 328–8747

For additional information visit https://il.water.usgs.gov

Publishing support provided by the 

Madison and Rolla Publishing Service Centers

Kay and others—Areas that Affect the Habitat of the Endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly in the Lower Des Plaines River Valley, Illinois—SIR 2018–5074

ISSN 2328-0328 (online)

https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20185074