About Dixie Creek

Dixie Creek begins just east of Sleepy Hollow Road and runs approximately 2.5 miles to its confluence with Ratt Creek and then the Fox River. The creek drains 1.8 square miles of land in Kane and McHenry counties.

The Dixie Creek Reach 3 Restoration Project is the next phase of the restoration of Dixie Creek. Reach three is sandwiched between the restored sections at Creeks Crossing upstream and the Dixie Briggs Fromm Nature Preserve downstream. This phase of improvement provides a green infrastructure link between the two restored reaches of Dixie Creek. The Village of Algonquin is undertaking this project to correct the deficiencies called out in the Jelkes Creek watershed plan and will repair two areas flagged as “Critical Areas”: Dixie Creek Reach 3 and White Chapel Detention Basin.
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The reach 3 project site is 9.2 acres and contains a high-quality fen on the south side of the creek that will be protected and preserved as part of this restoration. 

Project Goals

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The Dixie Creek Restoration Project restored 1,500 linear feet of stream as well as the high-quality fen that is listed as a critical restoration area in the ​Jelkes Creek Watershed-Based Plan. Improvements included pulling back and reshaping the eroded creek banks, armoring portions of the creek bank that received erosive water flows and installed emergent and prairie plants to stabilize the surrounding soils. The Village has completed other similar restoration projects and the results have created beautifully restored areas.

Click on the image above to view the Jelkes Creek Watershed Plan.

View of Dixie Creek

​The primary goals of the project:

• Stabilized 1,500 L.F. of eroded streambanks
• Installed riffles (shallow places where the stream can flow quickly past rocks)
• Re-established the floodplain area with native vegetation
• Removed invasive trees and shrubs within the stream corridor and stormwater basin
• Installed native vegetation and pollinator habitat throughout the site

Project Benefits

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​These improvements provided the natural environment the following benefits:

• Improved water quality by reducing the amount of soil erosion
• Native plant buffer reduced the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and salts in the water
• Lessened stormwater run-off through infiltration by native plants
• Created a more biodiversity in the plant and animal community
• Established pollinator habitat
• Reduced flooding potential both upstream and downstream of project

Project Timeline

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Winter / Spring 2023

The first stage included construction fencing, layout staking, and the removal of all invasive trees and shrubs.

Spring / Summer 2023

The second stage included streambank and channel restoration, as well as grading.

Summer / Fall 2023

The next stage of the project included soil preparation, seeding, and erosion control.

Fall 2023

Finally, trees were installed, and the site will have periodic vegetation management and prescribed burns to keep the site healthy.

Once the plantings have time to mature, the Village and community will be left with a beautiful, natural area. Restoration work was completed in stages and concluded in the late Fall 2023.