July 19, 2006

Powers Creek
Conservation Area
Dedication

The Land Conservancy of McHenry County dedicated 12 acres of wet prairie and stream to permanent protection on June 24, 2006. A sign was placed on the property along Mason Hill Road, with Conservancy staff, board, volunteer stewards and homeowners from neighboring Windy Knoll Estates in attendance.

The property was donated to The Land Conservancy by developer William Gilger in October 2002. The 12 acre wetland includes a 1/4 mile of Powers Creek, and is located on the south side of Mason Hill Road about ½ mile west of Crystal Lake Road. Powers Creek is the largest tributary to the high quality Boone Creek. This property brings the Land Conservancy’s total of protected land along Powers Creek to 63 acres.

Since acquiring the property, The Land Conservancy has been restoring this former sod farm by removing drain tiles and planting native grasses and wildflowers. The work has been supported through a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Conservation Fund’s Northeastern Illinois Wetlands Conservation Account, along with the help of dedicated volunteers who have cleared invasive brush, sowed native seeds and conducted controlled burns over the past four years.

The Land Conservancy is a private nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of open space and natural lands in McHenry County. The Land Conservancy works with private landowners, communities and developers.