In January of 2015, a massive ecological restoration project at Horner Park on the North Branch of the Chicago River in Chicago received a permit from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to move forward.

The project, which began in April 2014, triggered news stories and a detailed public review because neighbors were concerned about the removal of trees. Fortunately those concerns have been addressed thoroughly and thoughtfully and the site plan has been revised to save the maximum number of trees, add more diverse species, and install a woodchip trail along the water to complement the nature trail at the top of the new bank.  The community helped improve an already excellent project.

Related: Horner Park Restoration Celebration One to Grow On

The restoration effort was started 14 years ago by the Horner Park Advisory Council in partnership with Friends of the Chicago River in order to repair the inaccessible, eroding riverbank and transform it into healthy habitat that also improves the local aesthetic and public access. The project includes:

• Improving 12 acres including 1,200 linear feet of shoreline
• Re-grading the riverbank to provide a gentler slope which will help stop erosion
• Improving in-stream and riverbank habitat including the introduction of a broad palette of native plants which also help stop erosion
• Improving stream morphology
• Improving the hydrology of river and park
• Creating a nature trail and overlook area to provide park users with access to the river 
• Developing an eight-foot buffer zone along the park trail and baseball fields
• Planting new trees that will produce increased habitat value over the existing ones
• Increasing available land through the lease of addition acres of two acres riverbank from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
• Adding a new canoe  and kayak landing along the river

The Chicago Park District and the US Army Corps of Engineers are funding the project through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. "This is exactly the kind of project that we want to see along the Chicago River," said Margaret Frisbie, Friends' executive director. "It will open up the river to the community there for the first time and become a healthy habitat for wildlife of all sorts."  At present, the bank is decimated by buckthorn and other terrible invasive species. 

Horner Park is a 54-acre park in the Irving Park community. Along the west bank of North Branch of the Chicago River between Montrose Avenue and Irving Park Road the river is fenced off and inaccessible to the public.  On the east bank, however, the fences are long gone and it has been wonderfully restored over the last 20 years by a community group called the Riverbank Neighbors along with help from Friend. The east bank reflects the kinds of changes that will soon start to happen on the west bank.