In May the Illinois Department of Natural Resources ("IDNR") issued a letter to our HOA advising us that a permit was required for "Lake 4" which the IDNR had classified as a dam. This was apparently a consequence of the flooding which occurred in this area on April 18, 2013.
In reality, the situation with this 6 acre lake is complicated by an easement to the City of Wheaton to "operate and maintain" a storm water control system which includes not only this lake, but those upstream which feed it. Immediately to the east of "lake 4" is the Hoddinot Wildlife Refuge, which is in Glen Ellyn and operated and maintained by the College of DuPage. This includes COD's "Pond 7" which is separated from lake 4 by a shallow weir.
It took a few months to sort this out and on October 14 the IDNR issued a new "directive" to our association and to the College of DuPage. That directive was copied to The Village of Glen Ellyn, the City of Wheaton, and to the County of DuPage. So, finally, we are all operating on the same page!
The study funded by the City of Wheaton is progressing, and recently the engineering firm they commissioned has been conducting surveys of the immediate area.
For more information on the study see the following post:;New Window> City of Wheaton - Briarcliffe Study
