The Brewster Creek Headwaters Project reduces flooding northeast of the intersection of Illinois Route 59 and Stearns Road. Located on the north side of Stearns Road, the existing Beaver Pond had an undersized outlet that was causing significant flooding in the area. In order to relieve some of these issues, DuPage County Stormwater Management constructed a flood storage and water quality basin within Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve, located south of Stearns Road, to collect floodwater from Beaver Pond. Crews installed more than 2,100 feet of 60-inch pipe under Stearns Road and nearly 5,000 feet of bypass storm sewer in Wayne Grove Forest Preserve to divert floodwater and alleviate drainage backups. The basin also uses native vegetation to help improve the quality of the floodwater before it is discharged into the adjacent Brewster Creek.
The Village of Bartlett first recognized the need for this project, prompting DuPage County to include it as a preferred flood control alternative within the Brewster Creek Watershed Plan Addendum. Designed by Christopher Burke Engineering, the project was one of four projects funded through a 2010 DuPage County bond to address significant flooding and water quality issues throughout the County.
