Hickory Creek, a vital subwatershed of the Lower Des Edge‑of‑Field Partnership for Saturated Buffers Plaines watershed, has seen significant environmental degradation. In response to anthropogenic impacts, a team of southwest suburban municipalities and environmentally-focused non-profit organizations created the Hickory Creek Watershed Planning Group (HCWPG) to improve water quality there. The group includes representatives from Joliet, New Lenox, Homer Glen, Mokena, Tinley Park, Orland Park, the Forest Preserve District of Will County, Will County Stormwater Management Planning Committee, and Illinois American Water.
The group completed the Hickory Creek Watershed Plan in 2011.
The current NPDES permits for some local facilities—Mokena, New Lenox Plant No. 1, Frankfort Regional, and Illinois American Oak Valley—include a monthly average effluent limit of 1 mg/L for phosphorus. Other point source dischargers in the HCWPG region are expected to receive interim total phosphorus effluent limits of 1 mg/L with their permit renewal and through the implementation of a NARP. The Hickory Creek group is expected to combine efforts with the new Lower Des Plaines Watershed Planning Group to develop a NARP for the Lower Des Plaines watershed, including the Hickory Creek subwatershed. Table 5.10 depicts the number of Hickory Creek major facilities that have submitted feasibility and optimization studies and those with phosphorus limits in their permits.
