Boger Bog restoration project gets grant; wetlands crucial to groundwater health, conservation district leaders say

A “rare graminoid fen,” the Boger Bog wetlands in Bull Valley, will be the focus of a study on preserving local groundwater health, the McHenry County Conservation Foundation said in an Aug. 4 news release.

The Conservation Foundation was awarded a $7,500 ComEd Green Regions grant to support an engineering study for hydrologic restoration of the Bog, the release states.

The fens help maintain groundwater resources by absorbing the water via plants in the wetland, which filter out toxins and keep water in the shallow aquifers, Executive Director Shawna Flavell said.

“The fen is a good indicator of a healthy aquifer,” Flavell said. “They act as kidneys for the local ecosystem.”

The Boger Bog needs restoration work done, as over the years, invasive plant species such as buckthorn have threatened the integrity of the wetlands, Flavell said.

The wetlands are part of local efforts, including rain gardens, to protect or increase natural spaces that preserve water resources via recharge. When water can’t enter the ground due to infrastructure, it ends up flowing directly into creeks and rivers and causes flooding, as well as polluting those waterways, Flavell said.

The McHenry County Conservation District announced grant funding on August 4, 2022, for a hydrological study of the Boger Bog in Bull Valley, pictured here. (Provided by the McHenry County Conservation District)

Boger Bog is managed by the Conservation District and comprises 38 acres overall, the release states, adding that a recent Illinois Natural Areas Inventory indicated only 358.84 acres of high quality fens remain in Illinois.

“For McHenry County residents, where 100% of drinking water comes from aquifers, protecting and restoring our wetlands is also ensuring the long-term integrity of our water supply,” Flavell said in the release. “They require thousands of years to develop and cannot easily be restored once destroyed.”

The conservation study will happen within the next year, Flavell said.

Water quality and groundwater health will be the focus of an upcoming McHenry County Water Forum, free to the public, will take place at McHenry County Community College on Aug. 31.