Access to Heidecke Lake is now easier for winter fishing and waterfowl enthusiasts.
The installation of protective rip-rap was completed this month by Midwest Generation at a dewatering structure on the lake. The protective “ice breaker” rip-rap stone reef will prevent ice floes from reaching the blowdown structure and eliminate the need to lower the water level in the lake.
Maintaining the water level provides easy access to Heidecke Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area east of Morris on East Pine Bluff Road.
The lake is popular for fishing and waterfowl hunting programs managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
“Midwest Generation has always been a good partner in working with the department to provide recreational opportunities in Illinois,” IDNR Director Marc Miller noted.
“The Heidecke Lake project is another example of the benefits of the company and the IDNR working together. Heidecke Lake is an incredibly important resource for fishing and hunting, with its location close to the Chicago metropolitan area.”
Outdoor recreation enthusiasts, especially in northern and northeastern Illinois, have made Heidecke Lake a destination for more than 30 years because of its outstanding fishing and waterfowl hunting opportunities.
Heidecke Lake is a reservoir that provided cooling water for the former Collins Station generating plant, which was operated and later decommissioned by Midwest Generation.
The IDNR has leased valuable recreational land and water at Heidecke Lake since 1978 to allow public access to more than 1,300 acres of the lake for fishing and hunting.
The 3.5-mile-long reservoir is no longer fed with warm water since the decommissioning of Collins Station.
As a perched impoundment, Heidecke Lake was specifically designed to catch the cooling effects of prevailing winds. In 2008, however, a dewatering or blowdown structure used to control the water level in the lake was damaged by drifting ice.
The water level was reduced by nearly 30 inches during the winter to protect the blowdown structure from further damage.
This move, however, made it difficult to put in watercraft at the boat launch. Also, water had to be pumped into the lake to return it to the normal depth during the fishing season.
Midwest Generation collaborated with the IDNR on a solution to permanently protect the blowdown structure, yet retain access to the lake for the sporting public.
“Heidecke Lake makes an important contribution to the quality of life in this state,” John Kennedy, Midwest Generation’s vice president of Operations and Maintenance, said. “We’re pleased we’ve been able to work with IDNR to make these improvements that benefit outdoor sportsmen and recreational enjoyment of the lake.”
Heidecke Lake is about a mile south and eight miles east of Morris. The fishing season opens about April 1 and closes prior to waterfowl season.
For more information on the hunting program and other recreation opportunities at Heidecke Lake, contact the site office at (815) 942-6352.