Artificial Aquatic Habitats

Originally published Thursday October 11, at the Forest Preserve District of Cook County website: Did you know all of the Forest Preserve District’s fishing lakes are man-made? Many of our lakes began as borrow pits (enormous holes left behind after land is excavated) for road and highway construction—not the ideal location for fish, wildlife or plant life. Creating our lakes has been about much more than simply filling the pits with water and stocking fish there. We’ve to make them sustainable environments. Our fisheries biologists have worked for nearly thirty years to create artificial habitats—turning the land into safe and healthy habitats for fish and welcoming places for our visitors to enjoy recreation. By increasing the number of fish habitats in our lakes, they’ve increased the lakes carrying capacities and allowed for more angling (fishing with a hook and line) opportunities. And they’ve had to find some really creative ways to do so.