Water Management
Grays Lake Management Committee
The Grays Lake Management Committee is a five member committee that is responsible for the authorization of the treatment of the waters of Grays Lake. The committee is comprised of one Village Trustee, one Park District Commissioner and 3 citizens. One of the three citizens is appointed by the Village, one by the Park District and the third is elected by the other members of the committee. The committee traditionally meets in the Winter and discusses the potential treatment program for the lake for the upcoming year. The Grayslake Community Park District is responsible for establishing the contract with the applicator recommended by the committee for any treatments. The costs of the annual treatment(s) are covered equally by the Village and the Park District. The main concentration of treatments is typically targeted to treat invasive and non-native milfoil and pondweed.
There can be restrictions on swimming, fish consumption and irrigation use due to the types of applications. The restrictions are posted at Jones Island and at the Lake Street access point. Letters are also delivered to all residents living along the lake. If you’d like to be added to the notification list, please contact the Grayslake Community Park District at (847) 223-7529
Any inquiries regarding the Lake Management Committee should be forwarded to the Grayslake Park District at (847) 223-7529. Those inquiries will be sent to the committee for any action or responses.
Board Happenings
Meeting Agendas
March 27, 2024 Lake Management Committee Agenda
April 12, 2023 Lake Management Committee Agenda
March 7, 2022 Lake Management Committee Agenda
March 17, 2021 Lake Management Committee Agenda
Public Notices
May 30, 2024 Grays Lake Treatment Notice
May 4, 2023 Grays Lake Treatment Notice
May 6, 2022 Grays Lake Treatment Notice
May 7, 2021 College Trail Treatment Notice
May 7, 2021 Grays Lake Treatment Notice
July 21, 2020 College Trail Retention Pond No Swimming Notice
May 26, 2020 Grays Lake Treatment Notice
May 13, 2020 College Trail/Cambridge Treatment Notice
Harmful Feeding Waterfowl Notice
District Pond Management
Grayslake Park District Ponds and Waterways
The Grayslake Community Park District owns nearly 420 acres of open space, woodlands, grasslands, wetlands and ponds. Within that total acreage, the district has 14 retention ponds. The ponds are generally left to be in their intended natural state. However, there are a few areas, due mainly to environmental conditions, that may receive treatments for algae and invasive plants. Molly’s Pond is one location that has been placed on an annual treatment program. The retention pond within the Cambridge Homes subdivision by College Trail and Cambridge Parks is another location that has been identified for a treatment program in 2014 and again in 2015.
If restrictions will apply, a written notice will be posted along the pond(s) and also delivered to residents who live along the water’s edge. Applications that require restriction notices will also be posted on this website.
Any questions regarding treatment programs should be directed to the Grayslake Community Park District at (847) 223-7529.
Water Quality, Invasive Plant and Shoreline Stabilization Information
The Grayslake Community Park District has implemented numerous Best Management Practices (BMPs) along the shorelines of many of its properties that contain ponds. The majority of these ponds were designed for retention and are surrounded by residential properties and some park land.
The BMPs include establishing buffers along the shorelines with native plants which provide a filtration process to help reduce levels of pollutants before they enter the water. These pollutants include phosphorus from lawn fertilizers. The run off contributes to invasive plant growth within the ponds and can also promote algae growth.
The park district has received 2 grants from the Lake County Stormwater Commission within the last few years for shoreline restoration projects. These projects focus on introducing native plants to shorelines and included work on the north and south ends of the detention pond in College Trail subdivision and along the majority of the shoreline of the detention pond in Washington Village. In addition to these projects, the district has stopped mowing the turf grass down to the water’s edge to help native plants take hold and filter pollutants before they enter the ponds at many of its other properties.
Another practice the district has employed is the treatment of select ponds for invasive plants such milfoil and pondweed. In 2016, the district treated the ponds at College Trail and at Molly’s Pond. The treatments may require a restriction of use of the water for private irrigation. If restrictions apply, neighboring households will be notified and signs will be posted at public points. Postings on the district’s website will also serve as notice. Some of these treatments will not have restrictions and no notices will be posted in those cases.
The district will also continue to work with local volunteers to help establish native plants along many of its ponds. Previous volunteers include students from Prairie Crossing helping to apply native plant seeds along Molly’s Pond and residents removing invasive plants along smaller detention pond shorelines in Chesapeake Farms. If you are interested in performing some similar volunteer project, please contact the Park District at (847) 223-7529.
Water quality and shoreline maintenance tasks you can take to help improve local water quality:
- Help reduce runoff by not applying fertilizer with phosphorous to any turf grass that is near or sloped towards the water.
- Create a 6 to 15 ft. buffer area of native plants and grasses such as Blue Flag Iris, Fox Sedge, Black Eyed Susan, Sand Coreopsis and Wild Lupine along the shoreline’s edge to help reduce run off. These types of plants are excellent filters and absorb quite a bit of non-point source pollutants before they hit the water.
- Use references such as A Citizen’s Guide to Maintaining Stormwater Best Management Practices from Lake County Stormwater Management Commission for additional information.
- Encourage your neighbors to implement the same type of practices and stewardship.