DuPage County Stormwater Management welcomes interns and begins quarry stabilization project
DuPage County Stormwater Management announced several updates and initiatives in June 2026, including the arrival of three new summer interns, the start of a major quarry stabilization project, and ongoing water quality monitoring efforts across the county.
The department welcomed Jack Doherty, Marcella Steele, and Johnathan Breeden as interns for the summer. Doherty is serving as the Wetlands intern while pursuing a master's in natural resources and environmental science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Steele, the Water Quality intern, recently graduated from Brevard College with a degree in environmental studies. Breeden, the Engineering intern, has just completed his junior year at the University of St. Thomas and is working toward a degree in civil engineering. According to the department, "Our interns join specific divisions of our team related to their focus of study, and will be involved in everything from floodplain modeling to wetland inspections."
Work began this month at the Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control Facility to stabilize sections of rock wall that have eroded over time. A contractor specializing in rock stabilization was selected to replace the original mesh rockfall netting within and around the keyway. The netting was originally installed before the county purchased the facility, when the quarry was still in operation. The project is expected to be completed by November.
Earlier in June, State Senator John Curran and Stormwater Management Committee Chair Jim Zay visited the completed 90th and Kaye Drainage Project in unincorporated Willowbrook. The project involved installing new storm sewer inlets and piping to relieve road flooding during storms. The department said, "Senator Curran was pivotal in securing the state grant to fund this project."
The Water Quality team has begun its annual storm sewer outfall monitoring, which involves inspecting over 1,300 outfalls across the county during dry-weather conditions to ensure proper function and to check for illegal discharges. This year’s monitoring focuses on partial watersheds within the county, including the Fox River, Des Plaines River, and Mainstem DuPage River. The department encourages residents to report signs of illegal discharge using the Citizen Reporter App.
The department also recently hosted 25 environmental consultants and ecologists for an advanced Wetland Plant Identification Course, taught by Illinois botanists Chris Benda and Dr. Glenn Adelson. Participants visited three natural areas in Lake and Cook County and identified 110 plant species. Dr. Adelson explained key features of plant specimens to the class at Harms Woods in Glenview.
DuPage County schools have a teacher retention rate of 92.3% in 2023, and the student body is composed of 49.1% White, 23.8% Hispanic, 16% Asian, and 6.3% Black students, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.