WOODSTOCK, Ill. – The Talk and Tour presentation series, co-hosted by the McHenry County Planning and Development Department and the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, is returning for its fourth year.

The first presentation of the 2025 season, “Stream Restoration for Flood Reduction and Water Quality,” takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, July 25, and will include a tour of one of the Village of Algonquin’s recent stream restoration projects.

 Village Parks and Forestry Supervisor Brad Andresen will lead the tour and explain the entire process of executing a restoration project for flood management from start to finish. The presentation includes a guided tour of a 1.7-acre restoration project along Dixie Creek. For decades, Algonquin has successfully addressed flooding concerns by implementing stream and ecological restoration projects like this one; the village and its staff are now receiving well-deserved national recognition for these efforts and for the value the projects provide to their residents.

 This workshop is a fantastic opportunity to learn how restoration can be used to mitigate flooding and improve water quality in our communities.

 The event is free, but attendees must register in advance online; directions and parking instructions will be sent upon receipt of an RSVP. For more information, email McHenry County Water Resources Specialist Scott Kuykendall at SHKuykendall@mchenrycountyil.gov or call 815-334-2863.

 County government and the Environmental Defenders teamed up in 2022 to present Talk and Tour workshops that showcase the environmental and economic benefits of innovative best management practices that have been successfully implemented in our region. Each of the best management practices are designed to protect and maintain the integrity of natural resources, reduce flooding in communities, and promote land, water and energy conservation.