The Skokie Lagoons
The Skokie Lagoons project spanned the duration of the Civilian Conservation Corps, from 1933 until the organization disbanded in 1941. Men employed through the Works Progress Administration finished the remainder of the work on the project, mostly landscaping and planting, over the next few years.
In total, the CCC excavated five million cubic yards of soil, dug out seven lagoons totaling 190 acres, created a 434-acre floodplain that could contain 500 million gallons of floodwater, planted more than 500,000 trees and shrubs, and built four concrete dams. The three smaller dams, spaced between Pine Street and Dundee Road, help to structure the lagoons and regulate their flow. Their design includes a shore access platform with stairs and an area for paddlers to portage their boats. The larger main dam at Willow Road contains the water of the lagoons and allows engineers to regulate its flow downstream. Designed in a modest Art Deco style, the dam features three 36-inch-diameter culverts that allowed water to pass through the dam, curved steps that lead to the water on either side of the dam, and a pedestrian walkway across the dam.