O’Hare’s Expansion Forced Chicago To Invest In Wetlands 20 Years Ago. Conservationists Are Seeing Results

Chicago invested $26 million in 2005 to restore five wetland sites in the Des Plaines River watershed as part of the O’Hare Modernization Wetlands Mitigation Project. The 20-year effort restored 530 acres, including Deer Grove Forest Preserve, to compensate for 280 acres of wetlands lost during O’Hare International Airport’s expansion. Conservationists highlight the project’s success as a model for large-scale habitat restoration.