Poplar Creek Watershed
Go to:
About
The Poplar Creek Watershed covers approximately 83.5 square miles in northwestern Cook County and includes the Cook County portions of the Poplar Creek, Flint Creek, Spring Creek, Brewster Creek, and West Branch DuPage River watersheds. The boundary of the Poplar Creek Watershed was established this way for the purposes of MWRD's stormwater management program. The mainstem of Poplar Creek has six major tributaries: Tributary A, Poplar Creek East Branch, Poplar Creek Schaumburg Branch, Railroad Tributary, Poplar Creek South Branch, and Lord’s Park Tributary.
Stormwater capital improvements
The MWRD has more than 240 active and complete stormwater projects throughout Cook County. These improvements include regional and local stormwater projects, green infrastructure, Space to Grow, and voluntary flood-prone property acquisitions. To see what projects are active and complete in your watershed, see the map below.
Regional reservoirs
In conjunction with local municipalities, the MWRD operates three regional reservoirs located in this watershed, providing 438 acre-feet (142.7 million gallons) of stormwater detention.
- Dolphin Park Reservoir - Streamwood, IL - 96 acre-feet
- Hillside Park Reservoir - Streamwood, IL - 35 acre-feet
- Oak Hill Park Reservoir - Streamwood, IL - 77 acre-feet
- Upper DuPage Reservoir - Hanover Park, IL - 230 acre-feet
Additional infrastructure
The following MWRD infrastructure are also located within this watershed. Below, you can download a map of these facilities located throughout Cook County.
MWRD Facilities and Infrastructure Map
Wastewater treatment
A portion of this watershed has its wastewater treated by the Hanover Park Water Reclamation Plant, which treats up to 22 million gallons of wastewater per day. To learn more about wastewater treatment and this facility, please visit the wastewater treatment webpage. We also offer both virtual or in-person tours of our facilities.