Ecological Services
The City of Belvidere, Illinois engaged C.E.S., Inc. to address chronic sediment accumulation and maintenance challenges in the 6th Street Channel, a municipal stormwater conveyance that had become increasingly difficult and costly to maintain. The City’s original plan called for lining the channel with concrete, but regulatory agencies would not permit a hardened channel due
- Published in Ecological Services, Project Profiles
A3 Environmental Consultants proudly congratulates Steve Barg of the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation on receiving this year’s George and Barbara Fell Award at the Natural Land Institute Annual Dinner. As an environmental consulting firm serving northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, we are honored to stand alongside the Natural Land Institute (NLI) in advancing land protection,
- Published in Ecological Services, Environmental Consulting
Clean water supports public health, economic stability, recreation, and ecological integrity. In 2025, A3 Environmental Consultants (A3E) partnered with the Region 1 Planning Council (R1) to develop a comprehensive Water Quality Report – Our Our Water’s Health in the Rockford Region – for the Rockford Metropolitan Area. Spanning parts of Boone, Ogle, and Winnebago counties,
- Published in Ecological Services, Environmental Consulting, Project Profiles
A well-designed Strategic Conservation Plan is more than a document, it is a decision-making framework that helps land trusts and public agencies protect the right land, at the right time, for the right reasons. In Northwest Illinois, where working agricultural landscapes intersect with high-value waterways and remnant natural habitats, conservation decisions must balance ecological function,
- Published in Ecological Services, Environmental Consulting, Project Profiles
Ravine restoration is rarely just about fixing erosion—it is about protecting public infrastructure, preserving valued community assets, and managing stormwater responsibly in the face of aging systems and changing rainfall patterns. In Rockford, Illinois, Sinnissippi Park presented a textbook example of how unchecked stormwater conveyance through a steep ravine can escalate into a visible, disruptive,
- Published in Ecological Services
Stream Restoration is essential for managing urban waterways prone to erosion and flooding. In Downers Grove, Illinois, the Prentiss Creek Streambank Stabilization Project demonstrates how strategic ecological design can restore a waterway while safeguarding nearby neighborhoods. In 2023, A3 Environmental Consultants (A3E) – known as Olson Ecological Solutions at the time – teamed up with
- Published in Ecological Services
Stream remediation is often triggered by failure—flooding, sediment buildup, or infrastructure that simply can’t keep up. In Belvidere, Illinois, a chronically silting drainage channel created recurring maintenance and flood concerns for the City, prompting a request for a straightforward fix. The initial idea in 2022 was familiar to many municipalities: concrete the channel, simplify upkeep,
- Published in Ecological Services
Rockford, Illinois is the 5th largest city in the state. It has long sought effective strategies to protect and restore its waterways through stormwater management. A3 Environmental Consultants – known as Olson Ecological Solutions at the time – addressed these concerns head-on with the South Fork Kent Creek Watershed Plan. This EPA-approved plan focused on
- Published in Ecological Services
Successful natural area restoration relies on more than construction—it requires structured, ongoing monitoring to verify long-term success. In Hoffman Estates, Illinois, A3 Environmental Consultants (A3E) – known as Olson Ecological Solutions at the time – has been providing restoration monitoring services since 2024 to ensure that areas disturbed by the M-5 facility construction meet performance
- Published in Ecological Services
Effective wetland restoration depends on more than construction and planting—it requires consistent monitoring to ensure long-term success. In Winnetka, Illinois, A3 Environmental Consultants (A3E) has been providing vegetation monitoring services since 2024 to ensure that disturbed wetlands recover according to United States Army Corps of Engineers permit performance standards. Monitoring ensures that restoration activities achieve
- Published in Ecological Services
Restoration monitoring is not the glamorous part of a construction project, but it is often the part that determines whether a project ultimately succeeds or becomes a regulatory headache. In Naperville, Illinois, where development frequently intersects with streams, wetlands, and other regulated aquatic resources, restoration monitoring plays a critical role in keeping projects compliant long
- Published in Ecological Services
Counties across Northern Illinois face a familiar challenge: impaired waterways, regulatory pressure, and limited budgets colliding with very real water quality problems. A well-developed watershed plan is often the difference between reacting to impairment listings and proactively improving streams, lakes, and downstream receiving waters. Over the past decade, A3 Environmental Consultants – known as Olson
- Published in Ecological Services, Project Profiles
Habitat enhancement is a critical tool for protecting and restoring high-value natural areas in highly urbanized regions like Cook County, Illinois. With more than 69,000 acres of preserves under management by the Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC), proactive ecological stewardship is essential to maintain biodiversity, ecosystem services, and public value. Since 2019, A3 Environmental
- Published in Ecological Services, Project Profiles
A well-executed Watershed Plan is one of the most effective tools municipalities have to protect water quality, prioritize infrastructure investments, and meet regulatory expectations without guessing. In 2022, A3 Environmental Consultants (A3E) led development of an EPA-approved Watershed Plan for the Winneshiek Creek watershed in Stephenson County, Illinois. The effort balanced technical analysis, stakeholder priorities,
- Published in Ecological Services, Project Profiles
A wetland mitigation bank is only as successful as its planning, performance standards, and long-term monitoring. For municipal and government stakeholders, the difference between a functional public asset and a regulatory headache often comes down to early technical decisions and sustained agency coordination. In Afton, Wisconsin, the Bass Creek Wetland Mitigation Bank demonstrates how a
- Published in Ecological Services, Project Profiles