Lake County Lake Lover Year-end Reception

Description

Calling All Lake Lovers! Lake County Lake Lovers invites the community to its 2025 Year-End Celebration, recognizing a remarkable year of collaboration and lake stewardship. The event will be held Thursday, November 20, from 6:00–8:00 PM at Café Pomigliano/Post Time, 13860 Rockland Road in Green Oaks. There is no fee to attend, though guests are asked to purchase their own food and drink. Space is limited, and early RSVPs are encouraged. More than 30 individuals and organizations will be honored for advancing the health of Lake County’s 173 lakes—70% of which are classified as impaired according to the Illinois EPA. The celebration marks a “year of firsts,” including: • First Lake Monitoring Pilot: All 12 participating lakes completed a nine-month program using state-of-the-market water quality instruments, producing visible charts and trendlines for key health measures. • First Scientific Review Panel: Four lakes prepared detailed scientific analyses of their 2025 data and restoration actions, presenting findings to three volunteer experts to guide 2026 strategies. • First Lake Management Planning Workshop: Only 4% of county lakes have management plans, so a new workshop with Lake County Health Department Ecological Services brought eight lakes together; six committed to transparent 2026 action plans with coaching and quarterly check-ins. • First Drone Story of Butler Lake Day: Capturing 1,200 Libertyville High School students engaging in hands-on science, supported by ten Lake Lovers volunteers. With new grants from Xylem (and pending support from Uline), 2026 promises expanded monitoring, coaching, and AI-generated data insights. All are welcome to celebrate this milestone year in lake restoration.