Multi-year conservation project culminates with grand opening and Take Kids Fishing Day at Chicago’s William W. Powers State Recreation Area
CHICAGO, Ill.—Nearly 100 young anglers cast their lines into Wolf Lake on Saturday, August 22, as the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) celebrated the completion and dedication of a major conservation infrastructure project at William W. Powers State Recreation Area on Chicago’s South Side. For many, it was their first time fishing. Each received a new fishing rod and reel to keep and was assisted by union volunteers as they baited hooks, cast lines and reeled in fish.
The event also marked the official grand opening of new outdoor amenities designed to expand access to Wolf Lake, including an ADA-compliant fishing pier, floating kayak launch, and paved approach paths.
William W. Powers State Recreation Area, located along the Illinois-Indiana state line, attracts approximately 500,000 visitors each year. Yet aging infrastructure and limited accessibility had restricted public access to portions of the waterfront.
“Seeing kids from the Southside Chicago community using this facility and knowing our volunteers made this happen was truly a full-circle moment,” said USA Director of Conservation Programs Sam Phipps.
For communities surrounded by heavy industry, Wolf Lake provides a rare connection to nature.
“This is a highly industrial area,” said Jenny Vaughn, executive director of the Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF), a major project partner. “You’re driving through a concrete jungle of factories and box trucks, and then you find the lake and this green space. But before this project, the community had limited access to the lake. Now, it’s an ADA-accessible space open to everyone, regardless of ability. Access to parks should be a right, not a privilege.”
The effort to improve access to the Wolf Lake shoreline began nearly a decade ago with ICF working alongside the USA. The project encountered years of delays stemming from administrative changes, the COVID-19 pandemic and rising construction costs. Rather than abandon the project, partners assembled funding from multiple sources, including the ICF, USA National Conservation Fund, USA Illinois State Dinner funds, Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to bring the project to completion.
Once construction began, members of the skilled trades provided the expertise and labor needed to complete the project.
Jason Brown of Lakes & Rivers Contracting, who led site layout and concrete work along the shoreline, said the project faced challenges including flooding and fluctuating lake levels.
“I certainly wasn’t the only one to make this happen, but we stuck with it ever since we did a site visit in April 2018,” said Brown. “For me, seeing a project through to the end is always very rewarding. It’s really cool what the USA does. To work on these projects is humbling, and I’m happy to be part of this group of folks.”
Union members from Sheet Metal Workers Local 73 and Boilermakers Local 1 assembled and secured the floating kayak launch and aluminum gangway. Mid-America Carpenters handled structural timber work and framing for the accessible fishing pier, while Painters District Council 30 provided organizational leadership and field support throughout the construction process.
Members of Bricklayers Local 2 also volunteered during Saturday’s dedication and fishing event, arriving early to help set up fishing poles and man the registration table and bait station.
“I don’t think this project would have happened without the USA,” said Laura Milkert, site superintendent at William W. Powers State Recreation Area. “Every day there are people out there fishing. It’s a testament to the power of partnership.”
Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA): The USA is a union-dedicated, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose members hunt, fish, shoot and volunteer their skills for conservation. The USA is uniting the union community through conservation to preserve North America’s outdoor heritage. For more information, visit www.unionsportsmen.org or connect on Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram.
Work Boots on the Ground (WBG): WBG is the USA’s flagship conservation program that brings together union members willing to volunteer their time and expertise to conservation projects that improve and enhance public access to the outdoors, conserve wildlife habitat, restore America’s parks and mentor youth in the outdoors. The USA’s Work Boots on the Ground program works closely with federal, state and local agencies and other conservation groups to provide manpower needed to complete critical projects that may otherwise go undone.
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