What is a Watershed? Why is it important?
A watershed is the land that water flows over and through on its way to a stream, river or lake. East and West Loon Lakes are a critical part of the Fox River Watershed and the Sequoit Creek sub Watershed.
Fox River Watershed
The Fox River originates in Waukesha County, Wisconsin and flows through Illinois into the Illinois River at Ottawa, Illinois. The entire Fox River watershed encompasses 938 square miles in Wisconsin and 1720 square miles in Illinois. The Fox River Watershed has five sub watersheds with Sequoit being one of them. Among the many natural lakes that are found along the Fox River there are 14 glacial lakes designated as biologically significant. East and West Loon Lake being two of them.
Sequoit Creek Watershed
The Sequoit Creek watershed is part of the Fox River watershed, one of the four main watersheds in Lake County. The Sequoit Creek watershed covers about 14 square
miles and is home to a population of about 18,000 residents. The Sequoit Creek watershed is unique compared to the other watersheds in the county because of its
high-quality lakes and natural resources. East Loon Lake is near the bottom of the Sequoit Creek Watershed and receives inputs from the Sun Lake Drain and from a channel that connects West Loon Lake. The Sun Lake Drain includes Cedar Lake, Deep Lake, and Sun Lake. East Loon Lake drains north by Sequoit Creek into Lake Marie and eventually the Fox River.
East and West Loon Lake Watershed
East and West Loon Lakes are listed as ADID (advanced identification) wetlands by various government agencies. ADID designation indicates that the lakes and surrounding natural environments have potential to have high quality aquatic resources based on water quality and hydrology values.
Watershed area:
- East Loon Lake – 5258.9 acres
- West Loon Lake – 1135.8 acres