About Nippersink Watershed Association (NWA)
Our organization
The Nippersink Watershed Association (NWA) is made up of watershed residents. The mission of the Nippersink Watershed Association, working in partnership with watershed stakeholders, to pursue watershed planning, outreach, and implementation actions that will protect, preserve, and enhance the irreplaceable natural resources found in the Nippersink Creek watershed.
The activities of the Nippersink Watershed Association are funded solely by grants and donations from those who are interested in taking an active role in protecting and enhancing the quality of the Nippersink. As a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, your donations to the NWA are fully tax-deductible, and help keep our important watershed management efforts moving forward.
The activities of the Nippersink Watershed Association are funded solely by grants and donations from those who are interested in taking an active role in protecting and enhancing the quality of the Nippersink. As a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, your donations to the NWA are fully tax-deductible, and help keep our important watershed management efforts moving forward.
Meetings
The Association Board generally meets the 1st Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm
at 7602 Hancock,
Wonder Lake, IL 60097
at 7602 Hancock,
Wonder Lake, IL 60097
The Nippersink Watershed Association Board
The Board of our association is made up of the following volunteer board members:
Tom Cooper is a retired corporate executive of a major international corporation. Tom has been continuously involved in active Nippersink Creek watershed planning for more than 25 years. He resides in Wonder Lake, where he is actively involved in the restoration and enhancement of Wonder Lake, an 830 acre lake on Nippersink Creek.
Dick Hilton is a retired middle school teacher who relocated his family to McHenry County several years ago. He has been actively assisting in developing and implementing the Nippersink Creek Watershed Plan. He is also involved in on-going efforts to restore and enhance Wonder Lake. Dick is an associate director of the McHenry County Soil & Water Conservation District, and serves as the administrative support person for the Illinois Lake Management Association.
Dennis Palys has been a resident of Wonder Lake since 1978. His involvement in community affairs started in 1984 when he led his subdivision through a road rebuilding project and other successful upgrades, and continues today with his leadership of the Wonder Lake Chamber of Commerce. In 1989, he began a landscape design/build company in Wonder Lake. He and others worked with the McHenry County Environmental Defenders on a voluntary leaf pick-up project that eventually led to Wonder Lake's current leaf pick-up policy and contributed to McHenry County's leaf collection program. Dennis is also a founding member of the Coalition to Annex Wonder Lake and has / is involved with other community minded groups.
Cindy Skrukrud has lived in Solon Mills for 23 years. She recently retired after serving for a decade as the Clean Water Advocate for the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club. Prior to that, she was Executive Director of the McHenry County Defenders from 1993-1999. She continues to be an active volunteer with the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, serving as chair of their Water Resources Protection Committee. She has also chaired the multi-stakeholder Fox River Study Group since its formation in 2003. She works to protect the water quality of rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands throughout Illinois.
Tom Cooper is a retired corporate executive of a major international corporation. Tom has been continuously involved in active Nippersink Creek watershed planning for more than 25 years. He resides in Wonder Lake, where he is actively involved in the restoration and enhancement of Wonder Lake, an 830 acre lake on Nippersink Creek.
Dick Hilton is a retired middle school teacher who relocated his family to McHenry County several years ago. He has been actively assisting in developing and implementing the Nippersink Creek Watershed Plan. He is also involved in on-going efforts to restore and enhance Wonder Lake. Dick is an associate director of the McHenry County Soil & Water Conservation District, and serves as the administrative support person for the Illinois Lake Management Association.
Dennis Palys has been a resident of Wonder Lake since 1978. His involvement in community affairs started in 1984 when he led his subdivision through a road rebuilding project and other successful upgrades, and continues today with his leadership of the Wonder Lake Chamber of Commerce. In 1989, he began a landscape design/build company in Wonder Lake. He and others worked with the McHenry County Environmental Defenders on a voluntary leaf pick-up project that eventually led to Wonder Lake's current leaf pick-up policy and contributed to McHenry County's leaf collection program. Dennis is also a founding member of the Coalition to Annex Wonder Lake and has / is involved with other community minded groups.
Cindy Skrukrud has lived in Solon Mills for 23 years. She recently retired after serving for a decade as the Clean Water Advocate for the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club. Prior to that, she was Executive Director of the McHenry County Defenders from 1993-1999. She continues to be an active volunteer with the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, serving as chair of their Water Resources Protection Committee. She has also chaired the multi-stakeholder Fox River Study Group since its formation in 2003. She works to protect the water quality of rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands throughout Illinois.
Our Watershed Manager
Randy Stowe serves as the Watershed Manager for the Nippersink Watershed Association.
Randy was the principal author of the Nippersink Creek Watershed Plan, and also serves as the Lake Manager for Wonder Lake. Randy has 26 years of environmental planning and design / build restoration experience, with projects located across the eastern United States. Randy and his family have a farm in the Nippersink Headwaters, most of which has been restored to native prairie, wetland, and woodland. Randy also serves as a volunteer steward for the McHenry County Conservation District - High Point unit.
Minutes
Minutes
Photo on this page - Glacial Park, McHenry County, by local photographer Ray Mathis. Thank you to Ray for the use of several of his beautiful photos on this website.