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What's that smell?
Sulfur from well water.
The water outflow located on North Pond's northeast shoreline originates from a 200-foot-deep well that pumps groundwater directly from an aquifer to North Pond's surface. Well water doesn't contain oxygen until it meets the air. When hydrogen sulfide -- a naturally occurring gas commonly found in well water -- mixes with air, it emits a smell like "rotten eggs" as the gas dissipates.
Well water is good for the pond's ecology since it is lower in nutrients than city water, which has additives such as phosphorus, chlorine and fluoride.
The well was one element of the 1999 ecological restoration of North Pond by the Chicago Park District. |
Who has been setting fires in the nature preserve?
We have! We burn the pririe in the spring and fall. The fire stimulates new growth and gets rid of weeds. Most prairie plants have deep roots, so burning doesn't kill them.
Burning in Chicago requires special permits and fire-fighting equipment. So don't try this in your own backyard.
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