In 2002, Illinois listed Sugar Creek as polluted by 2 water-quality problems. 20 years later, 1 was cleared after cleanup efforts helped restore healthy oxygen levels

Sugar Creek's dissolved oxygen impairment was cleared after twenty years of restoration work. Projects across the watershed focused on reducing agricultural pollution and erosion sources. Water quality monitoring confirmed dissolved oxygen levels met state standards by 2022. This success led to the creek's removal from the impaired waters list.