Current Events
A Stratton Lock & Dam Project Public Meeting took place Monday, April 16 at 6 pm. in the Conference Center at McHenry Co College, 8900 US Hwy 14, Crystal Lake. The Stratton lock, constructed in 1960 at Stratton Dam, does not have the capacity to meet the current peak demand. The sluice gates constructed in 1939 have reached the end of their useful life.
March 31, The Vermilion River near Oglesby was declared open for rafting after two years of closure following safety modifications to the low head dam there. Director Marc Miller and State Rep. Frank Mautino attended the ceremony.
The DNR Office of Water Resources and Teng & Associates (now ESP, Inc.) has been selected to receive a prestigious Grand Award in the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) 2012 Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) competition for the project "Yorkville Dam Safety Improvements & Bypass Channel". Teng & Associates was IDNR's principal consulting design engineer for the project.
The Marge Cline Whitewater Course at Yorkville is now open to the public free of charge; however, temporary closures may occur due to pending Phase 3 pedestrian bridge construction across the course yet this year, and as yet unscheduled necessary repairs. Contact the city of Yorkville for information related to course closures.
Target Hunger Now! works with sportsmen and meat processors to provide donated venison, and fish from commercial fishermen and processors to the Illinois food bank network to put healthy meals on the tables of struggling Illinois families.
Stratton Lock and Dam reopened May 1. Every year, the IDNR lowers the water level by 18 inches in anticipation of rising water from the large snow melts and rains of spring and is used to reduce the possibility of ice jams flooding. The annual winter drawdown traditionally takes place from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1 gradually over a month to prevent erosion.
Meetings
None scheduled at this time.