Decisions on Fox River dams not open, shut

By Jeff Long and Carolyn Starks
The Chicago Tribune    

CHIGACO — As long as there have been dams with people living on either side, a ticklish debate has raged during floods -- when to let the torrent through and when to hold it back.

The debate has risen in intensity along with water levels in the past week as flooding continues along the Chain O' Lakes and the Fox River, soaking homes and fraying nerves.

(AP Photo/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Russell Elliott)

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources makes the call on when to open dams at McHenry and Algonquin, which control -- to the extent that engineering can -- the flow of water through the Chain O' Lakes and the Fox, state water resources manager Rita Lee said Tuesday.

Gates at both dams were nudged open June 6, and incrementally increased over the following three days, according to Lee. Both dams were fully open by June 9.

"There is a limit to how much control we have," Lee said. "At some point the river is in control."

Floodwaters on the Fox River near the Wisconsin border in Lake County began receding slightly on Tuesday but the water will remain above 14 feet until at least Thursday. Flood stage is 10 feet.

The Chain O' Lakes is expected to crest within the next two days at 7 feet, a foot above flood stage. Officials expect the lower Fox River near Algonquin to crest over the same period at about 3.7 feet. Flood stage is 3 feet.

The decision to open or close the gates is never simple. Several monitoring sites send information on rainfall, wind speed and direction, and water flows directly to computers monitored by the state natural resources department, said Lee, a hydraulic engineer.

"We always look at what rain has fallen," Lee said. "We don't look at what is projected, because if the rain doesn't fall, we don't want to flood people downriver unnecessarily."

In normal times, by raising or lowering metal lift gates, lock tenders can help maintain normal water levels above the dam and monitor river levels. It is essential to prevent the heavily used Chain O' Lakes from becoming too shallow for boats, officials said.

The state agency, along with the lock tenders, follow guidelines from a complex but detailed operational manual that dictates how wide the gates should be open.

Although officials know their decisions can mean that one set of neighbors will flood while another is kept dry, Lee said the main factor is minimizing damage to the greatest extent possible.

"I'm looking at the impact to residents," she said.

Thomas Nozeka, who lives on West Riverside Drive below the Stratton-Bolger Lock and Dam near McHenry, is one such resident.

He watched the swift Fox River current sweep away his pier when state officials cracked the dam open a bit on June 6.

"We had to go wrestle it down and bring it back," said Nozeka, 62, who has lived in the flood-prone Orchard Heights subdivision south of McHenry for 17 years.

He wishes the state would be a little more patient before opening the floodgates.

Dave Schultz, who lives above the dam, said he wishes the gates had been opened wide long before the heavy rains of June 7-8. Schultz, 42, has lived for 13 years on Pistakee Lake.

With floodwater filling the crawl space beneath his home, and threatening to swamp the main floor, Schultz thinks the state natural resources department should pay as close attention to the weather forecast as he and his neighbors do.

"If you know that you have severe rain in the area of the Chain O' Lakes or just north in Wisconsin, common sense would tell you the wise thing to do would be to open the dam and let as much water out as soon as possible," said Schultz.

jjlong@tribune.com

cstarks@tribune.com

Tribune reporter Susan Kuczka contributed to this report.

Copyright 2008 Chicago Tribune Company