Carpentersville dam removal now set for spring or summer
Plans to remove the Carpentersville dam on the Fox River have been pushed back to spring/summer 2023, officials said.
“It has taken longer than expected to receive the permits and required approvals, and the work must be done when river levels are low,” said Jennifer Rooks-Lopez, chief of planning and land management for the Kane County Forest Preserve District.
District staff met with its project consultant, V3 Cos., and staff from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers on Tuesday to review suggestions made by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for the removal process, she said.
“We believe the permitting issues were resolved (this week). However, nothing is in writing at this time, only verbal agreement, and while I believe it is unlikely, there is always a possibility that something could change,” Rooks-Lopez said.
The dam is owned by the forest preserve district and the river overseen by state and federal government agencies, which is why all three entities must be in agreement before the work is done.
Activists have long sought the structure’s removal here and in other areas for environmental reasons, many of which are now also embraced by local, state and national officials. A study on the benefits and drawbacks of pulling out the Kimball Street dam in Elgin, also on the Fox River, is currently underway.
In Carpentersville, removing the barrier will allow for the free movement of fish and other aquatic organisms, improve upstream water quality and eliminate an impediment for people who like to canoe or kayak on the river, Rooks-Lopez said.
In 2015, the district received a $3.5 million grant from the Department of Natural Resources to help fund the removal of the dam and the Fabyan Island causeway in Geneva, the latter of which was done in 2019.
“The IDNR will be reimbursing the district at 100% up to the remaining balance from the original grant of approximately $2.1 million,” Rooks-Lopez said.
The project will be put out to bid this winter, with the contract likely awarded in early winter 2023.
Rooks-Lopez said the removal will be done by creating a series of notches in the structure so the water level on both sides of the dam can stabilize prior its demolition. Once it’s gone, the foundation area will be backfilled with clean stone to create riffles and restore the riverbed to its proper level, she said.
“The restoration is primarily structural in nature. That is, restoring the riverbed back to its original condition as much as possible,” Rooks-Lopez said.
Removal and restoration work will take about two weeks to complete.
“Removing the dam when water levels are low is safer for contractors performing the work and reduces the release of sediment and abrupt water flow downstream,” she said.
Maximum allowed water levels will be established prior to contract bidding to guarantee the work is done under the best conditions, Rooks-Lopez said. If there is a dry spring, the work can begin then. Otherwise, demolition will be scheduled this summer, she said.
For more information on the project, go to www.foxriverstudygroup. org/river-restoration and https://foxriverecosystem. org/fox/resources.