"The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is investigating the removal of the Carpentersville Dam and has fielded inquiries about eliminating other Fox River dams in North Aurora and Montgomery for public safety and environmental reasons.
The Fox River’s dams were once a source of power for nearby communities, but that is no longer the case for most of the 13 dams on the river. Low-head dams, in particular, cause strong recirculating currents and have led to multiple drownings over the years. And the dams have disrupted the river’s ecosystem, causing excess algae and other environmental issues, experts say.
The IDNR began removing more dams in 2012 when then-Gov. Pat Quinn announced an initiative to eliminate or modify 16 low-head dams throughout the state.
“Our focus is public safety, and in addition to that … is the river connectivity and ecosystem restoration, improvement to the aquatic life of the river,” said Rick Pohlman, division manager at IDNR."
Jessie Spangler reports for the Aurora Beacon-News September 3, 2018.
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