Flood-control facilities operating as rain drenches DuPage County

DuPage County officials say their major flood-control facilities likely will be in operation through the end of the week after storms Monday night and Tuesday drenched the area.

The precipitation raised elevations in Salt Creek and the West Branch of the DuPage River enough to trigger operation of the Elmhurst Quarry, Fawell Dam in Naperville, Spring Creek Reservoir in Bloomingdale, the Armstrong Park Reservoirs in Carol Stream and the Wood Dale-Itasca Reservoir.

Standing water was reported on several major roads, including Route 53 near the Morton Arboretum in Lisle and Highland Avenue, between 31st and 39th streets, near Downers Grove.

Many communities reported flooded basements.

Of the 16 flood control facilities DuPage operates, the five larger ones have mechanical equipment allowing staff to control them according to a predetermined operating plan. The remaining facilities protect the surrounding areas without human intervention using fixed weirs and natural drainage systems.

In total, the facilities have a floodwater storage capacity of nearly 6 billion gallons.

The county's stormwater management staff will continue to monitor stream elevations and provide updates as they become available, officials said. For more information, local agencies and residents may visit http://ec.dupageco.org/dec/stormwater/watershed/index.html to learn about flood control facilities throughout the county, as well as to view rain and stream gauges, forecasts and real-time pictures.