Fox Valley gets rain reprieve

Parts of the northern Fox Valley remained under water Tuesday, but emergency workers and local officials say the worst may be over.

Unless there's more rain.

Some residents in northern Kane and southern McHenry counties were still dealing with flooded neighborhoods Tuesday, officials said.

Streets, golf courses and public parks in some areas remained closed.

But overall, officials said the water levels in the surrounding creeks and streams were receding, and the Fox River was holding relatively steady despite the decision to open flood gates in Algonquin and McHenry.

"The feeder tributaries have crested and are dropping," said Donald Bryant, director of the Kane County Office of Emergency Management. "Any increase we saw in opening the flood gates was offset by the decrease in the streams."

But residents should still be prepared if the situation changes, Bryant said.

"We're kind of in a standby mode," he said. "If there's no more rain, the river will crest and recede. The problem is the weather service is forecasting rain overnight and the next few days. Any increase in the river level is going to threaten additional homes."

In Elgin, officials say they reopened Willard and Varsity Drive. But Walton Island and the Wing Park Golf Course remained closed, and there still was flooding in the Eagle Heights subdivision.

"For the most part the public streets are back to high and dry," public works director John Loete said. "We're definitely on the mend. But it's pretty touch and go still. The ground is saturated. Any rain that falls, there's going to be a lot of runoff. We're still keeping our fingers crossed."

Even without additional rain, however, McHenry County officials were warning residents to stay off the river.

"The river is a dangerous place," McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren said, warning boaters to stay off the Fox River and Chain O' Lakes. "Stay completely clear. There's debris that's washed in and is partially submerged. Stay completely clear of the river."

The combination of submerged debris, high water levels and fast-moving currents have combined to create hazardous conditions, McHenry County Marine Commander Howie Parth agreed.

"It's pretty rough out here," Parth said from near the McHenry Locks and Dam. "The problem is we have people who have apparently not gotten the message that the river is closed. It's very hazardous."

The Fox Waterway Agency closed the lakes and river both north and south of the McHenry dam to the Algonquin dam Monday afternoon.

It was concern with the high water levels upstream that prompted the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to order the McHenry flood gates to be opened mid-morning Tuesday. Water levels at New Munster, Wis., which feeds those waterways, are almost five feet above flood stage.

"The Chain O' Lakes is filling up so they're trying to draw it down," said McHenry County Emergency Services Director Barry Valentine.

"People should be prepared," he said. "The thing to watch for is if we get another rain-dumping thunderstorm coming through. We can hold our own if it's a quarter to a half-inch. But if it's another three- to four-inch rain, then we're in trouble."

Western McHenry County has had more than 15 inches of rain in the past two weeks, Valentine said. "That's a lot of rain," he said, noting however, that the bigger issue is the amount that has fallen in southern Wisconsin feeding down into the Fox.

Public works and emergency crews across the region were distributing sandbags, including several thousand in the village of Algonquin.

The village already was getting some street and park flooding within two hours of the opening of flood gates, Algonquin Public Works Director Bob Mitchard said.

And the Kane County Forest Preserve District closed Buffalo Park Campground -- possibly until the Labor Day weekend -- because of the water levels.

"We're watching ... and we're ready," Mitchard said. "We're not in a panic at all right now. We're just keeping a watchful eye."