Fox River re-opens with no-wake status

Boating has officially returned to the Fox River and Chain O' Lakes.

On Friday, officials from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Fox Waterway Agency in Fox Lake announced the river between McHenry's Stratton Lock and Dam and the Algonquin Dam reopened to no-wake status.

The upper river and Chain are fully open.

No-wake means boats are not allowed to travel fast enough to create a wake behind the boat, which is about 5 mph.

Ingrid Ruttendjie, executive director of the waterway agency, said restrictions could change this weekend depending on the amount of water sent downstream through the Algonquin Dam.

Ruttendjie said boaters should continue to watch for debris dislodged during flooding.

The Fox Waterway Agency controls no-wake restrictions, while the IDNR is in charge of determining whether boating is allowed.

Arlan Juhl, manager for the IDNR's water resources division, said dam doors were used to drop the height of the lower river. The move was designed to open boating before the weather turns cold.

Water continued to drop to normal levels Friday from New Munster, Wis., through Algonquin Dam.

All areas are about one foot below normal flood levels, and are leveling off or falling.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency continues to tour Lake and five other northern Illinois counties that suffered heavy flood and storm damage in August to determine whether property owners could qualify for federal relief.