Rain, thaw sets up worries over flooding

If you're like most people, you're probably sick of cold and snow, and praying for a warm-up.

But officials watching the Chain O' Lakes and Fox River say too much of a good thing could be bad. Really, really bad.

Above-average temperatures that melted snow Sunday and mixed with rain Sunday and Monday could set the stage for rising water levels.

Some of that flooding could show up in coming days on land along the lower river -- between the McHenry and Algonquin dams.

"There is always concern about flooding," said John Palmieri, lockmaster of the McHenry Stratton Lock and Dam. "But we are being proactive and trying to send water downstream to create more storage room."

By opening and closing dam doors, Palmieri can control how fast water runs downstream to Elgin and St. Charles. The aim is to make room for expected heavy water flow from New Munster, Wis.

There, water should hit about a foot over flood stage Tuesday morning, reports show, and crest at three feet over flood stage Thursday night. That high water should hit the Chain by late Saturday or early Sunday, and make its way down river next week.

Any accompanying warm weather or rain could trigger a quick thaw and threaten more areas along the Fox River and Chain, Palmieri said.

Temperatures at the freezing mark, giving the Illinois Department of Natural Resources time to push more water down stream, would be ideal, he said.

"The water levels will rise systemwide, but we are trying to keep up with it," Palmieri said.

The National Weather Service predicts a 30 percent chance of snow or rain three days this week, with highs in the low to mid-30s all week.

The current flood threat dates back to early winter when heavy snowfall melted rapidly in December and caused the Chain and Fox River to fill up early, Palmieri said.

A January deep freeze followed that made it tough to lower the river and release water downstream. Heavy snowfall during and after the freeze worsened the problem.

But Palmieri said the lakes have slowly been drained in the past two weeks to create water storage room.

And, ice dams that normally form near Elgin have broken up, and water is flowing freely past St. Charles to the Illinois River.