Water too dangerous for boats

Fox Waterway Agency officials anticipate the Fox River from the Illinois border to the Algonquin Dam -- including the Chain O' Lakes -- will remain closed to boating until this weekend.

Agency officials, along with officials from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said even though water levels are dropping, there is still debris drifting around the lakes, making navigating the waterway hazardous, even at slow speeds.

"There is still quite a bit of debris out there, and the shorelines are still very soft and pulling away," said Ingrid Ruttendjie, FWA executive director. "Plus, the gates at the dam are wide open to liberate the water downstream. So, the system is moving as fast as possible and causing strong currents."

Water levels dropping on the river and the Chain quicker than anticipated, by as much as 3 inches over a 24-hour period. Water levels recorded Monday on Fox Lake were about a foot lower than they were since cresting Wednesday. They are now about 1 foot over the point where flooding damages homes.

The Fox River north of the Chain has also receded a foot, giving officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Illinois Management Agency a good view of what damage has taken place over the past two weeks.

Kent McKenzie, head of the Lake County Emergency Management Agency, said officials from IEMA and FEMA are touring flooded areas to review damages to homes and businesses. He said a second tour will take place with emergency management officials next week to go over expenses and damage to public facilities.

"The good news is the sun is out and the river is going down," he said. " But there is a potential for rain later in the week that scares me. We'll definitely be keeping an eye on the forecasts."

Gov. Rod Blagojevich asked FEMA to declare 19 counties -- including Lake -- a federal disaster area late Friday afternoon. That opened the door for FEMA, IEMA, officials with the Small Business Administration and local emergency officials to tour the flooding and assess damages.

McKenzie said more than 400 structures have been affected in the last two weeks by flooding on the Chain O' Lakes and Fox River; 103 homes and businesses have sustained structural damage, while another 305 structures have water up to or in crawlspaces, wells or septic systems, or surrounding their property.

Lake County and other local governments still intend to meet Thursday with business owners affected by the floods. The meeting is from 2 to 4 p.m. at Antioch Golf Club on Route 59.

In the interim, officials are watching the skies as the National Weather Service has forecasted isolated thunderstorms for northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin for the rest of the week.

"We just hope that any rain goes south of us for awhile," he said.