As rivers rise, flood-control efforts flow forward
Here we go again.
The National Weather Service predicted Monday that heavy rainfall this morning and later today could create or worsen flooding problems in the suburbs. As river levels rise, of course, so will the blood pressure of residents living nearby.
Forecasters issued flood warnings for the Fox River near Algonquin and the Des Plaines River near Des Plaines in Cook County and Gurnee in Lake County. Up to an inch of additional rain is expected by the end of today, coming on the heels of the nearly 3 inches of rain that soaked the Chicago area over the weekend.
This latest blast of bad weather comes as local, county and state officials search for long-term solutions to the area's most flood-prone areas. Here's a rundown of what's happening in some suburban flooding hot spots.
• Des Plaines River in northwest Cook County
Later this week, construction is expected to begin on the Levee 37 project, designed to provide flood protection for some 600 homes in Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights. The milelong levee will be built south of Palatine Road.
Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights are helping to fund the $26 million project, with other contributions coming from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and federal sources.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will oversee the project, scheduled to be completed in 2011.
The Levee 37 project will begin shortly after another flood-control effort, Levee 50, was completed. Levee 50 was designed to protect homes and businesses in Des Plaines from flooding. A third project, the expansion of Big Bend Lake near Des Plaines, could begin later this year.
"All of these should offer significant flooding protection," State Rep. Elaine Nekritz, a Northbrook Democrat who represents the area, said. "I'm very happy that we're seeing some progress on these."
• Des Plaines River near Gurnee and other Lake County waterways
While no big projects are under way at the moment, Lake County officials continue to study several flood-prone areas to see what kind of long-term solutions might be feasible in the future.
The stretch of the Des Plaines River near Gurnee, for example, is often the source of flooding during heavy rains, said Tony Wolff, chief engineer at the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission. The county is working with the Army Corps to see what can be done in that area, he said.
Other waterways being studied are the Skokie River watershed near Highland Park and the Fox River/Chain O' Lakes. Each project will require cooperation between some combination of local, state and/or federal agencies, Wolff said.
• Salt Creek in DuPage County
DuPage County officials are now petitioning the Cook County Board to approve changes to the Busse Woods Forest Preserve Dam, changes that would prevent flooding along nearby Salt Creek, said Tony Charlton, DuPage's stormwater chief.
On the western side of the county, Charlton's team is studying the west branch of the DuPage River in the hopes of developing flood-control projects that will protect homes in Carol Stream and Warrenville, he said. That study should be submitted to the DuPage County Board in April.
• Staff writer Jake Griffin contributed to this report.