Aurora's Veterans Island ready for boaters

Aurora's Veterans Island Marina is again open to the public following a $170,000 dredging project aimed at improving public access on the Fox River for boaters and fishermen.

Fox Valley Park District officials said Wednesday that the marina and newly refurbished boat dock and floating pier will be accessible year-round after the removal of more than 5,000 cubic yards of silt and sediment that accumulated naturally over the years and displaced water in the marina.

At normal water levels, the marina will average 5 to 6 feet deep, according to Tim Pollowy, senior landscape architect for engineering consultant Hey and Associates of Aurora.

The marina and adjacent river areas were last dredged in 1993 to make way for the arrival of two Hollywood Casino riverboats in downtown Aurora. Through the last 17 years frequent flooding, including some dangerous floods in the spring of 2008, slowly filled the marina with silt, necessitating the need for dredging the shallow cove that comprises the marina just south of the Illinois Avenue bridge.

"Keeping the marina clear of accumulated silt is an ongoing challenge," said Bill Donnell, director of natural resources, forestry and special projects. "The district is committed to making this popular launch area fully functional at all times."

Workers first noticed the increased silt in September 2009 when they repaired the marina dock that had been damaged by ice floes and built an additional ADA-accessible dock that is outfitted with an extended, floating pier.

The concrete stairs along the north shoreline of the marina and the concrete sidewalk between the parking lot and stairs also were removed during the dredging project.

The marina will be open for public launching as cleanup and landscape restoration continues. Shoreline stabilization work is being performed on Veterans Island, but will not affect the availability of the boat launch and marina.