Fox River dam removal alternatives meeting to be held at Arcada Theatre

The River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles will host Dam Alternatives, a free lecture on the St. Charles dam Wednesday night at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles.

Based on the findings of a recent study, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is recommending removal of all nine Fox River dams in Kane County from the Carpentersville Dam to the Montgomery Dam in order to restore the river’s natural wildlife habitat and improve water quality.

The Army Corps conducted the Fox River Habitat and Connectivity Study as part of the Illinois River Basin Restoration Program, which was approved by congress in 2000. The study findings will be reported to congress, and the decision to remove the dams will be up to each municipalities locally elected officials.

The Army Corps’ recommendation has sparked a great deal of controversy between residents on both sides of the issue, with some wanting the dam removed and others fighting for it to stay.

The River Corridor Foundation believes that complete removal of the St. Charles dam would have a dramatic negative impact on the segment of the river from downtown St. Charles north to South Elgin. The foundation has been advocating for an alternative to removing the St. Charles dam that would improve the health of the river while maintaining water levels and opportunity for recreation, which is detailed in their Active River Project and will be discussed during the lecture.

Engineer Scott Shipley, with S20 Design & Engineering, now part of Calibre, will lead the lecture from 7 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 17 at the Arcada Theatre.

The lecture will be the first in the foundation’s 2024 A River Flows Through It lecture series which will each feature different river-related topics and guest speakers in St. Charles.

Shipley will talk about his dam alternative concepts for St. Charles, with examples of how he has worked with other communities to creatively use river engineering to deal with dam removals and their resulting successes.

According to a news release from the River Corridor Foundation, Shipley and his S2O Design team have been instrumental in more of these types of river projects than any other firm. He is passionate about whitewater recreation and responsible design and construction, which blends engineering precision with athletic experience to integrate rivers into communities through recreation, resilient design, and habitat rehabilitation.

Those interested in attending this or future lectures in the series should register here prior to the event. For more information on the organization and their other initiatives, visit the River Corridor Foundation website.