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The St. Charles Dam Task Force has cancelled the meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 11 in anticipation of additional analysis being conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers.
According to a recent newsletter, the city received notification from the Army Corps that they will be conducting additional analysis for their Fox River study which may impact discussions conducted at task force meetings. Therefore, there will be no meeting in July, and the task force is scheduled to meet next at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 1.
The Task Force will be hiring a consultant to review issues raised at the meetings and to evaluate the additional reports from the Army Corps. Once all reports are completed, the Task Force will reconvene to review and discuss the new information, according to the city newsletter.
The task force is a volunteer, joint initiative by the city and the St. Charles Park District. It was formed in February as a result of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ recent study of the Fox River and its recommendation to remove nine dams in Kane County, including the St. Charles Dam.
Task force members still have dozens of questions about the dam’s impact on the environment, the local economy and the recreational use of the Fox River.
The task force consists of three aldermen and two residents representing the city, three representing the park district and one member from the River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles.
The goal of the task force is to help St. Charles City Council members make a well-informed decision on whether to remove the St. Charles Dam by engaging with the public and consultants to evaluate the environmental, recreational and economic impacts it would have on the city.
The panel has a tentative deadline of March 1, 2025, to issue a report to the City Council. It then will be up to the City Council to decide wether or not to remove the dam.
At their May meeting, task force members were appointed to four subcommittees which will individually assess environmental, recreational, economic impacts and the Army Corps’ Report.
At their last meeting, task force members determined the Illinois Department of Natural Resources owns the dam, and subcommittee members raised more questions, suggested hiring consultants, and discussed conducting studies and engaging in other data gathering methods to assess the various impacts removing the dam could have.
Subcommittee members were expected to return with specific requests at the July 11 meeting, but will now have an additional month to finalize their proposals.
Previous meeting recordings can be viewed on the task force’s YouTube page. For more information, answers to frequently asked questions and to view public records, visit the task force’s website at engage.stcharlesil.gov/fox-river-dam.