Grundy County Historical Society hosts I&M Canal Walk-a-Thon

The Grundy County Historical Society had a tour guide and a little over a dozen residents walk along the Illinois and Michigan Canal on Saturday morning, taking in the sites and being among the first to walk over the newly reconstructed Nettle Creek Aqueduct.

The aqueduct isn’t yet finished, as the water isn’t flowing through it but those wanting to walk along it can.

There is also a panel sharing information on the aqueduct along the trail. The aqueduct was built in 1847, and it was rebuilt in 1938 with a rustic design in mind as promoted by the National Park Service, according to the panel. The current design keeps the old design in mind, but the aqueduct had to be almost tripled in length to guard against future flooding.

The Nettle Creek Aqueduct was destroyed during a flood in 2013, a flood that overtook many bridges in Grundy County thanks to four inches of rain within 24 hours. The Illinois River rose to a Morris-record of 24.91 feet, forcing evacuations of apartments and homes.