McDowell Grove Dam Modification

UPDATE: On Saturday, Nov. 1, the Raymond Drive entrance and the main parking lot at McDowell Grove Forest Preserve in Naperville will reopen to the public. The area had been closed to accommodate the modification of the McDowell Grove Dam. Temporary gravel paths and access points for construction equipment will remain in place for additional river-restoration efforts and infrastructure improvements.

Paddlers wishing to enter the river at McDowell Grove will need to continue to use the put-in and take-out sites at Fawell Dam, which is located south of the construction zone along an access road off Raymond Drive.

The District has begun the modification of a 3-foot-high dam at McDowell Grove Forest Preserve in Naperville in order to return a portion of the West Branch of the DuPage River to a healthier, more natural waterway.
During the first phase of the project, contractors will remove built-up sediments from behind the dam, modify the dam to mimic a more natural stream channel shape, and restore habitat features in the newly free-flowing stream.  A sheet-pile wall will be constructed upstream of the dam to divert water so dam modifications can be conducted; it will remain until remaining sediments are safely removed and thorium cleanup is completed as part of the West Branch River Valley Restoration Project in 2010. The completion of this dam-modification project will improve river habitats for fish and wildlife communities, and make recreational boating safer by removing a physical barrier. Further details can be found in the links to the right.

Project Funding
Funding for the removal is being provided by the DuPage County Division of Stormwater Management through a federal grant, which was sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin and former Rep. Dennis Hastert and is being administered through the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Preserve Closure
As a result of the dam modification, the forest preserve will be closed to motor-vehicle access until mid-October.  During this time, visitors will only be able to access recreational features east of the construction zone — the picnic shelter, picnic area, drinking water, latrines and fishing spots along the river’s edge — via the trail system. Paddlers who wish to enter the river at McDowell Grove will need to use the put-in and take-out sites at Fawell Dam, which is located south of the construction zone along an access road off Raymond Drive.