Story posted Thursday, June 25, 2009
Village To Move Ahead On Busse Woods Flood Control Plan
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
Last Friday's heavy rains renewed Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson's call for flood controls to be installed in Busse Woods that would minimize Salt Creek flooding by keeping water in the Cook County Forest Preserve.
Friday's storms caused flooding along the creek into Elk Grove. Canceled were the village's Hometown Parade and the busiest days of RotaryFest.
Johnson proposed installing inflatable bladder flood control devices in two dams last fall after storms dumped billions of gallons of rain on the area causing blackouts and major flooding.
Johnson put plans for a regional summit on the dam project on hold when an environmental group called Friends of the Forest Preserve (FFP) raised objections to the flood controls saying raised water levels in Lake Busse would harm the fragile ecosystem of the woods.
Last October, Johnson and FFP leaders agreed to work together to find a compromise.
"Time's up now," said Johnson. He said he has assigned village engineers to start working up plans for the installation of the flood controls this week and would approach the Cook County Board with those plans with or without the support of the FFP.
Last November, FFP Director Benjamin Cox told the Journal a group of Northwestern University graduate students would study data from the woods supplied by the village to produce a report by May 2009 to help minimize the environmental impact from the installation of any flood controls in the dams.
That report has yet to be produced and Johnson said he has not been able to reach Cox in recent weeks to discuss the dams.
Much of the recent damage to Elk Grove Village came when Salt Creek overflowed its banks. Johnson said flood controls in the dams would have minimized damage during last September's storms.
This week, FFP staffers told the Journal that Cox was unavailable for comment as he is vacationing in France until next month.
The dams, built in 1970, have two large square openings in their centers allowing water to freely flow through. Inflatable bladders would fill those holes when Lake Busse waters rise due to heavy rains keeping water in the woods in storm events and lessening the rise of Salt Creek that flows through Lake Busse.
Busse Woods (also known by its federal designation as the Ned Brown Forest Preserve) is a national natural landmark owned and maintained by Cook County but overseen by the National Park Service (NPS).
NPS memos obtained by the Journal last year initially indicated there could be financial consequences imposed by the federal government if the primary function of the woods was changed from recreation to water detention but subsequent park service memos indicate a softening of that position.
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