Batavia City Council, Park District Agree To Demolish Fox River Dam, Develop “Master Plan”

The Batavia City Council and Park District Board met yesterday to vote on a new Fox River Corridor Master Plan, and part of that agreed upon plan means removing the dam on the Fox River.

Kevin Schmit wrote a great in depth piece on it in the Daily Herald.

What I found interesting are the ramifications of removing the dam – some we know, some we aren’t too sure about.

What we do know is that removing the dam will drain Depot Pond! Obviously, that can’t happen with the River Walk and many homes build along it’s banks. Don’t worry though, the plan also calls for preserving the pond. The obvious question would be, “How the heck do you remove the dam and preserve the pond?!” Well, that’s an answer that would have to come from people a lot smarter than me when it comes to engineering and design. I’m sure there’s a way! And the smart people who will be coming up with the answer work at Hitchcock Design, who also worked on riverfront plans in St. Charles and Elgin.

The dam has an interesting history. It was built in 1905 and actually named “Challenge Dam” for the nearby factory. It’s been deteriorating for quite a while, even having chunks of it washed away.

Again, here’s the link to the DH story with quotes from Batavia City Council members and cost considerations.

Batavia dam to be removed, Fox River corridor plan to be developed

After decades of debate, plans are being made to remove the Batavia dam while preserving nearby Depot Pond with pledges of $75,000 apiece from the city and the Batavia Park District. The Batavia City Council and the Park District Board participated in a special joint virtual meeting Wednesday to unanimously approve an intergovernmental agreement between the two entities to develop a Fox River corridor master plan.