DuPage County Stormwater Management has been operating the Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control Facility, Spring Creek Reservoir (Bloomingdale), Wood Dale-Itasca Reservoir and Armstrong Park (Carol Stream) following consistent intense precipitation that began Tuesday evening, April 14.
Northern portions of DuPage County and Cook County received over 2.6 inches of rainfall very quickly beginning at about 11:30 p.m. April 14. This and subsequent rainfall events have triggered the downstream operation of four out of five major County flood control facilities. DuPage County Stormwater Management staff continued to operate the flood control facilities as necessary and monitored stream elevations throughout the weekend as an additional 0.75 to 1.25 inches of rainfall was forecasted through Sunday.
“With all the rain we’ve received, it’s good to see our investment in infrastructure is paying off,” said DuPage County Stormwater Committee Chair Jim Zay.
Of the 17 flood control facilities DuPage County operates, five larger facilities have mechanical equipment allowing staff to control them according to a predetermined operating plan. The remaining facilities protect the surrounding areas from flooding without human intervention using fixed weirs and natural drainage systems. In total, the facilities have a floodwater storage capacity of nearly six billion gallons.
Local agencies and residents may visit ec.dupagecounty.gov for more information about flood control facilities throughout the County, as well as to view rain and stream gauges, forecasts, and real-time pictures.
