A costly and wet summer for West Dundee
You don't have to remind West Dundee officials how costly and wet this summer is becoming.
Like residents and leaders in or municipalities they are contending with expensive energy prices and rainy weekends. To make matters worse the high Fox River level has put much of trustees' riverwalk under water for the past two weeks.
Not only can't people enjoy the popular summer attraction, but the quick rises and slow falls of the river have worsened the erosion under the $3 million brick walkway.
"The walk itself is fine," said West Dundee Village President Larry Kelly. "It's the riverbank under it we have to worry about."
Last year they were aware of the problem and looked into possible solutions. Before they could go further, spring and summer rainstorms submerged the low spots again.
"We know it would help if we put larger boulders under the along the bank. We have smaller ones there now, but they get washed away when the river goes up," Keller said.
West Dundee village board members haven't even considered the cost to do that. They still have to see what need their quickest attention. And before they do that, the river has to go down so they can see the entire bank.
The section just south of the footbridge connecting East and West Dundee, has the worst damage, he said. The 12 years of high and low water levels have erase a large portion of the bank. The other sections, even the low ones, have held up.
To fix the damage, trustees have to get a better look at it and determine how much it will be to fix. They also must get permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to do the work.
The Corps is responsible for the river's banks and bottom.
"(Corps officials) usually don't like the banks to be changed once erosion has occurred," Keller said.
But repairs may be months away. For now, the walk is still safe to use when people can walk on it. The pavilions and the bricks are still sound and it still give people a nice view of the Fox River, which it was intended to do.
Village board members created it from the Route 72 bridge to their village border to attract people to downtown shops and restaurants.
"It was a good idea," Keller said. "It took a while for it to catch on. It wasn't popular at first but through the years it has been a nice addition to the village."
The only problem is the reason why people stroll the riverwalk has become the reason they can't use it in rainy months. Portions are low and the river floods them.
Send your news about East and West Dundee and Gilberts to Gerard Dziuba c/o Daily Herald, 385 Airport Road, Suite A, Elgin, IL 60123, or e-mail to gerarddz@ameritech.net.