Our Mission and Duties

The Office of Water Resources administers regulatory programs over construction in the floodways of rivers, lakes, and streams; construction in the shorewaters of Lake Michigan; construction and operation of dams; construction in public bodies of water; diversion of water from Lake Michigan; and withdrawal of water from Lake Shelbyville, Carlyle Lake, and Rend Lake. The office is the lead state agency for water resources planning, navigation, floodplain management, the National Flood Insurance Program, and interstate organizations on water resources. Interagency duties include the state water plan, drought response, flood emergency situation reports, and the comprehensive review of Illinois water use law.

In addition to its normal functions, the Division of Planning gathers water resource data prior, during and following a flood or other disaster. This data is assembled and disseminated to various state and local agencies. Representatives of the Division act as the Technical Liason to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and provide daily briefings on flood conditions of monitored streams throughout the state and its boundary waters. In cooperation with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a summary sheet of river stage information is provided here.

The primary capital activity of the office is in the area of urban flood damage reduction. The office assists units of local government with urban flood damage reduction projects through planning, design, construction, and financial assistance. The urban program also features the acquisition of flood prone homes and businesses.

Structure of the Illinois Office of Water Resources

The Office of Water Resources consists of five divisions: Planning, Project Implementation, Resource Management, Program Development, and Administrative Services. Office personnel operate the William G. Stratton lock and dam on the Fox River, the Sinnissippi Dam on Rock River, and other state-owned dams or water control facilities. The office sponsors water resources research and operates stream gauging stations, flood gauges, and lake water stage recorders in cooperation with federal, state, and local cooperators.

In past times, the streams of Illinois were used mainly as sources of water supply for man or beast and as highways of transportation and communication. The Division of Waterways' attention soon focussed on the inadequate ability of the Illinois Waterway to haul freight competitively, and by 1916 the Illinois and Michigan Canal had very little traffic at all. The Marseilles Lock and Dam when completed was 600 feet long and as wide as the Panama Canal. The new Lockport Lock and Dam had the distinction of having the highest lift of any lock of its size in the world, 41 feet.

The Illinois Legislature created the Department of Purchases and Construction in 1925. Some of the authority formerly vested in the Illinois Waterway Commission was assigned to the newly created Department to enable the design and construction of the Illinois Waterway, with the provision that its powers become void upon completion of the project. The Division of Waterways was thereupon transferred to the new department with the provision for the duration of the waterway project. In 1933 the Department of Purchases and Construction was abolished and the Division of Waterways was again made part of the Department of Public Works and Buildings.

The waterway project completed, Waterways turned its attention to surveying the boundaries of Lake Michigan and Wolf Lake, determining the divide between private encroaching lands, and the public lands in holding for everyone. Collection, compilation and dissemination of information on river flow led to agreements with the US Geological Survey to set up stream gaging programs that are still going today. Swampland draining and the creation of drainage districts to reclaim farmlands continued as well.

In 1943, highway and all other purely civilian improvements had to be subordinated to more vital national needs for the duration of the war. Approximately 80% of the Division of Waterways' work came under war related activity, including maintenance and operation of 14 movable and 23 fixed bridges on the Illinois waterway between Lockport and Grafton. Much war material was being water-shipped and hundreds of naval vessels built in Great Lakes shipyards (including gigantic submarines)were navigated down the waterway to outfitting ports. Flood control work along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, especially in the vicinity of war production industries. Cooperation in solving drainage problems affecting agricultural lands, public utilities and war industries such as channel improvements, and channel changes. Cooperation with State and Federal civilian defense agencies in blacking out bridges, etc. Protection of vital water control structures, such as dams, gates and weirs on various public waters.

Post war projects emphasized flood control.

A History of the Office of Water Resources

The history of the Office of Water Resources can be traced back to 1823 when the Illinois Legislature formed the Illinois Michigan Canal Commission. The Office as it is known today was organized in 1917 when the Civil Administrative Code combined the authorities Canal Commissioners, the Rivers and Lakes Commission and the Illinois Waterway Commission. The foundational powers of the Office are covered by the Rivers, Lakes and Streams Act which was passed in 1911.

The earliest activities of the Office concentrated on the Illinois River and other large river basin issues including flood control, public waters protection and navigation. The design of the navigation system that we have today on the Illinois River as well as the construction of the locks and dams at Marseilles and Starved Rock was accomplished by Water Resources before the State ran out of money for the system and turned it over to the Corps of Engineers. The Office of Water Resources currently operates under the authorities covered by more than 50 State statutes.

Under the authority of these statutes the Office of Water Resources regulates construction the floodways of rivers and streams; regulates construction of appropriate uses in designated floodways in northeastern Illinois; allocates diversion of water from Lake Michigan; regulates construction in the shorewaters of Lake Michigan; protects public bodies of water from private encroachment; regulates dam safety; operates state locks, and waterways; administers lands and waters of the Illinois Waterway and Kaskaskia River navigation project; coordinates National Flood Insurance Program; plans the conservation of water resources; administers state water supply storage at Carlyle, Shelbyville, Rend and Kinkaid reservoirs; plans, and constructs projects to assist units of local government urban flood damage reduction including acquisition of flood properties; represents Illinois in three river basin commissions and national organizations of water resources, floodplain management, urban flood control and dam safety officials; as lead state agency for federal urban flood control and navigation projects, state water planning, and state water laws and policies.

Water resource data collection and mapping has always been a priority program of the Office of Water Resources. The first annual report of the agency which was published in 1918 had a section entitled “Importance of Stream Gaging Records.” This report stated that “during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1918, the Division of Waterways in cooperation with the U. S. Geological Survey maintained 25 gaging stations on the principal rivers in the State.”

Today the Office of Water Resources is staffed by 106 personnel, including 75 technical staff, located in offices in Springfield, Chicago and Bartlett. With this staff the Office of Water Resources will continue to maintain its core regulatory and construction programs. In the future the Office of Water Resources recognizes needs to address issues, laws and programs to manage resource problems such as instream flow protection, drought management, groundwater development, expanding public water supplies, innovative dredging and dam removals.
 

Water Management in the 19th Century

Early in the 19th century, Illinois was composed of millions of acres of relatively flat swampland due to poor or nonexistent drainage, and lack of protection from flooding. Much of that century was spent in attempts to drain the water off, without much success. The 1850 Swamplands Act gave still unsold lands to the State, nearly 1,500,000 acres worth, and the State passed the lands to the counties expecting drainage benefits, that generally, were not forthcoming. 

A clause to the Constitution in 1870 allowed the State to pass laws regarding drainage and the rights of landholders to build drainage features across their neighbors land, which next year became law. The Act was shortly found to be unconstitutional and rewritten stronger than before in 1879. The Farm Drainage Act of 1885 along with the Levee Act of 1879 form a firm basis for the organization, financing, and operation of drainage districts which quickly came into existence.

By 1920 the number of drainage districts levelled off, the last forming in 1937. 

Six and a half million acres were found in 1928 to still require drainage, and that 5,310,000 of these were in the process of being organized. 

Waters and Facilities

DAMS

	I. Des Plaines River
		a. Hoffman Dam

	II. Fox River
		a. Algonquin
		b. Aurora (East Dam)
		c. Dam 19A - Oswego Dam Site 
			(Transferred to IDOC 1982)
		d. Geneva
		e. W.G. Stratton Dam
		f. Millhurst Dam Site  (Transferred to IDOC 1982)
		g. Montgomery
		h. North Aurora (maintained by Fox River Valley 
			Parkway Division)
		i. South Elgin
		j. Yorkville

	III. Illinois Waterway (Corps of Engineers maintained)
		a. Brandon Road
		b. Dresden
		c. Lockport
		d. Marseilles
		e. Starved Rock

	IV. Kinkaid Lake
		a. Dam and Spillway

	V. Kishwaukee River
		a. Belvidere Dam

	VI. Midlothian Creek
		a. Midlothian Lake Dam

	VII. Rock River
		a. Sears Dam
		b. Steel Dam
		c. Sinnissippi Dam

	VIII. Upper Salt Creek
		a. Busse Woods Dams
			1. North Dam
			2. Middle Dam
			3. South Dam

	Kaskaskia River Bridge Cells
	Edgar Lakes Pump Station
	Havana Maintenance Facility
	Kinkaid Lake Field Station
	W.G. Stratton Lock
	Salt Creek Diversion
	Sears Power House
	Sinnissippi Dam Gates
	Carpentersville Ice Boom
	Dundee Ice Boom

	Fox Chain of Lakes
	Lake Michigan
	Peoria Lake
	Public Lakes Lower Illinois River
	Public Lakes Mississippi River

	Hoffman Gate & Seawall
	New Athens Levee
	Rock island Armory Seawall 
		(City of Rock Island maintained)

	I. Granite City Road to Dobrey Slough Pump Station 
		(City of Granite maintained)
		
	II. Addison Creek
		a. FR-244, Lake Street Interceptor
		
	III. Chain of Lakes
		a. Boat channel between Petite Lake and Bluff Lake
		
	IV. Chicago River
		a. FR-222 - North Branch
		b. FR-230 - North Branch
		c. FR-246 - North Branch
		d. FR-264 - North Branch
		
	V. Crestwood Drainage
		a. FR-228, Channel Improvement
		b. FR-240, Channel Improvement
		c. FR-255, Channel Improvement

	VI. Dobrey Slough
		a. FR-233, Temporary Pump Station 
			(City of Granite maintained)
			
	VII. Embarass River
		a. FR-196 Channel Improvement
		
	VIII. Horseshoe Lake
		a. FR-227, Low Flow Control Structure
		
	IX. I&M Canal
		a. FR-243, Rockdale, Stages I & II
		b. FR-250, Rockdale, Stages I & II
		
	X. Lake Michigan
		a. FR-345, Breakwater Rehabilitation
		
	XI. McDonald Creek
		a. FR-274, Channel Improvement
		
	XII. Meredosia Bay Earth Dam
	
	XIII. Rock River
		a. FR-267, Channel Improvements
		
	XIV. Salt Creek
		a. FR-376, Busse Woods Channel 1500 ft. 
		   downstream of Golf Road