Work Begins to Remove the Fox River Dam in Carpentersville

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The Fox River will soon flow freely from Algonquin to Elgin as work begins this month on removing the Carpentersville Dam. This $1.2 million project, set to finish in November.

​The Carpentersville Dam is considered a deteriorating concrete structure and dates back to the 1830s.  It was originally built as a low-head "run of the river" dam. Though once vital, it now poses safety risks and contributes to environmental degradation. The project will remove most of the dam’s spillway, improving public safety, enhancing fish populations, boosting water quality, and reducing future costs for upstream wastewater treatment.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Kane County Forest Preserve are overseeing the project.

The Forest Preserve District of Kane County marked the dam’s upcoming removal with a “ribbon-tying” event, symbolizing the river’s return to its natural flow.​​

The Carpentersville Dam is the only one on the Fox River owned by the forest preserve district. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has recommended removing nine others, including those in Elgin, South Elgin, Aurora, and St. Charles, but final decisions rest with the local municipalities.