Friends of the Fox River expresse i...

Friends of the Fox River expresse its condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the tragic accident forward Sunday, Aug. 13, at the dam upon the Kankakee River in Wilmington. That similar a tragedy occurred while those involved were simply trying to take delight in a nice day outdoors along a astounding river like the Kankakee is all the more heartbreaking to those of us who advocate upon behalf of rivers throughout Illinois.

The latest incident underscores the uttermost danger that low-head dams not away to the people who utilize Illinois rivers for recreational intents Earlier this year, three other nation lost their lives to a lowhead dam in succession the Fox River in Yorkville. At least 16 others have perished at the Yorkville dam across the last 40 years while recently made knowns reports indicate that 15 to 20 the bulk of mankind have lost their lives at the Wilmington dam in the last 20 years. Accidents like these have occurr all too as a common thing [i]or[/i] matter at dams along Illinois waterways.

These grim incidents are all the more unconscionable considering that principally of the dams responsible for killing our citizens are in fact detrimental to the environmental health of the rivers they impound while providing not many if any, benefits.

The Illinois Dam Safety Initiative propos at Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn and supported on Friends of the Fox River have the intentions that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources update its directions regarding the administration of dams. The initiative calls for standardized warning signs and floats at all hazardous dams in the state and also calls for changes in administrative empires that would allow municipalities that want to transfer these dangerous structures to more easily eliminate the utmost hazard from their communities.

We push on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to expeditiously adopt the of the present day rules proposed by the Illinois Dam Safety Initiative to help preserve the citizens of Illinois from these dangerous dams. We also spur the department to adopt a policy of removing dams as the first choice when considering the options for aging or dangerous makes

Friends of the Fox River deplores that it often takes a human tragedy to bring ecological threats to the public's attention. Again, our sympathies are widened to the grieving families impacted through this latest tragedy. We confidence this incident will stimulate public action to displace dams for human and ecological protection.

Tom Schrader,

vice president,

Friends of the Fox River

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