Islands coming to the Illinois River

Peoria Journal Star

PEORIA — Just in time for Earth Day, some very goopy earth is finally moving on one of the area’s most long-awaited environmental projects.

Overall, 200 acres of muck and silt may be dredged from Lower Peoria Lake to create three islands in the Illinois River. The effort begins with one 21-acre island north of the McClugage Bridge.

“It’s going to take mud and sediment that has built up over the years and turn it into an island,” said Chris McCloud, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Gov. Pat Quinn is scheduled to attend a news conference at noon Friday, announcing construction of that $2 .7 million first phase begins in June.

Col. Robert Sinkler will represent The Rock Island District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which collaborated with IDNR on the project. It has been in the planning process for years. Engineering and design work began in January 2004; funding has been assembled from state and federal sources.

“This announcement is a good reminder about the power of persistence,” said Tri-County Regional Planning Commission executive director Terry Kohlbuss. “The problems in the Peoria Lakes have been researched and analyzed for decades. The solutions have been studied, prioritized and designed for years. This project is a milestone, because it is the first big step into constructive restoration.”

According to the Corps, Peoria Lake reflects changes elsewhere along the Illinois River valley. Backwater lakes have lost an average of 70 percent of their volume since the oldest complete survey of the river was done in 1903. Peoria Lake has gone from an estimated maximum of eight feet to one foot to two feet in recent years. This project begins restoration of deep-water fisheries habitat lost to sedimentation.

“It’s going to not only enhance recreational opportunities … it’s also going to increase habitat for wildlife species,” said McCloud. “And it’s going to improve the shipping canal for big barges.”

Officially, this island begins the construction phase of the Illinois River Basin Restoration Program. It involves dredging two channels, then filling three rows of six-foot-high geotextile containers to outline the island. A berm will be built on a 200-foot-long test section.

The work will be done by a local company, Midwest Foundation Corp. of Tremont. It is scheduled to be completed in November.

Depending on funding, a second stage to fill the interior of the island may begin in 2010. Fifteen other critical restoration projects are in various stages of planning and design, according to the Corps, including two at Pekin Lake.

“Many people have worked for a long time to get this far,” Kohlbuss said. “But we still have a long way to go to have an Illinois River that we can enjoy to the fullest.”