Observations by SCWN Board Members
Two members of Salt Creek Watershed Network (SCWN) live near Salt Creek from Busse Woods to Brookfield Zoo. For over 20 years we have enjoyed monitoring the creek and sharing related experiences. To this end and in line with the missions of the organization we decided to share some membership observations, particularly with respect to the Busse Dam Modification Project. The following are some transitions noticed by members living near or along Salt Creek that they wanted to share:
Nick Nikola, President SCWN
Living on the Salt Creek has been a privilege for the last 32 years. When I moved to Elk Grove Village the creek was literally trashed with tons of man-made debris and it flooded a lot. But the many community cleanups to remove the trash and several projects along the creek have helped reduced high water flood events. The Busse Dam Modification Project made a significant difference to me up in Elk Grove Village and apparently all the way down the creek.
The problem was that Busse Dam holds back water during storm events causing Busse Lake to rise, thus harming the shoreline. With that in mind, an adjustable dam was designed to not only solve this problem, but to also even out the surge of water along Salt Creek during a large rain event.
The solution works like this: Before the storm event dam gates are lowered to allow water to flow out of Busse Lake into Salt Creek. Water levels in the creek rise slightly, well below flood stage, and lake levels drop giving the lake a greater capacity to hold water from the oncoming rains. As rains begin, the dam gates are raised so that Busse Lake can now hold more rain water, acting like a reservoir and sending less water into the creek. The result is the creek stays somewhat higher for a longer time than in the past, but it does not reach previous flood levels..
Fence under water at low end.
My personal example is the four foot fence I have several feet away from the creek. In past big rainfall events the water level would be close to or over the top of my four foot fence. Now, after the Busse Dam Modification, water from a big rainfall event stays at the bottom of that fence. And my neighbors are happy because they encounter far fewer flooded streets.
I have been told that the various flood control systems along Salt Creek are connected via computers which make regional control of all systems along Salt Creek work at optimal efficiency.
Ron Hursh, Vice President SCWN
The dynamics of the creek level during and after storm events has transitioned in recent years. Controlled reservoirs have been added, to take on water during storms. This includes the most recent Busse Dam Modification program. Now the creek’s water level rises more slowly with lower crests. But after the storm, with a lower crest, it also takes longer for the creek to return to normal as these reservoirs deplete. The good news is there is much less severe flooding since the Busse Dam Modification Project was completed.