This project was undertaken by the Kane County Department of Building & Environmental Management to restore fish passage to Brewster Creek, a tributary to the Fox River, near South Elgin, Illinois.

The small dam on Brewster Creek was located approximately two miles upstream of the confluence with the Fox River. The County had previously removed a larger upstream dam (the YWCA dam – the first dam removed in Kane County) and intended on restoring fish passage between the Fox River and the stream channel.

The TAI project team was contacted by the County to work with the landowner and IDNR personnel to prepare a design solution that met the two agencies goals for fish passage. In addition to addressing the landowner’s desire to maintain some elements of the dam pool that was a central landscape feature on their property.

The TAI project team developed a partial-removal & rock ramp solution that was satisfactory to all parties involved. The project included lowering the dam one foot and constructing a 1.5 foot rock ramp which straddled the dam foundation. Three new rock riffles and bank stabilization were also constructed upstream of the dam. The footbridge was also disassembled and relocated further upstream.