Sedimentation issues of the Fox Chain of Lakes

The Fox Chain of Lakes is a series of interconnected glacial lakes that are essentially located along the main stem of the Fox River. Originating in Wisconsin, the Fox River flows through northern Illinois before becoming a major tributary of the Illinois River. About 75 percent of the Fox River above the lowest section of the Fox Chain of Lakes lies in Wisconsin. The drainage area above the lowest point of the chain is about 3,070 square kilometers (sq km). These lakes have a surface area of about 28 sq km. Over the years, significant land-use changes have occurred on this watershed. These changes and the geographical location of the Fox River have resulted in extensive sediment deposition within these lakes. This is especially true for those lakes in the direct path of the Fox River. For example, Grass Lake and Nippersink Lake have lost most of their capacities to sediment deposition. The average depth of Grass Lake is about 0.3 to 0.5 meters (m) and the sediment is extremely soft. Within the present research activity, the original research conducted in 1974-1975 by the same author is being examined along with additional data collected by others within the last 25 years. These initial analyses indicated that both in-lake and off-lake sediment management techniques must be implemented to increase water depths within the lakes and decrease sediment loads. Among the in-lake management alternatives now under active consideration are: dredging and disposing of sediment outside the lake, discharging hydraulically dredged sediment into geotubes or some other type of containment facility within the lake, and creating artificial islands within the lake with dredged sediments. Copyright ASCE 2004.