Grundy Reporter

Ahead of the winter storms that recently hit the region, workers at Dresden Station prepared to do their part to help prevent flooding in Will County with plans to prevent ice build-up on the Kankakee River.

Ice jams in the Kankakee River are a significant concern for flooding in the county, WCSJ reported in February. Over the past three decades, Dresden Station has helped to offset that risk through the use of water from the plant’s cooling lakes.

“We’re glad we can help our neighbors in this unique way,” Pete Karab, site vice president, said, WCSJ reported. “In the spirit of community, this is a simple way we can demonstrate our commitment to our friends, families and neighbors who support us so much.”

The release of water from the plant’s cooling lakes is done in coordination with the Will County Emergency Management Agency. The water from the cooling lakes, which is at a higher temperature than that in the river, melts a pathway for water to continue flowing past a chokepoint.

Without the cooling lake water release, a natural dam can form that places residential neighborhoods west of Interstate 55 along Cottage Road and in the Phelan Acres area at risk, WCSJ reported. Approximately 250 homes are affected in that area.

The natural dam is created as ice on the river that has accumulated — often several feet thick — begins to break up and head down the river, WCSJ reported.

“Ice is a very powerful thing,” John McDade, a longtime resident along the Kankakee River, said, WCSJ reported. “One year, we had chunks of ice three feet thick in our yard until May. It buried our trees - completely wiped them out. The water from Dresden’s cooling lake melting the ice has been a godsend to us and to our neighbors who are more at risk for flooding.”