|
| Home |
       THE GURNEE TO LAKE
MICHIGAN TUNNEL Here's what we know: Last Fall there was a meeting in Springfield, hosted by the IDNR Division of Water Resources, to discuss the potential for building a tunnel through bedrock from the Des Plaines River to Lake Michigan. It has been discussed, rather quietly, ever since. At about the "5-year" flood stage, flood flows from the river would be diverted to the lake, thus protecting most people along the river in Lake County from severe flooding. A dam of some sort would probably be needed north of Gurnee, and the 6-mile, 16-foot diameter tunnel would go under public roads to Lake Michigan in or near Illinois Beach State Park. Something would have to be built to store and treat the water before discharging it to our regional water supply. The tunnel alone is estimated to cost $53 million, and the treatment cost would also be very expensive. The obstacles to this plan are tremendous. There are legal restrictions on diversion of water from one drainage basin to another. There are powerful protective measures at the state, federal, inter-state and international level for the Great Lakes. There are very important environmental issues that would take years to assess. There are very large and complex engineering works to be costed out to determine the benefit-cost ratio. About 70% of the damages from flooding along the Des Plaines River are related to flooded roads and disrupted traffic. Therefore, most of the benefits of the tunnel would be related to reductions in traffic delays. And the considerable flood damages that occur away from the river would not be reduced. A tunnel could take 15 to 20 years to complete, and it would be years before we could be sure it was feasible. In the meantime, large amounts of scarce funds for planning and studies would be consumed by a project that has just one purpose. Here's what we think: While we believe that all potential alternatives to reduce flooding should be explored, we will oppose extravagant studies on any project that is inherently unacceptable and which will defer action and divert funding from other valid, cost-effective, and timely alternatives In the near future we would like to bring people together to focus on the tunnel. Current Conditions Call for Action | About the Team | Current Conditions | Issues | What You Can Do | E-Mail |
