Chicago River And Harbor Controlling Works

About Chicago River And Harbor Controlling Works

The primary purpose of Chicago River And Harbor Controlling Works is navigation. The dam maintains water levels sufficient for boat and barge traffic, supporting commercial or recreational navigation on the waterway. The dam is owned by Usace - Chicago District (federal). It impounds the Chicago near Chicago.

The dam stands 31 feet tall, and has a maximum storage capacity of 1,000,000 acre-feet. Completed in 1938, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/19/2022.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Illinois dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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