The Stratton Lock and Dam (known until 1991 as the McHenry Dam, officially named the William G. Stratton - Thomas A. Bolger Lock and Dam) is a dam in Nunda Township,

McHenry County, Illinois McHenry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 Census, it had a population of 310,229, making it the sixth-most populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Woodstock. McHenry County is one of the f ...

. It is named after former Governor

William Stratton William Grant Stratton (February 26, 1914 – March 2, 2001), was the 32nd governor of Illinois from 1953 to 1961. Early life and career Born February 26, 1914 in Ingleside, Lake County, Illinois, the son of William J. Stratton, an Illinoi ...

and Representative

Thomas A. Bolger Thomas A. Bolger (April 1, 1887 – April 16, 1953) was an American politician. Bolger was born on a farm in Nunda Township, McHenry County, Illinois, Nunda Township, McHenry County, Illinois. He lived in McHenry, Illinois. Bolger served on th ...

. The dam is the only dam on the Fox River (

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

) that is served by a lock system. The first dam at the site was a wooden dam built in 1907. This dam deteriorated and was replaced by a steel sheet piling design sometime before 1915. A lock was constructed at the same time as this dam. The lock and dam were conveyed to the Illinois DNR in 1923-24. Significant damage to the structure occurred during flooding in November 1937 and July 1938. Due to this damage, the State of Illinois Department of Public Works and Buildings, Division of Waterways, built the present dam and control structure in 1939. The present lock was constructed in 1958-1960 and opened for use on June 1, 1960. The dam features a Spillway Crest 221' long at elevation 736.7, 50' long Hinged Crest Gate with variable height from 6" above spillway (737.2) to 730.3; installed in 2002, and 5 Sluice Gates that are 13.75' long. The Stratton Lock and Dam Life Extension Project, announced in 2014, included the construction of a new controlling structure immediately upstream of the 1939 dam, berm rehabilitation along the west side of the Fox River due to erosion, and the extension of the lock downstream, doubling its capacity. The work was completed before the start of the 2017 boating season. The Dam maintains the Fox Chain O'Lakes Pool levels while the Lock provides recreational passage between the Fox

Chain O'Lakes The Chain O'Lakes, or simply "The Chain", is a waterway system in northeast Illinois composed of 15 lakes connected by the Fox River and man-made channels. Encompassing more than of water, of shoreline and of river, the Chain is the busiest ...

in northern Illinois, and the Fox River for recreational watercraft from May through October and is closed for the winter season each year from November 1 through April 30. An average of 17,000 boats pass through the aging locks annually, along with millions of gallons of water. The facility is owned and run by the

Illinois Department of Natural Resources The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is the code department of the Illinois state government that operates the state parks and state recreation areas, enforces the fishing and game laws of Illinois, regulates Illinois coal mines, ...

. The lock operates for all powered, sail-driven, or paddle-propelled canoes or boats, even float tubes, at no charge. The operation goals of Stratton Dam are to maintain a recreational pool, utilize available storage in the Chain of Lakes to minimize regional flooding, maintain minimum flows for water supply and aquatic habitat, and limit flows during ice jam periods.

References

External links

Official PageOperation of the Stratton and Algonquin DamsStratton Lock & Dam pictureStratton Lock & Dam Lock
{{McHenry County, Illinois Dams in Illinois Buildings and structures in McHenry County, Illinois Dams completed in 1907 United States state-owned dams McHenry, Illinois 1907 establishments in Illinois