City Addresses Flooding Issues At Three Oaks Rec Area

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — Some trails and a marina at Three Oaks Recreation Area have been closed due to record rainfall. The park was originally designed to take on high water levels but heavy rainfall in May, which was the wettest May since 1871, has left standing water in portions of the recreation area, according to the Three Oaks Recreation Area Facebook page.

The "frequent consistent record rainfall events have challenged the original design," according to city officials. This has lead to park officials having to limit some of the amenities at the rec area in the past two years. The events are coming on the heels of an especially wet 2019--the third wettest year since 1871.

The recreation area, which offers boating, hiking, fishing, swimming and picnicking, still has all its amenities available as of Tuesday but there is limited access to some trails along the shoreline areas and the south lake marina, according to the Facebook post.

The lake at the Three Oaks used to be a quarry "so there is no natural outlet to drain these record rainfall amounts," according to the Three Oaks Facebook page. The city is conducting an engineering analysis to try and identify long-term solutions to address the high water levels.

"We appreciate your patience as we address this issue and hope you will continue to enjoy this amazing facility," city officials noted on the Facebook post.