Fox River Slowly Recedes in St. Charles

Floodwaters in St. Charles began to recede on Friday, leaving trails of flotsam and jetsam littering the the high-water marks well above the banks of the Fox River.

Perhaps the most visible signs of the water’s decline were along Route 31, just north of Main Street, which on Thursday evening had been covered in perhaps 6 inches of water, but on Friday afternoon was rapidly drying up.

Most of the water that had formed a small lake along the western edge of the parking lot immediately north of the St. Charles Municipal Center also had drained away. Logs and branches and lines of other debris lay along the edge of the lot. The Fox Riverwalk still had water on it at midafternoon.

At least one resident was calling for folks to meet down in that area on Saturday to clean up the sidewalk and grassy area between the lot and the river. It was unclear late Friday if the effort would produce many volunteers.

The city issued no new flood updates on its website on Friday, barricades remained in place to bar traffic from the Illinois Street bridge, and to bar the use of the pedetrian bridge farther to the south. Similarly, barricades or warning tape remained in place in locations around the city where emergency and public works crews had placed them as the foodwaters advanced Wednesday and Thursday.

Riverside parks remained closed on Thursday, including the landmark Boy Scout Island, which remains largely underwater.

St. Charles Patch will continue to post updates on the flooding and its aftermath as they develop.

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