Located in southwest Elmhurst, DuPage County Stormwater Management’s and the City of Elmhurst's Eldridge Park Reservoir provides nearly 40 million gallons, or 120 acre-feet, of flood protection for the Salt Creek Watershed.
Background
In the early 1990s, the City of Elmhurst constructed the Eldridge Park Reservoir in conjunction with the construction of the nearby Elmhurst Levee, which helps to protect areas of the City from flooding along Salt Creek. However, the construction of DuPage County Stormwater Management’s Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control Facility in 1996 altered the function of Eldridge Park Reservoir. Specifically, the water surface elevations at Eldridge Park were no longer high enough to flow over the intake weir into the reservoir because of the Quarry. In May 1999, the DuPage County Board approved an Addendum to the Lower Salt Creek Watershed Plan that included the Eldridge Park Reservoir Modification Project. The modifications included re-grading the bottom of the reservoir and lowering the overflow weir to allow floodwater into the reservoir at a lower elevation. The modified reservoir now offers protection for additional flood prone areas within the Salt Creek Watershed.
Eldridge Park Reservoir Modification Project
Three separate local governmental agencies have an interest in the land where the Eldridge Park Reservoir is located. The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County owns the land and leases it to the Elmhurst Park District. The City of Elmhurst has a permanent easement over the reservoir and is responsible for the maintenance of the facility. In 2002, DuPage County entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement with these three agencies to define the design, construction and maintenance responsibilities for the Eldridge Park Reservoir Modification Project. Construction of the modification was completed in 2003 at a cost of approximately $520,000. DuPage County paid for these improvements through the 2001 Stormwater Bond Issue.
