Public Tour
In partnership with the Elmhurst History Museum, DuPage County Stormwater Management will offer the public a rare opportunity to tour its Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control Facility on Saturday, September 21. Tours will depart every 30 minutes beginning at 9:30 a.m. and last 2 hours. The cost for the tour is $12 per person, payable to the Elmhurst History Museum. Quarry tour ticket sales will begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 3. Visit https://www.elmhursthistory.org/ and click on the "Special Events" section for more information and to access tickets.
About
The Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control Facility is an 8,300 acre-foot flood control facility on which construction began in March of 1993. The reservoir takes advantage of the old Elmhurst Chicago Stone Quarry located south of North Ave. on Illinois Route 83 in Elmhurst. The two lobes of the quarry are separated by a rock high wall which supports West Ave. There is a "keyway" in the wall which allows diverted flood water to fill both lobes. The East Lobe is the deeper of the two lobes with an average depth of 200 feet.
When Salt Creek water elevations near flood stage, excess flood water begins spilling into a diversion channel which conveys the water to a drop shaft. Water then falls down the drop shaft into a 400 ft. long tunnel which carries the water under Rte 83 from west to east and into the west lobe of the quarry. The water is then held in the quarry until in creek water levels have receded to safe levels. The water is then pumped back to Salt Creek at safe flow rates.
