These are notes that I am writing to help me learn our industrial history. They are my best understanding, but that does not mean they are a correct understanding.
There is a fence around the interesting part of the lock. Fortunately, there is a sign near the open gate that indicates that visitors are welcome during daylight hours. The gate was 32. Since a satellite image indicates it has 9 gates, then I assume each gate is open a little over 3.5 feet. Or maybe 5 gates are at 4 feet and 4 are at 3 feet (5*4+4*3).
As the sky implies, I made this trip on a day they were forecasting scattered thunderstorms because the river was predicted to peak on July 14. And it did.
When a guy on an electric cart came back from the dam, he crossed the upstream lock gate in the middle of this picture. Since I was at that end of the fence, he said hi to me. I walked along and engaged him in conversation. That is how I learned the dam was running at gate 32. That is also how I established that it would be OK for me to take pictures. He confirmed there were no tows moving because the river was too high. The river is high enough that the tows can't clear some of the the bridges.
The view of the downstream side of the downstream gate illustrates how high the river is. Normally you could see over 20 feet of this gate.
John captured a more typical river level that is well below the top of the gate.
While looking for other views of the lock and dam and confirming that I could not see the nearby CN/EJ&E Bridge from here, I encountered a flock of geese that are at the back of the grass in the first photo.
Dennis DeBruler posted two photos with the comment:
The current Google Maps satellite image has a ringer working on the Dresden Dam. I wonder if it is the Hercules. The ringer has lowered a bulkhead into the gate opening and lifted the Tainter gate onto a couple of barges that are lashed together as a work surface. One of the support barges also has a crane. I included the overview because they are releasing water through just three gates to keep the river's flow away from the gate repair even though that increases the flow near the shipping channel. https://www.google.com/…/@41.3992349,-88.2821…/data=!3m1!1e3
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Beau Niedjelski commented on Dennis' posting It's probably this crane I see it up and down the illinois river all the time.
Joe Ahern posted three photos with the comment: "Dresden dam, channahon illinois."
Today we have our first look at the work happening at Dresden Island Lock and Dam in Morris, Illinois, as part of the 2020 Illinois Waterway Consolidated Lock Closures. Work at Dresden includes upper bulkhead recess installation that will allow the lock to be dewatered as part of the scheduled 2023 lock closures. #ILWW2020Closures
1 A concrete block is lifted away from the I-wall. Removal of the block will create a space for the precast wall panels anchorages.
2 A precast wall panel being transferred to the work barge.
3 Employees inspect the I-wall concrete after the concrete blocks are removed.
4 A diver drills holes for the new precast wall panel anchors.
5 A concrete pumper truck is used to place concrete underwater to fill a trench in, at the rivers bedrock.
Zig Markowski posted, cropped [Downstream side of construction taken on Jul 23, 2020]
The view of the downstream side of the downstream gate illustrates how high the river is. Normally you could see over 20 feet of this gate.
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