The Fondulac Reservoir Dam, or Fondulac Dam, is an earthen embankment constructed to prevent major floods in and around East Peoria, Illinois. It is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and is a levee dam, meant to stay dry during normal conditions and fills only during heavy rains. The area around it is protected to ensure safety, and serves as roughly 1,000 acres of wildland and wetlands that is used as wildlife habitat.
Background East Peoria and the Farm Creek area had experienced significant flooding throughout the 20th century, most notably the deadly 1927 Farm Creek Flood. Following this disaster, dredging and channeling projects failed to permanently solve the issue, and floods continued into the 1940s. Recognizing the need for a permanent solution, the U.S. Federal Government authorized the Farm Creek Flood Control Project under the 1944 Flood Control Act. The plan would produce two earthen dams, Fondulac (the smaller one) and its larger counterpart the Farmdale Reservoir Dam. The building of Fondulac Dam was funded largely through federal funds, along with private and local bonds.
Construction Construction began on the embankment-style reservoir in 1948. It would span 1,000 feet across the Farm Creek drainage and stand at 67 feet high. It was built without gates and instead features a normally dry culvert, which is capable of pouring excess water through the dam. By 1949, construction was complete, and work transitioned to the larger Farmdale Reservoir Dam, as well as to additional dredging, spillway construction, and levee improvement. The Army Corps of Engineers subsequently took over control of the Fondulac Dam following construction completion.
Since construction The dam has proven successful over countless rainy seasons, and times of heavy snowmelt. Downtown East Peoria has escaped major floods since the completion of the dam. Occasional rains cause the reservoir to fill temporarily and release the water after storing it, all without an active gate. Today, the dam not only serves as flood control measures, but also as a semi-protected habitat for wildlife.
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