THE LAKES OF LAKE IN THE HILLS
By BARBARA KEY, President Village of Lake in the Hills

Lake in the Hills has now successfully completed the second lake restoration. The lakes are critical to the vitality of our lake oriented community.

The dedication for the lake and the park land abutting the lake was held the end of July, 1989 with a ceremony conducted by Village Trustee Tom King, former Village Trustee and now Finance Director Russ Knockels and Wight Consulting Engineers, Inc. Construction Manager Rick Forner.

The dam is being maintained by Public Works Superintendent Dave Gregoria and the General Contractor on the project was Keno and Sons Construction Co., Highland Park, Illinois.

Working quite successfully with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Water Resources Dam Safety Head Marry Stralow and our engineering consultants Wight Consulting Engineers, Inc., 127 South Northwest Highway, Barrington, Illinois 60010, we have just finished restoration of our dam and the recreation of the 11 acre Lake No. 2. This Class No. 2 dam has a number of automated control features and does provide the downstream protection required by the Corps of Engineers and the Division of Water Resources. The statistics will amaze you since the average flow is 13 cfs, 6,000 gpm while the 100 year storm release rate is 1421 cfs, 640,000 gpm. The earthen dam is 635' long and the control structure is 40' long and will allow a variance in elevation of more than 6'.

Wight Consulting Engineers, Inc. worked closely with Marty Stralow and his department to develop a Class No. 2 rating which greatly reduced the cost of the dam that has recently been completed.

Dam No. 2 had a total construction cost of $251,000 and utilized only land that the Village already had available for public purpose.

This community wide program was totally Village financed and involved current and former Village Trustees in individual efforts to accomplish the lake that is so important to the community.

Dam No. 1 was completed in 1983, is part of a 60 acre lake received state assistance for its total cost of $600,000.

"We are proud of our lakes and of course of our community" stated President Key, "and we know what an asset these lakes are to the community development."

President Key particularly singled out former Trustee Jim Garard and Ralph Horner (deceased) for their efforts.

Page 22 / Illinois Municipal Review / December 1989