North Aurora Dam: What’s Proposed and How to Comment

The state owns North Aurora’s Fox River dam. A study recommends a removal option that would retain mill race flow, and residents have a feedback deadline coming up.

Brian Hochstetter | Hochstetter Homes · brokered by eXp Realty

Information reviewed: October 25, 2026. Feedback deadline: October 29, 2026.

What is happening with the North Aurora dam?

Could North Aurora’s Fox River dam be removed? A completed state study has brought that question back to the community, with an opportunity to weigh in through Thursday, October 29, 2026.

The village’s October 15 update says the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has concluded a multi-year study of potential removal. The village hosted a public forum that day and has posted resources for people who missed it or want to take another look.

This is a discussion about a familiar part of North Aurora’s riverfront. Before deciding where you stand, it helps to separate the study’s recommendation from a final decision and understand how your comments can reach the village.

Who owns the dam, and what role does the village have?

The village identifies the State of Illinois as the owner of the Fox River dam in North Aurora. It also says the state wants to hear from the community about potential removal.

For residents, the immediate local step is to send feedback to the village. State ownership, the study recommendation and the public-comment process are related parts of the story, but they do not establish a complete approval or permitting sequence.

I have not verified an approved demolition plan or construction date. The materials reviewed for this update should not be read as an announcement that removal work is about to begin.

What does the study presentation recommend?

The IDNR presentation linked by the village recommends Alternative 6, a new straight culvert option associated with dam removal. The recommendation slide lists an estimated $3.08 million cost and says the option would keep flow to the mill race.

The presentation identifies public safety as the primary goal, with ecological, water-quality and recreation goals also considered. It describes minimal plaza impacts for the recommended option, while acknowledging impacts to the park and trees.

It also says the culvert’s exact size, routing and depth would be optimized during design. That is an important part of reading the recommendation: these are study-level comparisons and an estimate, rather than a final construction contract or a promise that every riverfront detail will stay the same.

Why does the mill race matter to the discussion?

The presentation compares alternatives with different consequences. Full dam removal without the recommended culvert is described as leaving the mill race without flow during most of the year. The straight-culvert option is presented as a way to retain flow.

That makes the question more specific than simply keeping or removing a structure. Residents can ask how a preferred alternative would address the parts of the riverfront they care about, and which details still depend on design.

Keeping flow is also different from promising an unchanged water level or appearance in every condition. I would take questions about seasonal flow, public spaces and the final design back to the study materials and the agencies involved.

Could the mill race still dry up?

Yes, under certain conditions. The state’s FAQ says the mill race could dry up during drought or extremely low river flows, even with modifications intended to minimize impacts. It says higher river-flow conditions would not be affected. That is a conditional low-flow risk, not a statement that the channel is dry now.

The FAQ also says the state could consider removal without local support if local ownership were refused. That does not establish that a final removal decision has been made. It does mean the feedback window should not be treated as a binding local referendum.

How can you give feedback?

The village is accepting comments through Thursday, October 29, 2026, at damcomment@northaurora.org. Its notice does not specify an exact closing hour, so I would send comments before the final day if possible.

The village resource page links the forum overview, IDNR presentation, FAQs and a recording of the October 15 forum. Those links let you review the discussion before writing your own response.

You can keep a comment useful by explaining your question and why it matters to you. For example: Which design decisions remain open? How would mill race flow be evaluated? What park or tree impacts would be involved? What approvals and public updates would come next?

The deadline is an opportunity to provide input. It is not presented here as a referendum or a promise that one comment determines the outcome.

Primary sources: Village of North Aurora, Fox River Dam Feedback and Resources, October 15, 2026; North Aurora Dam Modification Study public forum presentation, October 15, 2026, especially slides 11–14 and 26–27. IDNR dam study FAQs, questions 2 and 6. Reviewed October 25. Study estimates and design objectives are not final construction commitments.