(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Sunday’s continuing heavy rains prompted the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to make a rare move: send water into Lake Michigan to alleviate flooding.
District officials say they reversed the flow of the local waterway system at two points, the Wilmette Pumping Station at Wilmette Harbor and at the lock at the Chicago River.
This procedure was a “last resort,” said Ed Staudacher, assistant director of maintenance and operations. The district last reversed the flow of local waterways three years ago.
A statement from the district says the move will help minimize over-bank flooding and mitigate the impact of storms, which have left between 1 and 4 inches of rain across the region over the past two days.
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