Yorkville resident Ken Gortowski, a self-described "dam removal geek" is documenting the removal of the 175-year-old Blackberry Creek dam. Gortowski said he visits the dam site weekly to photograph the removal. He keeps a journal of the work and archives
Dam removal part of repairs to River Road bridge project.
Yorkville resident Ken Gortowski, a self-described "dam removal geek" is documenting the removal of the 175-year-old Blackberry Creek dam. Gortowski said he visits the dam site weekly to photograph the removal. He keeps a journal of the work and archives of his photos at his website, www.waterdogjournal.com. "This is one of the best things that could happen to a creek and the Fox River," he said in an email. "This is one of those things that kind of flies under the radar for 99 percent of people, but it is important from an ecological standpoint." Gortowski, who calls himself a "creek fishing junkie," said he hopes to find smallmouth bass "wandering upstream in a couple of years." The dam removal is part of the River Road bridge project. …
Ken Gortowski
6:29 am on Sunday, February 3, 2013
I was all for total removal of the dam, would have been better for the river, but I can live with the kayak chute. I'm catching fish upstream now that I hardly ever seen before, especially more white bass and walleye. They're using the chute to move around. There's no need for anyone to be fishing in the chute, plenty of river on the other side of it. Besides, anglers are notorious for leaving … more ›