Kind of bored so my son and I took ride down to Dayton to check things out. That area still looks all jazzed up from the ice jams , like mini glaciers. Still ice all over. waters running high and hard. We then stopped over by that Hospital in Ottawa thats right on the fox banks and the water is up in the grass and pretty discolored. After that we went over by the confluence of the two rivers by that park off the bridge where you can park & launch boats on to the Illinois-- high and brown.

Things look pretty crappy all over. On a cigar break I checked out the Fox, Big and Little Rock, Hollenback and a hunting preserve in Millbrook.

Made it home before I finished the cheap cigar.

Big Rock and the Fox looked deceptively clearer.
Little Rock and Hollenback were flowing mud.

Forgot I had the camera in my pocket.
Sat and watched the pheasants running all over the pen. Healthy looking birds.
I haven't hunted them in a few years. I miss that.

I would have to say that cigar did its purpose. How about that dumping we had in the 2nd week of Sept in 2008. We stopped over by big rock lake just before the creek reached its highest crest that saturday. Crap loads of water was coming off that farm field to the SW beyond that tree line and was just gushing to the gravel path before the bridge over the creek. all that water was ending up in the creek . Right before the structure of the bridge starts, a sink hole formed from the gushing water and that was the waters main entry point to the creek. The sure power of water is just beyond comprehension. Later that day the creek and the field water finished that whole area off. That creek has a hard time harnessing its own power. Ken , I'm betting you stopped by there that day and saw what I saw. That there would be an educated guess.

John S Montgomery wrote:Right before the structure of the bridge starts, a sink hole formed from the gushing water and that was the waters main entry point to the creek.

I was wandering around the river that day taking pictures. Have some interesting ones from Oswego. Checked out Waubonsie Creek and it was unreal how much water was coming down it.

Funny you mention that sink hole. Last year while wading down the creek, I got to that point and had to get out. I didn't remember it being that deep. Then I remembered the flood and attributed it to that. By the foot bridge was another area I could no longer get through. I'll bet the flood changed that too.

Now I know how it did it.

I like tracking things like that. Nature geek. I need to understand HOW things happen and turn out the way they do.

If you go back through the Fox posts you'll find one about Big Rock from April of last year. I did a before and after photo comparison. The stretch had completely changed because of all that water.

When we get storms like that I love going into tracker mode. With all the moving water we have in our area , it always gets interesting when mother nature flexes her muscles.