Current NOAA enhanced radar for the "Central Great Lakes Sector":
The recent weather has disrupted all sorts of outdoor projects, including the construction of a deck at my other location. Contractors scheduled for "Late May or Early June" have been pushed back. We went from a late, cool spring to instant summer and with it and all of the moisture being pumped into the atmosphere by the Gulf of Mexico it is warm and humid. Humidity is only 68% are present and will reach about 90% later in the day.
The myriad of drainage projects has yielded some benefits. But we do have adjacent Lakes and the Glen Ellyn situated marsh as well as the College's ponds which are wonderful mosquito breeding grounds.
While project delays are unwelcome, they aren't really a problem at this time. It is only May 30. We've issued most of the major project contracts for this year. Weather is creating coordination issues.
Flood Concerns
When one of these continuing wet weather patterns persist, one must be concerned about potential flooding (Note 1). Our association has been surrounded by water several times and for short periods (hours), but has been an oasis. Sources of standing water on Briarcliffe Blvd include the Briar Patch Park which drains to the east and south of 22nd Street. The park needs a large retention basin.
Wheaton's storm water study (updated 2016) for the approximate 1220 acres of watershed that drains "generally from North to South" indicated potential improvements. That study was named after the Briarcliffe Subdivision in Wheaton. One third of this watershed is in Glen Ellyn and two-thirds is in Wheaton. It begins with the 110 acre Williston Basin north of Roosevelt Road near Liberty Drive and east and west of President. The watershed drains via five ponds south of Roosevelt Road (ponds A, 1, 2, 3 and 4) as well as a network of storm sewers in Glen Ellyn, the College of DuPage Glen Ellyn campus and Wheaton. Large portions of the College were described years ago as a "deciduous swamp" but aggressive reworking of wetlands, emergent wetlands and water basins as well as lots of asphalt has dramatically altered the south end of the campus.
These drain to Rice Lake south of Butterfield Road.
In 2013 the capacity of this watershed was exceeded and flooding occurred.
There has been an extensive study but no definitive work to alleviate this situation has been scheduled.
Note:
- According to the City of Wheaton "The flooding that occurred [in 2013] is not an isolated incidence. Based on the City’s records and best available information, the berm has overtopped seven times in the last 45 years."
- For more information about "Flood Prone Areas" in Wheaton, go to this website: Click for Official City-of-Wheaton-Flood-Prone-Areas
