Rock Island District / Media / News Releases

  • Lock Closure Viewing Available at Illinois Waterway Visitor Center Outdoor Area

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District announces that the outdoor viewing area at the Illinois Waterway Visitor Center in Ottawa, Illinois, is open for viewing the ongoing construction work at Starved Rock Lock and Dam.

  • Corps completes Dredged Material Management Plan for the Bull’s Island and Milliken Creek area

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District has completed the Dredged Material Management Plan for the Bull’s Island and Milliken Creek dredge cuts on the Illinois Waterway.

  • Saylorville Lake Opens Oak Grove Beach

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District has opened Oak Grove Beach as a designated beach. The beach is open 6am to 9pm daily and day-use fees will not be collected.

  • Corps of Engineers to Increase Coralville Lake Outflows

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, is preparing to temporarily increase outflows at the Coralville Reservoir. This minor deviation to normal operations, which will occur on or around June 30 depending on precipitation in the area, was implemented due to recent rainfall on already saturated soils that has resulted in high inflows into Coralville Reservoir.

  • Closures to Illinois Waterway Locks remain set for July 1

    Beginning July 1, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District is temporarily closing the Dresden Island, Marseilles, Starved Rock, Peoria and LaGrange locks on the Illinois Waterway to facilitate needed repairs and maintenance. The closures, which will be conducted simultaneously to limit impacts to navigation, are scheduled to last through late October.

  • Coralville Lake Picnic Shelters Open to First-Come, First Served

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District will open picnic shelters at Coralville Lake on a first-come, first-served basis beginning June 19. Reservations will not be accepted and users are asked to select shelters based on their current occupancy and availability.

  • Saylorville Lake Picnic Shelters Open to First-Come, First Served

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District will open picnic shelters at Saylorville Lake on a first-come, first-served basis beginning June 19. Reservations will not be accepted and users are asked to select shelters based on their current occupancy and availability.

  • Sustainable Rivers Program established at Des Moines River Reservoirs

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District and The Nature Conservancy have partnered to establish a Sustainable Rivers Program at Saylorville Lake and Lake Red Rock on the Des Moines River. The emphasis of the program is to benefit aquatic dependent species while continuing to provide the same level of flood risk management to river communities.

  • Corps to Conduct Emergency Drill at Locks and Dam 14

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District will conduct an emergency, man overboard drill at Locks and Dam 14 in Pleasant Valley, Iowa, at approximately 10 a.m., Thursday, June 18. This drill is conducted as per normal, annual training guidelines.

  • John Hay Recreation Area in East Hannibal Temporarily Closed

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, has temporarily closed the John Hay Recreation Area in East Hannibal, Illinois, until further notice. The closure, which is anticipated to last until later this fall, will allow maintenance crews to transport rock and heavy equipment into the area for wing dam repairs in Pool 22 of the Mississippi River.