The much-talked about Kankakee River dredging project got a big lift today (Tuesday)….the Aroma Park Boat Launch is the subject of a project that begins cleaning up the river. The dredging will remove the years and decades of sand build-up to make the waterway for suitable and safe for public use.

Kankakee County Board Chairman Andy Wheeler credits Senator Patrick Joyce for securing state funding toward the project. Wheeler said it was Joyce who found the funding to kick-start which will be an ongoing effort.

“So many organizations have studied the Kankakee River for years to find solutions to the sediment in the river,” Wheeler said. “We know there’s no pot large enuf, with dollars to mitigate what needs to be done. But he says we can learn to manage this so more people can benefit from the recreational opportunities.”

This project, Wheeler noted, is also about public safety so that we can all use the waterway from State Line to the Kankakee River dam.

Burke Engineering also conducted a site assessment of the project. The engineers have worked with the Kankakee and Yellow Rivers Group from Indiana to gain permits, design and come up with the timeline for the project.

Senator Joyce secured a $1-million dollar appropriation in the state budget to begin clearing sand from the river. Another $7-million will go toward acquiring equipment needed to clean the river and for smaller projects.

94.1 WGFA