Fox River Dams: Past, Present, & Future

Gary Swick of Friends of the Fox River will review the original purpose of the dams, their current environmental & economic impacts, and the status of river restoration efforts.

Most Fox Valley towns have a dam as a downtown feature. Aurora had three. These were generally constructed to provide power for industrial operations prior to the availability of electricity, and they have remained for more than a hundred years. Gary Swick of Friends of the Fox River will discuss ongoing impacts of dams on our local communities, including public safety concerns, maintenance costs, and measurable negative impacts upon natural habitat and water quality. A global, national and local era of river restoration is here. What will that look like in Aurora?

The mission of the Friends of the Fox River is to preserve, restore and protect the Fox River Watershed’s resources by connecting people with nature through education, research, restoration and advocacy.

Join us in-person at Santori Library in Room 125/126 or virtually via Zoom here. Zoom passcode: foxriver

This event is part of Aurora on the Fox, a series of programming throughout 2026 centered on the Fox River. Join us as we celebrate, investigate, and connect with our river, each other, and the places we share! 

I acknowledge my participation (or my child’s participation) in this virtual program includes the recording of this program which may include my name as listed on my account, images and/or video footage. I grant the Aurora Public Library District my permission to use the photographs and/or video footage for any legal use, including but not limited to: publicity, copyright purposes, illustration, advertising, and web content.  
 
Furthermore, I understand that no royalty, fee or other compensation shall become payable to me by reason of such use. 

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