State officials have issued an immediate “Restricted Boating Area” designation for a massive stretch of the Fox River, effectively closing the waterway to recreational traffic through several Kendall and McHenry County communities, including Yorkville, Oswego, Montgomery, and Aurora.
The order, signed Monday by Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Director Natalie Phelps-Finnie, went into effect at 7:00 p.m. It covers the river from the Stratton Lock and Dam in McHenry County all the way south to the Bridge Street Bridge in Millington.
According to a memo from IDNR Northeast Zone Commander Cpt. Joshua Mooi, recent conditions have made the river “significantly hazardous” for even experienced boaters. Officials cited a dangerous combination of:…