There’s water in the Illinois and Michigan Canal in Ottawa, but it’s not the beginning of filling it for recreational use. Arnie Bandstra, president of the Ottawa Canal Association, says there’s still work to do on the water supply. He says hoses are running between the canal and city fire hydrants for temporary use.
It has to do with the soil sealer put in the canal.
A contractor is working on a water pump and two labor unions are working on water lines to fill the canal with Fox River water. It will be two to three feet deep for recreational use.
A hose runs from a hydrant into the I&M Canal in Ottawa ahead of filling it for recreational water use.
Another view of a hose running water into the I&M Canal in Ottawa.