Lifting Of Restrictions For Rock River In Winnebago County

  Narrative:A majority of the conditions which resulted in the implementation of the No Wake order on the Rock River north of the Auburn Street Bridge in Winnebago County have subsided.  Sheriff Richard A. Meyers is announcing that the previously issued NO WAKE ZONE has been lifted, and the entire river is now open to normal recreational use.  Users of the river are reminded to be observant and exercise caution as a lot of debris had been deposited in the river during the flooding that occurred in the past month.  This debris may still be present and pose a hazard as it may be undetectable from the water surface. The Sheriff’s River patrol completed our annual deployment of buoys to mark hazards and no wake areas.  As part of this process, we also inspected the river and any obvious hazards have been marked with warning buoys. Additionally, the Rock River was previously closed south of the State Street Bridge in Rockford due to the missing safety cable at the Fordam Dam which was damaged in the flooding.  This cable has been repaired and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has re-opened the river in that location as well. For current river conditions, and any further updates, contact the Sheriff’s Office at (815) 319-6300, or the Rock River information telephone line at (815) 316-8888.  You may also visit the Sheriff’s Department’s website at www.winnebagosheriff.com.