The partisans of the Oakley Dam controversy focused their arguments on different aspects of the project. Whatever else it was, the Dam controversy was a contest of ideas. These projects focus on the ways that science and expertise and activism were brought to bear on the debate.
COAP’s Expert testimony to the US Congress by Erin Minor
The Committee on Allerton Park was part of the first generation of environmental organizations and became adept at interacting with and influencing policymakers by providing expert knowledge in the form of testimony in public hearings on pending pieces of legislation. COAP had access to many experts through the University of Illinois and utilized that expertise to shape a coherent and credible argument against the Oakley Dam project. Surviving notes from COAP’s testimony before Congress in 1969 shows the detailed planning that went into these presentations and multitude of voices involved. Visit the StoryMap here.
Oakley Dam: A Story of Government Intransigence by Patrick Herr
In this project the author examined why the United State Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) worked so hard to push forward the Oakley Dam and other projects like it. Local interests, such as the Decatur Chamber of Commerce and the representative of Illinois’ 22nd Congressional District at the time, William Springer, both believed in the economic benefits brought by increased tourism to the area. But the Army Corps existence depended on such projects. Combined these interests were determined to build the dam and it was only through the diligent work of local organizers that the project was ended. Visit the StoryMap here.
The Hidden Impact of Dr. Eldon Franz by Brenden Crowson
In the project the author examined another key figure in the fight against the Oakley Dam: Dr. Eldon Franz. Franz was a graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign working on the ecological impact of the increased flooding on plants and vegetation along the Sangamon River. The scientific model that Franz created lent a scientific foundation to the COAP’s fight against the dam. Through an insightful interview with Franz himself, the author uncovers Franz’s role in the effort to stop the dam, from his scientific background to his expert testimony before the Army Corps of Engineers. Visit the StoryMap here.
The Resistance and Politics that Saved Allerton Park by Jack Huber
This project provides a brief overview of the resistance to the Oakley Dam project. By chronicling the different interest groups, including the Committee on Allerton Park and the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. As a result of these groups work to oppose this project, in 1975 the Committee on Allerton Park convinced the Government Accountability Office to review the project where numerous inaccuracies and questionable benefits were identified, and the project was ultimately cancelled. Thus, Allerton Park was preserved for us to enjoy today. Visit the StoryMap here.