The significance of the Oakley Dam project of course is local. But it takes place in a larger story of American Environmental history. The projects in this section do an especially good job of thinking about that larger context, explaining why this project mattered so much beyond just the local impact.
Lake Decatur’s Water Quality: The Oakley Dam Solution by Lydia Fisher
One of the touted benefits of the Oakley Dam was an increase in the water supply for the city of Decatur and an overall improvement to the water quality of the region. As an industrial city, Decatur had long struggled with issues of water pollution, especially excessive nitrates in the water which sparked public concern about possible health issues. The Committee on Allerton Park uncovered that the Army Corps proposal vastly overestimated the positive impacts of the dam and underestimated the negative effects of the project, including the water quality of Decatur. Visit the StoryMap here.
Oakley Dam and the Need for Water by Sandra García López
This project examines if the Oakley Dam would have been able to increase the water supply in Decatur against the larger backdrop of changing water management needs across the United States. The proposed dam would have created a 17-million-gallon reservoir that would have provided more water to Macon County, especially Decatur and its large food processing industry. The Oakley Dam project, and its cancellation in the 1970s, indicates a changing perspective in dam construction, that the ecological impact of dams would need to be evaluated alongside the possible water management benefits. Visit the StoryMap here.
Local Farmer Effort in Fighting Against the Oakley Dam by Harley Schwarz
Local farmers were, and continue to be, deeply invested in the wellbeing of the environment around them. In the fight against the Oakley Dam project farmers, including John Dighton, worked alongside COAP to oppose the project. Dighton argued before Congress that the flooding the dam would cause would impact 12,000 farmers in the region and would devastate their families and the entire economy of Piatt County. It was important that every stakeholder that would be impacted by the project have a voice in the conversation. Visit the StoryMap here.
A Historic Overview of Allerton Park and the Oakley Dam by Josie Stanton
In this project the author looked at the history and the large amount of misinformation that were generated in support of the project. The author traced the University of Illinois’ support, neutrality, then finally, opposition, towards the Oakley Dam. The misinformation on the part of US Army Corps of Engineers is also examined through confidential documents and incorrect information provided to the public by the USACE. Throughout, the Corps of Engineers were proven wrong by their own data and research, which COAP brought up frequently in their materials and testimonies. Visit the StoryMap here.
Nitrates in Sangamon River by Amelia Haskins
One major concern about the Oakley Dam project was the increase in water pollution for the area. Specifically, the level of nitrates in the water would increase to unsafe levels and would negatively impact the possible recreational benefits of the reservoir. High levels of nitrates can result in health issues, with a correlation between the nitrate level in Danville to the amount of fertilizers used in the area by local farmers, and the impact on human health, in particular newborn infants. Despite the dam project being abandoned, nitrate levels in the Sangamon are still an issue and must continue to be monitored. Visit the StoryMap here.