82 attract more people to areas surrounding the Fox River, thus increasing the income of the surrounding businesses and economies.3 However, despite this monetary aspect of the dams, the core purpose of dams fluctuated from being sources of energy to channeling purposes. There were a staggering fifteen dams built on the Fox River. Some, such as the Stratton near McHenry, had the intention of allowing for navigation and pool control. A few dams have recreational use, but the majority of the others had channeling purposes. They are used to outline a path for the flow of water in the river. Three of the fifteen dams, South Elgin, Elgin, and Dayton, were or still do provide hydroelectric power for the surrounding areas.4 The Dayton Dam in specific is the most noteworthy hydroelectric dam as it is still in use several decades after it was built.5 Figure 24 Locations of dams currently along the Fox River between McHenry and Dayton, Illinois. 3 "A Million Dollar Dam Being Built at Dayton," The Earlville Leader, June 12, 1924, pg. 9, https://daytonandthegreens.com/2020/03/11/dam-being-built-at-dayton-in-1924/. 4 "Fox River Dams," Fox Waterway Agency | Serving the Fox River - Chain O'Lakes, accessed November 13, 2022, https://www.foxwaterway.com/. 5 "Fox River (Illinois River Tributary)," Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, last modified August 17, 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_River_(Illinois_River_tributary).
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