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Haigh Quarry, Illinois
Depths to: 90 feet (27 m) Visibility: Ranges from 35 feet (10.6 m) in the spring and late fall to 15 feet (4.5 m) in August. Water temperature: Ranges from the mid-30s Fahrenheit (1-2 degrees Celsius) in the winter to the low 80s F (26-28 C) in the summer. Marine life:
Bass, crappie, bluegill, perch, Fees: For
divers, $20 per day. On-site
amenities: Concession stand, dive store with air facilities, barbecue
grills, picnic tables, a beach building with a fireplace, dressing rooms,
rinse-off station, two covered docks for access to deep water, and a beach
walk-in area for shallow entry. A classroom is available, too. More info: Call
Tina Haigh at (815) 939-7797, Open: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday, from March through November. Reservations are encouraged. Getting there: From Chicago, drive Interstate 57 south to Exit 315. Take Route 50 south to North Street and turn left. Continue east one-quarter mile to the quarry sign.
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2003
will be the ninth year Haigh Quarry has been open to divers, says owner Tina
Haigh. She and her late husband acquired the former limestone mining site in
1978. The 12-acre quarry, 60 miles (96 km) south of Chicago, is just outside
Kankakee. It offers divers seven training platforms at 25 feet (7.5 m), and
an eighth one at 65 feet (20 m). Underwater features include a large stone
crusher, several drills and a conveyor belt, all left from the site’s
mining days. Other features are a 33-foot cabin cruiser, which is easily
penetrable, and a Marine dump truck. An amphibious vehicle, a LARC 5, will
be sunk there this spring, Haigh said.
