One affect of the island movement and dam construction was the shifting of the main channel of the river from the east side of the island to the west side of the island.
Immediately below the dike and dam area, the plaintiff, Edward Rutz, owned land on the Illinois shore.
A major portion of the Rutz land had been extensively washed away by the same flooding which caused the rapid movement of Arsenal Island itself.
At this time, the island was directly in front of the Rutz lands.
After completion of the dam, the space between the Rutz land and the island gradually filled in with river deposits.
By 1884, continuous dry land existed from the former eastern bank owned by Rutz, to the western side of the island.