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Welcome to Prairie Rivers Network's e-Newz. We're excited to keep communities informed about volunteer opportunities, clean water issues, and river conservation news within our state.

- June 2008-

1. June is National River Awareness Month

2. Help Protect Chicago Waterways

3. Wetlands Survey

4. Become a Member of Prairie Rivers Network

June is National River Awareness Month

June is National River Awareness Month - the perfect time to get out to your local river to paddle, hike, picnic, bird and wildlife watch, fish, swim or relax. For all that our rivers give to us, this is also the perfect month for each of us to learn more about our local rivers and take action to protect them. Here are a few examples of what groups across Illinois will be doing in June:

June 7: Salt Creek Cleanup, Elk Grove; held by Salt Creek Watershed Network and Friends of Critters and Salt Creek. Contact Nick Nikola 847-593-5410, creekguy@comcast.net.

June 21: Mackinaw River Cleanup, near the Mackinaw State Fish and Wildlife Area; Mackinaw Canoe Club. Contact Amy Funk amymarie67@hotmail.com.

June 21: Kayak Chicago’s Architectural History Tour, Chicago River. Register online at www.kayakchicago.com or call (630) 336-7245.

All Month: Paddle a Trail Month, sponsored by Illinois Paddling Council and Openlands Project. Paddlers are invited to paddle their favorite stretch of river or explore a new watertrail and report their results to the “Water Log” on Openlands website anytime during June. For more information visit www.illinoispaddling.org or contact Gary Mechanic at gary@chicagopaddling.org or 773-590-0710 during business hours.

Help Protect Chicago Rivers

Right now we have a once in a generation opportunity to transform our rivers through community action. If you use or recreate in the Chicago River system, the Cal-Sag Channel, or the Calumet River system, please attend an upcoming public hearing and tell your local and state officials that clean water and healthy fish matter to you.

For more than 100 years the Chicago River and nearby river systems were the dumping site for a host of pollutants. The water quality in these waters deteriorated to the point that when the Clean Water Act was enacted in 1972, EPA officials set very low pollution standards for the Chicago-area rivers; most believed the provisions of the Act would not result in significant improvement of water quality. However, because of actions taken by entities such as the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the City of Chicago, and environmental groups, Chicago-area rivers have recovered to the point that they now support communities of fish and other aquatic life as well as recreational opportunities for residents and visitors.

After a five-year study, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) determined that higher water quality standards should be adopted for the Chicago and Calumet river systems. Specifically the IEPA wants the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) to upgrade the designated use for these waters from “secondary contact and indigenous aquatic life” to a use category that reflects current and future uses of these waters by people and wildlife (such as drinking water, swimming, and fishing).

However, the IPCB will not change water quality standards without information that demonstrates both current and potential uses of the Chicago-area river systems. This essential information needs to come from citizens; citizens who use these waters for paddling, fishing and other recreational activities.

The IPCB will be holding a public hearing on June 16th from 5:30 to 8:00 in Chicago. This is your chance to let the IPCB know that continued water quality improvement of Chicago-area rivers is possible and necessary for the current and future needs of local people, fish and wildlife.

For more information go to our website www.prairierivers.org.

Wetlands Survey

Researchers at Northwestern University are conducting a study on individual perceptions of wetlands and wetland mitigation projects. If you are interested in taking the survey go to

http://kellogg.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_afqgRIhkBpYgYOo&SVID=Prod

If you are interested in learning more about this research project, contact Ruggero Rossi at rrossi2009@kellogg.northwestern.edu or 312-339-7831.

Become a Member

Not already a member of Prairie Rivers Network or need to renew your membership? Donate online to PRN online and help us protect water quality and river habitats to make our community a better place to live.

Join our Watershed Listserv or visit our Events Calendar for more river related activities in Illinois.

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