Illinois:  Where Are We Now?

25 Years With The Clean Water Act

In 1972 a law was passed that made clean, safe water a right, not a privelege, of American citizens.  That law was the Clean Water Act.  The Clean Water Act has since gone on to be recognized as one of the most effective peices of legislation passed this century.  In the twenty-five years since its inception the Clean Water Act has drastically improved the quality of Illinois‚ water.

Before the Clean Water Act Illinois‚ waters were in a highly degraded condition.  The Illinois River above Peoria was so heavily polluted that fish caught there were unsuitable for human consumption.  The same was true of Lake Michigan where heavy metals and other contaminants posed serious health risks to the human population living along its shores.  Throughout Illinois, groundwater, rivers, lakes, and streams were threatened by the actions of polluters.

That began to change with the passage of the Clean Water Act on October 19, 1972.
 

Illnois‚ Successes Under the Clean Water Act

In addition the Clean Water Act required every community to build wastewater treatment plants.  Prior to 1972 one of the biggest polluters of Illinois‚ waterways was the discharge of wastes from local community‚s storm and sanitary sewer systems.  Now, the problems formerly caused by these uncontrolled discharges are largely a thing of the past.

Because of the Clean Water Act we are seeing a resurgence in recreational uses of our waters.  Canoeing, boating, and swimming are again popular on Lake Michigan and the states 33,000 miles of interior waterways.  Hunting and fishing have been steadily rising on Illinois‚ rivers, lakes, and streams.  With improved water quality came the sport fish, waterfowl, and other wildlife that thrives in and around our rivers and streams.   Also recreational birding has been increasing within the state as a result of the cleaner waters and its attraction to migratory birds.
 

We still have more to do

One of the biggest water quality problems facing Illinois is polluted runoff.  Polluted runoff contains sediment, animal wastes, fertilizers, herbicides,and pesticides.   After it rains or after snow melts, water runs across the land and picks up these contaminants from farms, construction sites, highways, and animal feedlots.   Contamination from such "nonpoint sources" of pollution contributes to the silting in of lakes and streams, algal blooms, and the contamination of downstream drinking water supplies.

Another issue which has a great effect on water quality is protecting valuable ecosystems such as wetlands.  Under the Clean Water Act wetlands are supposed to be protected from activities that would fill them or drain them.  Over 95% of the state‚s wetlands have been destroyed.  These areas used not only provide habitat for wildlife, but also provided flood protection and acted as natural filter for removing pollutants from our water.

Under the Clean Water Act Illinois EPA is required to adopt a policy which ensures the condition of the state‚s waterways will not "backslide" as a result of increased pollution.  This "anti-degradation" policy is supposed to protect those water resources that enjoy higher than normal water quality.  However, Illinois has not adopted a policy that adequately accomplishes this important task.  As a result some of the state‚s few remaining pristine waterways are in decline as a result of increased pollution.
 

The future of the Clean Water Act