FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Prairie Rivers Network encourages members of the public to attend a hearing regarding environmental impacts of a proposed dam in Sangamon County. The hearing will be held on December 3rd, 2008 from 3 to 5pm at the Brookens Auditorium on the University of Illinois’ Springfield Campus.

If built, the reservoir would impound Horse Creek and Brush Creek, both tributaries of the South Fork of the Sangamon River, affecting almost 500 acres of riparian corridors, would inundate over 3,000 acres of wetlands, bottomland forest, stream channels, ponds and farmland, and overall would directly impact nearly 8000 acres. This dam was first proposed in the early 1970s, and has gone through several iterations, always to be disregarded primarily due to anticipated environmental impacts.

“There are so many alternatives to this dam. Alternatives that are much less expensive both financially and environmentally,” stated Traci Barkley, water scientist at Prairie Rivers Network. “We Illinoisans-with our bankrupt state budget-owe it to ourselves to put the most cost-effective water supply plan into place. Alternatives to the dam such as water conservation, groundwater wells or the use of sand and gravel pits will allow us to meet water supply demands without destroying the land and river forever.”

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is charged with the responsibility of certifying that construction of the reservoir will not contribute to violations of water quality standards and will not adversely impact fish and other inhabitants of the Horse Creek, Brush Creek and South Fork of the Sangamon Rivers. The purpose of the hearing is to provide an opportunity for citizens to ask questions, submit comments and provide additional information that will help inform the Agency in determining potential water quality impacts. The public hearing and the 30-day public comment period to follow are the final steps in the process towards environmental permitting for the dam and reservoir proposed to supplement the City of Springfield’s water supply.

For more information regarding the public hearing, please visit

http://www.epa.state.il.us/public-notices/2008/cwlp-hunter-lake/index.pdf

Contact:
Traci Barkley
Prairie Rivers Network
Phone: 217/344-2371
tbarkley@prairierivers.org

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Post Updated 12/4/2008