There’s a beautiful spot of relatively untouched land in a state that has preciously little untouched land left-and it’s in danger of being lost. Not only might it be lost, it might be completely underwater, and in fifty years it might be under several feet of mud. It is critical that your voice is heard NOW to prevent an unnecessary dam on tributaries to the Sangamon River.

Why is this Happening?

The City of Springfield “needs” 10 million more gallons of water per day, and to get it, they want to build a dam and reservoir just outside of Springfield.

Really?

If built, the reservoir dubbed “Hunter Lake” would impound Horse Creek and Brush Creek, both tributaries to the Sangamon, affecting almost 500 acres of riverbank corridors, would inundate over 3,000 acres of wetlands, bottomland forest, stream channel, 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 put aside primarily due to anticipated environmental impacts.

On December 3rd in Springfield, a public hearing was held in order to provide an opportunity for citizens to ask the hard questions and submit comments regarding the proposed reservoir. The hearing was part of a process in which the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency must certify that the supplemental water supply project for the City of Springfield will meet water quality standards and not impact fish and other inhabitants upstream and downstream of the proposed dam. A certification that is completely false-there is no such thing as a “no impact” dam.

The hearing was attended by over 150 people. Public comments (including by PRN staff and board members) were overwhelmingly opposed to the dam. Some of the issues raised were:

  • The reservoir would provide 21.5 millions gallons of water a day, although the demand report forecasts the needs of the city are less than half that amount. Two published reports predict that water quality standards cannot be met in the proposed reservoir.
  • Reservoir construction cannot begin until the upstream communities of Pawnee, Divernon, and Virden agree to divert sewage treatment plant wastewater from the reservoir. Representatives from Pawnee and the Virden Sanitary District have indicated they are not in a financial position to install the diversion pipes.
  • The dam could lead to flooding problems both upstream and downstream of the dam; the city has not considered this impact.
  • Places to restore or create new stream, wetland, and forest habitat to make up for those destroyed by the project (as is required by law) have not been identified and the proposed “mitigation plan” is woefully inadequate.
  • Areas that would be inundated for the reservoir include several hundred historical Native American and pioneer settlements and trails.

There are less costly ways of meeting this demand. Opponents to building the dam have long held that the environmental costs of the project far outweigh the benefits and that projected water needs can be met through:

  • water savings in power production practices;
  • water conservation measures throughout the service community;
  • installation of groundwater wells and use of nearby sand and gravel pits to meet the temporary needs for additional water in times of extreme drought; and
  • implementation of conservation pricing and a new rate structure for large volume water users to create incentives for more efficient water usage.

We know this. Alternatives to giant engineering projects are mainstream options being put into practice all over the world. Many people benefit when these alternative options are implemented. The problem is that it takes a lot of individuals to voice their preference for alternatives to dams-enough to counter the weight of the engineering and construction interests who win when a big dam is ordered.

Take action now!

The public hearing and the 30-day public comment period to follow are the final steps in the process towards environmental permitting for the reservoir-this is the time for the public to state their preference for alternatives to damming. Damming tributaries of the Sangamon River will result in the loss of stream and streamside habitat, an altered fish community, additional water pollution, and a massively wasteful public expenditure. The destruction from damming lasts forever. The water provided only lasts until the reservoir fills up with sediments.

It is critical that the Illinois EPA hears all public concerns now. Written comments will be accepted by the Agency through January 5, 2009 and can be submitted by fax, mail or email at the number and addresses listed below. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect an ecologically, historically and socially important resource, the Sangamon River system. If you would like help in developing comments for Illinois EPA, please contact Traci Barkley (tbarkley@prairierivers.org).

Written comments must be postmarked or e-mailed by midnight, January 5, 2009

Comments need not be notarized and should be sent to:

Hearing Officer Kurt Neibergall
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency #5
1021 North Grand Avenue East
P. O. Box 19276
Springfield, IL 62794-9276

Phone 217-785-3819 TDD (hearing impaired) 217-782-9143

E-mail Kurt.Neibergall@illinois.gov

Read our press release.