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Our Annual Dinner will again be at the I Hotel in Champaign on Friday, October 29, 2010.
The reception will begin at 6pm, and dinner will be served at 7pm.
The Rivers Corps of Discovery will bring the
beauty of our rivers to life with their presentation:
Impressions, Discoveries and Adventures.
Read an article on the founding of the Corps of Discovery here (pdf).
Do you know a volunteer who is working hard to protect the state’s rivers and streams? Help celebrate and elevate their important work by nominating them for our 6th annual River Steward Award. Deadline is September 17, 2010. {Continue Reading »}
WHAT: As a pre-conference activity at this year’s Illinois Water Conference, we are hosting a workshop to teach you about third- party TMDLs.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount to the pollutant’s sources. TMDLs set goals for pollution reduction that are necessary for the improvement of impaired waters. (View Illinois EPA’s TMDL website.)
This workshop focuses on explaining the third-party TMDL program to watershed groups and water resource managers.
Join U.S. EPA Region 5 experts Dean Maraldo, Chief of the Watersheds Section, and Dave Werbach, TMDL Coordinator, to learn:
• what a third-party TMDL is and isn’t
• how a third-party TMDL can benefit your watershed
• what the process is for TMDL development
• what the EPA requirements are for an approvable TMDL
• what the basics of watershed planning are related to TMDLs
Fish finding affirms eDNA testing and points to need for aggressive action to stave off fish invaders
PRESS RELEASE
June 23,2010
Asian carp captured in Lake Calumet on 6/22/10 (IDNR)
The nightmare scenario of Asian carp entering the Great Lakes through Chicago waterways is closer to reality as the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee announced today that they had captured an invasive bighead carp [a species of invasive Asian carp] in Lake Calumet, 6 miles away from Lake Michigan. The fish’s capture bolsters repeated environmental DNA tests which have shown that the carp have evaded an electrical barrier intended to prevent their movement out of canals artificially connecting the Great Lakes and Mississippi River system. Scientists and government regulators agree that the invasive fish pose a dire threat to the Lakes because of their size and voracious appetites.
The Middle Fork River is Illinois’ first State Scenic River, so designated in 1986 by Governor James R. Thompson. In 1989 the Middle Fork was also designated as a National Scenic River by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan. The Middle Fork is the first river in Illinois to be included in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. It is protected by State and federal law because of its outstanding scenic, recreational, ecological, and historical characteristics.
Nature abounds for you to enjoy along the Middle Fork River. There are miles of scenic river with high bluffs and sand bars, surrounded by trees harboring many animals. In the river, you may see mussels, turtles, ducks and other waterfowl, and sunfish, or bass. Along its banks you may see frogs, salamanders, or raccoons. In the trees you may see or hear chickadees, bluebirds, woodpeckers, hawks, and many other birds. The many types of trees include oak, dogwood, walnut, redbud, and ash. On the trails near the river you may see orchids, ferns, prairie grasses, or wildflowers such as Indian paint brush, or brown-eyed Susan.
The Middle Fork River has eroded through deep glacial deposits, exposing steep valley slopes and high bluffs. This results in small springs on hillsides, and attracts swallows to nest in the bluffs. During a flood, the power of the river cuts new channels, moves boulders, and removes trees. Most of the area along the river is forested, and there are also several prairie sites. Three areas support plants and animals so rare that they are protected as State Nature Preserves. The Middle Fork river valley supports a great diversity of plants and animals including 57 types of fish, 45 different mammals, and 190 kinds of birds. Of this diverse wildlife, there are 24 species officially identified as State threatened or endangered species. Other special qualities of the Middle Fork River valley include unusual geologic formations, various historic sites, and over 8,400 acres of public parks. {Continue Reading »}
Time spent squishing your boots in mud is time well spent. That is the consensus of participants who attended last Saturday’s River Discovery Program at Kickapoo State Park. Presented by Prairie Rivers Network and the Illinois Natural History Survey, the day’s activities ranged from touring the new Traveling Science Center to sampling for and identifying aquatic insects along the edge of the Middle Fork River. For Saturday’s program, INHS scientists collected turtles, fish, mussels, and crayfish from the river and its tributaries. Displayed in fish tanks, participants got a close-up view of a variety of Middle Fork River residents: the varied shapes and sometimes vibrant colors of fish, including a Rainbow darter and state-endangered Bluebreast darter; mussels burrowed into the sand, filtering the water for food; crayfish scuttling along the edges of their tank, their large claws up as if preparing for battle.
The 40-foot Traveling Science Center was a hit with kids and adults alike. Full of eye-catching information panels and a number of interactive games, the TSC provides basic, but critical, information on Illinois’ biodiversity, river ecosystems and negative impacts to these natural systems from pollution and other activities.
Designated a National Scenic River in 1989, the Middle Fork River is the premier jewel among Illinois’ rivers. The Middle Fork’s clean waters and healthy river habitat support an incredibly diverse number of wildlife, including more than 57 types of fish and 190 different birds. For more information on the Middle Fork River visit http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r3/Natlriv.htm.
Future River Discovery Programs will be scheduled during the summer, additional information on these will be posted on our website.