By Glynnis Collins & Kim Knowles

This March, Prairie Rivers Network joined our Mississippi River Collaborative partners in launching two lawsuits against US EPA for their failure to regulate nutrient pollution.

Too many nutrients – a problem

Most people know that nitrogen and phosphorus are important nutrients for plants and animals. At high levels in water, however, the beneficial effects of these nutrients become problematic, and the nutrients are considered pollution.

Nitrate, a form of nitrogen, is toxic to people and other animals at high levels. A decade ago, Georgetown, Illinois had to abandon its drinking water reservoir because of high nitrate levels. Water suppliers for Decatur, Danville, and Streator had to install expensive ion exchange systems costing millions of dollars to remove nitrate from polluted reservoir water. Ongoing operation and maintenance expenses cost ratepayers tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

In rivers and lakes, nitrogen and phosphorus pollution stimulates excessive growth of algae, creating ugly mats or pea-soup scummy water. When the algae die, they rot. The bacteria that decompose them use up most or even all of the oxygen in the water, choking aquatic life. An enormous example of this problem is the “Dead Zone” that forms in the Gulf of Mexico every summer.

Especially in lakes and reservoirs, nutrient pollution can stimulate the growth of blue-green algae. This “pond scum” is unsightly and smells like vomit when it rots – enough to keep people from enjoying boating and swimming. The algae also sometimes release toxic chemicals into the water. Each summer, local communities throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois are forced to officially close beaches because of the potential presence of blue-green algae toxins. The toxins can sicken or even kill people, pets, and livestock.

Watch a video on Dead Zone pollution.

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I am pleased to present Prairie Rivers Network’s 2011 Annual Report. The report is a snapshot of an organization making real progress in protecting clean water, an organization with a growing membership, and one that is maintaining financial health in a difficult economy. I am confident that 2012 will bring more of the same. Our most important asset, the network of people passionate about protecting healthy river systems that are essential for a good quality of life, is stronger than ever. Through that network–of members, private foundations, board members, and our talented staff–we have the power to restore clean water and healthy rivers, supporting vibrant communities throughout Illinois.

To celebrate Prairie Rivers Network’s 45th Anniversary we give you 45 ways to connect with, care for, and learn more about Illinois’ rivers and streams.

JANUARY

• Hang up your calendar and check out ways to connect with, care for, and learn more about Illinois’ rivers for the rest of the year!

FEBRUARY

• Join Prairie Rivers Network’s Illinois Marathon team and run (or walk!) for your rivers.

• 14 - Show us your love. Sign up for RiverWeb, our news and Action Alert network, and be an active voice for rivers.

• Cut down on your use of single-use plastics; use recyclable lunch and produce bags and bring your own grocery bags. Check out just some of the many options at http://www.chicobag.com/ or learn how to make your own

• Visit the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center in Alton, IL.

MARCH

• Commit to not drinking bottled water. Tap water is better regulated than bottled & generates less waste!

• 16 - Submit your essay for the Mississippi River Essay Contest.

• Become a Certified Illinois RiverWatch “Citizen Scientist” by attending one of 11 training sessions throughout the state.

“To become a volunteer, certified RiverWatch “Citizen Scientist,” please register for one of the following Training Workshops. Workshops are conducted from 9 am – 4 pm. Registration is $50 and must be paid in advance. For more information, click here.”

• Visit the Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge in the Cache River watershed near Ullin, IL – a Ramsar Site Wetlands of International Importance.

APRIL

• Celebrate National Poetry Month by enjoying poems about rivers, or write your own!

quiet river flows

distinctly beautiful

firm in its resolve

– Kim Knowles, Staff Attorney

 Water

Everything on the earth bristled, the bramble
pricked and the green thread
nibbled away, the petal fell, falling
until the only flower was the falling itself.
Water is another matter,
has no direction but its own bright grace,
runs through all imaginable colors,
takes limpid lessons
from stone,
and in those functionings plays out
the unrealized ambitions of the foam.
-Pablo Neruda

• 14 – Pitch in at the Boneyard Creek Cleanup and Community Day in Champaign.

The event was cancelled, due to weather, in 2011 but is on for 2012! Check the website closer to the 27th or contact Cecily Smith at csmith@priairerivers.org for more information.

• 22 - Celebrate Earth Day with renewed effort to REDUCE, RECYCLE, REUSE and REBUY.

• Renew your membership with Prairie Rivers Network – our effectiveness depends on our strength in numbers!

MAY

• Show your support by “liking” our Facebook page!

How? 1.Log onto facebook or create a free profile 2.Search for Prairie Rivers Network  3.Click on the Join Group button in the right-hand corner

• 12 - Celebrate Chicago River Day

• Plant a rain garden!

• 20 - Participate in the 55th Annual Des Plaines River Canoe and Kayak Race.

JUNE

• Check out our River Recreation web pages for information on where to play in and around rivers in your part of the state.

• Fish, float or camp at Illinois’ only National Scenic River: The Middle Fork of the Vermilion near Danville, IL

• Watch The Story of Stuff online. Consider what you can do to REDUCE.

• Hike Bell Smith Springs. You will understand why advocates have fought so hard to protect this beautiful place.  For a map click here.

JULY

• 4 - Compost your leftovers! According to the EPA, 27% of U.S. municipal solid waste is from food. Here is a great resource for getting started with backyard composting. 

• Visit the Upper Mississippi River Fish and Wildlife Refuge near Rock Island.

• Test your tap water. Compare the results to water quality reports from your local water provider.

• Learn how the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River was saved, leading to the birth of what would become Prairie Rivers Network.

AUGUST

• Photograph your favorite river spot and send it to Prairie Rivers Network, or post it on our Facebook page.

• Visit, bike or hike the Great River Road National Scenic Byway along the Mississippi River in Illinois.

• Foster your children’s appreciation for clean water: check out our list of 10 Ways to Connect with Water.

• Take a tour at the Volo Bog Interpretive Trail/Center in Lake County.

SEPTEMBER

• Watch an environmental film or documentary, such as Bag It; King Corn; Tapped; Coal Country; The Meatrix; Living a Nightmare; Crude; No Impact Man; Thirst.

• Bike the Fox River Bike Trail.

• 17 - It’s Our River Day! Find a river cleanup event near you.

• Explore the Project WET’s Discover Water website www.discoverwater.org with your children (or even by yourself!).

OCTOBER

• 5 - Attend Prairie Rivers Network’s 14th Annual Dinner and help celebrate our 45th anniversary.

• Visit the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site and the Confluence Tower, both located in Hartford, IL.

• 17 - Recognize the Clean Water Act’s 40th birthday by calling your Congressional Representatives and letting them know you want them to protect clean water.

• Water and energy consumption are linked – using less energy reduces strain on our water supplies. Learn how you can save energy, save money, and reduce your impact. 

NOVEMBER

• Read one of the many fascinating books about the history of Illinois’ people and rivers – here are some of our favorites:

1. Wicked River: The Mississippi When It Last Ran Wild by Lee Sandlin

2. River-Horse: a Voyage Across America by William Least Heat-Moon – According to Cecily Smith, a sober, but stuff-you-should-know one like a modern day Silent Spring.

3. Living Downstream by Sandra Steingraber

4. The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water by Charles Fishman, a great one on water supply.

• Visit the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium (Dubuque, IA)

• 22 - Give thanks for clean water by renewing your support for your state advocate for clean water and healthy rivers : PRAIRIE RIVERS NETWORK!

• Count the number of Illinois Rivers you have visited and send us your pictures!

DECEMBER

• “It’s good to recycle your junk mail. It’s even better to stop getting it.” Visit: http://stopjunkmail.org

• Visit a nature center in your area. Enjoy mosquito-free hiking in winter!

• Spend cold days inside becoming a watershed expert. Visit the EPA’s Watershed Academy and get certified for FREE.

•25 - Participate in the Audubon Society’s yearly bird count.

For almost 45 years, Prairie Rivers Network has been working to foster a healthy environment, healthy people, and healthy communities. We have accomplished a lot in those years thanks to the continued support of our members and dedicated, passionate conservationists throughout Illinois.

Making a Difference for Illinois Rivers in 2011:

1. “Traditions” mega-dairy denied permit to fill in stream to make manure storage pond.
2. Industry coal mine is being held accountable for over 300 Clean Water Act violations.
   

   

   Click image to download 2011 accomplishments.

3. Wasteful spending on unnecessary expansion of harmful Upper Mississippi River navigation structures blocked.
4. 30 million gallons of polluted water no longer destined for Coffeen Lake; new coal ash pond at Coffeen Power Station will use state-of-the-art pollution controls.
5. Deer Run and Sugar Camp coal mines required to reduce water pollution & demonstrate new pollution control measures that will set the bar higher for other mines.
6. Voters make a difference! After hearing from our members:
   • Reps. Dold and Biggert changed votes to support EPA efforts to protect air & water from mercury pollution; and
   • Rep. Johnson voted to support EPA’s role protecting clean water.
7. South Sangamon Water Commission’s new drinking water plant will reduce pollution to the Sangamon River and protect onsite wetlands.
8. New habitat conservation plan for Vermilion River will improve riverside habitat.
9. New rules will finally protect users of the Chicago River from bacteria and viruses in sewage.
10. Growing support for restoring the natural divide between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins to prevent the transfer of invasive Asian carp and other harmful plants and animals.
11. Village of Sycamore Sewage Treatment Plant will reduce nutrient pollution to Kishwaukee River.

It is a pleasure to share with you the 2010 Annual Report of Prairie Rivers Network. The year has been a good one for us, in terms of our accomplishments, growing membership, expanding programs, and financial health. We remain well-positioned, as 2011 unfolds, to pursue the ambitious goals set forth in our strategic plan. I am proud to be a part of this network, proud to work hand-in-hand with talented staff, dedicated board members, and enthusiastic members to promote clean water, healthy rivers, and vibrant communities throughout Illinois.

– Glynnis Collins, Executive Director

Click image to Download the 2010 accomplishments pdf

Preventing Water Pollution  

Challenge: Toxic ash is produced when coal is burned. Current regulations allow this toxic material to pollute streams and groundwater.

• Exposed Illinois EPA’s failure to protect clean water from the hazards of coal ash disposal.
• Helped national environmental powerhouses focus U.S. EPA on the extent of the coal ash problem in Illinois.
• Rallied citizens to support tougher regulations on coal ash pollution through petitions, letters, and testimony at EPA hearings.
• Developed water quality monitoring program for coal field communities to find and fix coal pollution.

Strengthening River Activism

Prairie Rivers Network gives people opportunities to experience nature and to then take steps on behalf of healthy rivers and clean water. Our goal is to turn citizens into active river advocates.

• Online petitions ensure that citizen voices are heard.
• Monthly electronic newsletters keep 1,000+ people informed about the latest issues.
• Frequent Facebook posts give 500+ friends the inside scoop as it happens. 
• Government agencies know that our members are active and involved and therefore listen to what we have to say.
• Media coverage of our work ensures that rivers remain relevant and visible.

Protecting River Health and River Habitat

Challenge: Our rivers are under assault. Dredging natural channels and clearcutting riverbank vegetation has profoundly damaged our rivers and the wildlife that depends on them. Choking the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers with dams to support barge traffic has destroyed America’s greatest freshwater fishery.

Mississippi River

• We have a long-term vision of a truly sustainable and healthy Mississippi River, one where navigation interests do not dominate.
• This year we began helping citizen activists and municipalities along the Mississippi River develop a conservation action plans to restore wildlife habitat.

Vermilion River

• We led development of conservation action plans for protecting threatened fish and wildlife habitat throughout the Vermilion River basin.

Engaging Citizens in Protecting Clean Water 

By providing information, sound science, and hands-on assistance, Prairie Rivers Network helps individuals and community groups become effective river conservation leaders.

Homeowners Reduce Flooding and Stormwater Pollution

• Led efforts by more than 50 residents in three neighborhoods to demonstrate ability of rain gardens and rain barrels to capture and treat polluted runoff.

Workshops Train Conservationists

• Trained more than 250 people from municipalities, government agencies, and water protection groups, plus interested citizens to join and lead local efforts to reduce water pollution and restore rivers and lakes.

Traveling Science Center and River Discovery Days

• 1700 school children, many of their parents and other adults learned the importance of protecting and preserving rivers.

Stopping Invasive Species 

Challenge: Invasive Asian carp threaten our waterways and native wildlife populations.

Dramatic images of Asian carp leaping out of the water and injuring boaters, the intentional poisoning of thousands of fish in Chicago waterways to stop their spread to the Great Lakes – these events have captured the attention of the public, the press, and officials.

This crisis presents us with a unique opportunity to re-engineer the Chicago canals that allow destructive invasive species like the zebra mussel to move between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins.

We are working with state and national partners to demand that the half-measures that constitute current policy be replaced by a permanent solution to the problem: restoring the divide between the basins.

We Have Made Great Progress in the Past 12-18 Months

• The idea of separating the basins, until recently viewed as a political non-starter, has gained traction: Chicago’s Mayor Daley recently made headlines talking about it.
• The Obama Administration signaled its commitment by creating a new position on the White House staff to coordinate the federal response to the threat. 
• More then 150 scientists have signed on to our position statement supporting the need to restore the basin divide.

Enforcing Clean Water Laws

Our scientific and legal expertise and persistent watchdogging has resulted in stronger water pollution controls.

Factory Farms

• We found pollution near factory farms and brought in state inspectors to make sure problems were fixed.
• We are working with organizations across the state to win stricter rules on factory farm pollution.

Chronic Polluters

• If polluters don’t follow the law, we take action.
• We joined in a case with the Attorney General against a dirty coal mine, challenging weak permits.
• Our efforts have resulted in state action on several other chronically polluting facilities.

Sewage Treatment Plants

• We strengthened pollution controls in many communities by challenging EPA permits.
• Our Antidegradation Guidebook helps treatment plants understand the law and describes innovative methods for controlling pollution.

  Download Prairie Rivers Network’s 2010 Accomplishments (pdf) here.