Raising Awareness of River Health Issues and Fostering River Stewardship

In 2009, Prairie Rivers Network:

• Trained over 100 people from 60 organizations to be effective advocates for clean water and healthy rivers.
• Successfully collaborated with partner organizations to convince Governor Quinn and Illinois Legislators to pass the Green Infrastructure bill (S.B. 1489) and to increase funding for upgrading wastewater treatment and drinking water facilities to $160 million in 2010.
• Partnered with Illinois Public Media, U of I College of Media, the Department of Natural Resources, and others, to engage youth in the outdoors and to document their experiences in the media.
• Educated 250 people in NE Illinois, Bloomington and Champaign-Urbana areas on proper disposal of unused medications to keep these products out of rivers and streams where they harm fish and enter drinking water supplies.
• Trained partners in the Mississippi River Collaborative on how to monitor pollution from factory farms– attendees came from as far away as Oregon and New York State.
• Worked with partners to hold the 4th Annual Boneyard Creek Community Day in Champaign and Urbana; 150 people participated in cleaning up this urbanized local stream.

Protecting Clean Water

In 2009, Prairie Rivers Network:

• Strengthened water pollution permits for 12 facilities requiring them to reduce pollution entering our rivers and streams.
• Negotiated design improvements for a large sewage treatment plant that will significantly reduce pollution released by the facility.
• Appealed water pollution permits for two coal mines that would pollute drinking water and harm river life.
• Pushed IEPA to provide better oversight of the dozens of coals waste disposal ponds across Illinois similar to one that collapsed in Tennessee in December 2008; worked with State Senator Michael Frerichs.
• Fought a variance for Springfield’s City Water Light & Power that will allow them to dump more than 10x the legal limit of boron into the Sangamon and Illinois Rivers.
• Fought proposal for a new dam and reservoir in Springfield, IL. There are less environmentally-damaging and less expensive ways to meet the city’s water needs.
• Collaborated with Carle Clinic Association in Urbana and Fox Fresh in Aurora to develop permanent drop boxes for unwanted medications. This alternative to flushing reduces pollution caused by medications, which typically are not removed by sewage treatment plants.
• Launched initiative aimed at reducing pollution from factory farms by pressing for better oversight and more transparency from state agencies, empowering local citizens to act in their communities, and by monitoring streams near several Clinton County facilities for pollution problems.

Protecting Healthy Stream Flow and River Habitat

In 2009, Prairie Rivers Network:

• Partnered with Department of Natural Resources and local stakeholders to plan for habitat restoration in the Vermilion River Conservation Opportunity Area as part of the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan.
• Convinced Corps of Engineers to consider water quality and habitat benefits when prioritizing restoration projects along the Mississippi.
• Watchdogged enormous hydrokinetic power project proposed for the Mississippi River involving 180,000 turbines in the river between St. Louis and Louisiana to ensure that this untested technology does not harm precious resources.
• With a broad coalition of partner organizations and local municipalities, defeated an irresponsible bill promoting tax subsidies for floodplain development; we expect to see the bill again in 2010 and will fight to keep development out of the floodplain.
• Contributed to discussion of regional water supply planning for the Mahomet aquifer in Central Illinois in several public forums.
• Helped improve and strengthen agriculture conservation practices promoted by the Illinois Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Clean Water

Reduced pollution from sewage treatment plants – We negotiated lower pollution levels from five treatment plants, with negotiations underway for several more. Because of our positive track record, polluters often seek our input before applying for permits to discuss alternatives to higher pollution levels.

Held agencies and coal companies accountable – PRN has seen a rapid increase in new coal mining permits proposing to use longwall mining techniques which can be particularly damaging to rivers and wetlands. Despite limited public review due to a fragmented regulatory framework, we have been able to improve permit requirements for four mines, and are poised to appeal two more permits if clean water and habitat issues are not addressed.

Habitat and Natural Stream Flows

Protected headwater streams from ill-conceived drainage projects – Please see article on page 5 about our support of landowners in a successful challenge to the Upper Salt Fork Drainage District’s vague plans for “maintenance” of the Salt Fork of the Vermilion River.

River Awareness and Stewardship

Helped local groups protect rivers and riverside habitat – With funding from EPA, we created and distributed a survey, the first of its kind, to over 11,000 individuals and groups working to protect Illinois waterways. Our analysis of the survey results, plus discussion at a follow-up workshop will be the starting point for a new two-year effort to provide training and support to address identified needs.

Trained Piasa Palisades Stormwater Team – As a result of training from PRN and Sierra Club, the Sierra Club Piasa Palisades group (Madison County) has formed an active construction site monitoring team and is reporting illegal pollution to government staff.

Organizational Capacity

Planned and improved PRN outreach materials – With a very generous donation of design services from Royse Wagner, Inc., we have been able to develop a beautiful new Web site and outreach materials. These will help us better tell our stories and reach new potential partners and members.

Prairie Rivers Network’s efforts are focused in three program areas: Clean Water, Habitat Protection, and River Stewardship and Awareness. Here are some of the highlights of our work in 2007:

Clean Water

Cleaning up Our Disinfection Exemption Program – We contributed to an overhaul of the Disinfection Exemption Program for wastewater treatment plants at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) resulting in IEPA reviewing 20 years of exemptions and deciding to apply a more stringent and judicious process for new exemption requests.

Marathon Oil, Robinson Refinery – We prevented two proposed permits that would have authorized excessive loading of pollutants to already impaired streams. We also negotiated an improved NPDES permit and are working for the rehabilitation of two streams badly damaged from Marathon’s historical wastestream.

New Lenox Waste Water Treatment Facility – After four years of challenging IEPA’s approval of a wastewater treatment facility’s expansion request that would negatively impact Hickory Creek in Will County, we received a favorable ruling from the Illinois Pollution Control Board that will likely improve the implementation of anti-degradation policies that are intended to protect streams throughout Illinois.

Use Attainability Analysis – We worked in collaboration with other Illinois environmental organizations to ensure that IEPA proposes upgraded use designations and improved water quality standards for the Chicago-area waterways.

Habitat Protection

Mississippi River Habitat Restoration – We began a new effort to work with local citizen groups along the Mississippi River to build support for projects that will restore the river’s wetlands, side channels, and wildlife corridors.

Healthy Land – Healthy Water – We worked to bring together landowners, farmers, watershed groups, and experts in a joint effort to increase the quality and amount of land that provides habitat for wildlife, protects stream corridors, and helps improve water quality.

Mississippi River Clean Water Collaborative – We continued our work with eleven other groups along the Mississippi River to improve water quality throughout the river system and the Gulf of Mexico.

Keeping on Cleaning Up – We helped organize river clean-ups and habitat restoration days along the Salt Fork River, the La Moine River, and Boneyard Creek. The Boneyard Creek Community Day event received the 2007 Governor’s Hometown Award.

River Stewardship and Awareness

Don’t Rush to Flush! – By partnering with other not-for-profits, and state and federal agencies, we began an education campaign on the dangers of improperly disposed medications, which can end up in our rivers and streams, harming fish and wildlife.

Mississippi River Education – To build awareness about the multitude of issues the Mississippi River faces, we collaborated with other environmental groups, educational institutions and teachers to create an education program for high school students who live along the Mississippi River.

Cleaning and Conserving Rain Water – We taught citizens throughout the state who are interested in reducing stormwater runoff around their homes or businesses the benefits of rain gardens and how to design and install one on their property.

Illinois Stormwater Patrol – We trained citizens to monitor stormwater runoff at construction sites and elsewhere, and to be on the lookout for pollution in their local streams.

Prairie Rivers Network has been working for clean water and healthy communities for 40 years! We will celebrate PRN’s 40th Anniversary at our Annual Dinner on November 9th. If you haven’t had an opportunity to attend our annual dinner, this is the year to do so. The staff and Board are planning an exciting event that will highlight our accomplishments over the past 40 years and the important work we will be undertaking in the future. PRN’s members are the cornerstone of our organization, and we hope you will be able to attend the dinner and share in this exciting time for PRN. {Continue Reading »}

Prairie Rivers Network’s efforts are focused in three program areas: Clean Water, Habitat Protection, and River Stewardship and Awareness. Here are some of the highlights of our work in 2006:

Clean Water

Cracking Down on Polluters – To complement our program that ensures Clean Water Act permits strictly limit the pollutants that can be discharged to our rivers, we initiated a new effort to ensure that polluters complied with their permits and began notifying permit violators of our intent to sue them if they did not bring their discharge practices within compliance.

Cleaner, Safer Water for Fishing and Swimming- Challenging Illinois EPA’s practice of exempting wastewater discharges from disinfection, we eliminated this exemption at plants from Champaign and St. Joseph to Sandwich and Braidwood and got IEPA to revise their disinfection exemption application and review process.

Mississippi River Clean Water Collaborative – We began a new effort with eleven other groups along the River to improve water quality throughout the river system and the Gulf of Mexico.

Habitat Protection

Mississippi River Habitat Restoration – We began a new effort to work with local citizen groups along the River to build support for projects that will restore wetlands, side channels and wildlife corridors.

Healthy Land – Healthy Water – We began an effort to ensure that farm conservation programs aimed at protecting habitat and water quality achieve their intended purpose.

River Stewardship and Awareness

Keeping on Cleaning Up- We helped organize the First Annual Boneyard Creek Community Day, a cleanup event designed to connect residents to an urban stream in Champaign-Urbana. In the process we forged partnerships with the cities, park districts, local Rotaries and businesses, the University of Illinois and many others dedicated to protecting this local stream.

Cleaning and Conserving Rain Water – We initiated a program to install rain gardens at local Habitat for Humanity homes and are developing instructional materials for homeowners who want to use rain gardens to prevent polluted rain water from running off their property into the nearest storm drain.

Illinois Stormwater Patrol- We continued training citizens to monitor stormwater runoff at construction sites and elsewhere, and to be on the lookout for pollution in their local streams.

Prairie Rivers Network’s efforts are focused in three program areas: Clean Water, Habitat Protection, and River Stewardship and Awareness. Here are some of the highlights of our work:

Clean Water

Safer Rivers for Fishing and Swimming – We challenged Illinois EPA’s practice of exempting wastewater discharges from disinfection, ensuring that rivers where children play and people fish are free of dangerous pathogens.

Preventing Growth of Algae – After more than two years of effort, Illinois will become one of the first states in the Midwest to limit phosphorus pollution in its rivers, preventing the growth of algae that chokes aquatic life and poses health threats.

More Oxygen for Fish and Aquatic Life – We fought a proposal by polluters to decrease the amount of oxygen available in Illinois waters.

Habitat Protection

Cleaner Air and Water and Protection for the Middle Fork – We participated in a legal case which resulted in a landmark settlement with Dynegy Midwest Generation with the following provisions: $500 million in new pollution controls will be installed on five Illinois power plants; precedent-setting mercury emissions controls will be installed on their Oakwood plant; and 1100 acres along the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River will be donated to the state, creating a protected corridor that stretches from Kickapoo State Park to the Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area.

Balancing Drainage with Healthy Habitat – We produced “A Citizen’s Guide to Illinois’ Agricultural Drainage Practices and Law,” promoting environmentally sensitive practices for agricultural drainage maintenance.

Protecting Rivers from Dredges and Dams – We discouraged projects that would fill and channelize rivers, winning an important victory with the Friends of Kickapoo Creek to prevent a dam that would have had serious impacts on the health of the creek.

River Stewardship and Awareness

Illinois Stream Team – We continued our trainings on stream monitoring and now have a total of fourteen groups monitoring water quality in their local streams. The goal of this program is to have a Stream Team in every watershed.

Cleaner Rivers, New Advocates – Working with volunteers from the Vermilion and Sangamon rivers, we helped organize two new annual clean-ups that drew hundreds of participants.

Reaching New Volunteers – We began distributing our new monthly e-newsletter which is sent to river advocates around the state with tips for protecting water quality and a calendar of upcoming river related activities and volunteer opportunities.

Storm Drain Patrol – We helped citizens from seven communities stencil hundreds of neighborhood storm drains with the important message, “Dump No Waste – Drains to Rivers.” Through this project we are increasing awareness of the fact that runoff of storm water from our homes and streets, collected by stormdrains, is not treated but instead flows directly into our rivers and streams.