The rain garden doing its job after a heavy rain (credit: K. Nystrom)

On Saturday, June 5, a rain garden was created at a private residence in Champaign’s John Street neighborhood.  A volunteer crew of 14 people assisted with the project, which was planned and supervised by Prairie Rivers Network staff.  Our thanks go out to this hearty crew and the homeowners, who labored through rain and in muddy conditions, and to Melia Smith for filming the event.  We also thank our project partners, the John Street Watershed Steering Committee and the City of Champaign.   

The rain garden is part of Prairie Rivers’ Reining in the Rain Campaign (funded by Illinois American Water).  The Campaign is creating demonstration sites for residents who want to learn more about rain gardens.   You can drive by and check it out; the rain garden is located at the southwest corner of Willis and John.

Volunteers hard at work digging the rain garden

Rain garden with native plants

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 19, 2010

CHAMPAIGN, IL — Prairie Rivers Network has been awarded a 2010 Environmental Grant from Illinois American Water. The grant will help fund a new stormwater outreach campaign called “Reining in the Rain in Champaign,” which was launched this month. Prairie Rivers Network will be working on this campaign with the City of Champaign, the John Street Watershed Steering Committee, the Washington Street East Watershed Steering Committee, and the Washington Street West Watershed Steering Committee.

“Prairie Rivers Network is excited to be working with Champaign residents and City staff to help address flooding problems and educate the public about alternative ways to manage the stormwater that causes flooding,” according to Stacy James, Water Resources Scientist for Prairie Rivers Network.

Many local neighborhoods experience significant flooding problems that cause property damage and sewage overflows. In particular, the John Street and Washington Street neighborhoods in Champaign have recently seen significant increases in flooding and wet basements. Residents can help reduce the amount of water that floods streets and storm sewers by getting more rainwater and snowmelt to soak into the ground on their own properties. Two things that residents can do at home are to install rain gardens and rain barrels.

 As part of Reining in the Rain, three rain gardens will be built in the John and Washington Street neighborhoods during 2010. The selection of the rain garden locations is currently underway. 50 rain barrels will also be given away at no cost to residents.

Established in 2005, the Illinois American Water Environmental Grant Program offers funds for innovative, community-based environmental projects in our local communities. “The Environmental Grant Program has been very successful in helping local organizations carry out meaningful, sustainable initiatives that benefit our watersheds,” said Karla Olson Teasley, president of Illinois American Water. “Again this year, the grant recipients exemplify the type of environmental stewardship in which we are proud to partner to better protect our drinking water resources.”

Prairie Rivers Network is Illinois’ statewide river conservation organization and the state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. Information about Prairie Rivers Network can be found online at www.prairierivers.org.

We’ve been tracking a terrible bill in the Illinois Senate this spring that would allow irresponsible development in flood-prone areas. It may also make thousands of Illinois residents ineligible for federal flood insurance and disaster relief.

You can help by calling bill sponsor Senator Haine (217.782-5247 or 618.465-4764) and ask him to withdraw Senate Bill 2556. You can also call or write your own state senator and representative and ask them not to vote for SB2556.

Illinois Sierra Club Floodplain Chair, President of American Bottom Conservancy, and Prairie Rivers Network supporter Kathy Andria describes problems with the Bill in a Letter to the Editor that appeared in the 3/21/10 Madison & St. Clair Record. We reprint the text below:

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by Stacy James, Water Resources Scientist

For every inch of rain that falls, about a half-gallon of stormwater runoff is produced from one square foot of roof or pavement. That’s a lot of water, and most of it eventually winds up in our waterways. Along the way, the stormwater picks up oil, trash, bird droppings, pesticides, and other pollutants from the ground. {Continue Reading »}

Proposed site for STAR bonds development in the American Bottom Floodplain

In the final hours before his August 30th deadline for taking action, Governor Quinn issued an “amendatory veto” on the STAR Bonds Financing Act (Senate Bill 1909). The Bill sets up a mechanism for public financing of large commercial developments in blighted urban areas. Prairie Rivers Network, along with many of our partners (Sierra Club – Illinois Chapter and Kaskaskia Group, American Bottom Conservancy, Illinois Environmental Council), opposed the Bill throughout the 2009 Legislative Session because it includes the ludicrous provision that eligible projects must be at least partly located in floodplains. This provision is part of the Bill in order to target the taxpayer subsidy to a specific development, a mega- shopping mall and entertainment complex in and along the floodplain of the Mississippi River in Glen Carbon, IL (metro East St. Louis area). We are pleased that the Governor has requested lower subsidies than were proposed by Bill Sponsor Senator James Clayborne, of Belleville. However, we are disappointed that the issue of floodplain development has not been addressed. {Continue Reading »}

Proposed site for STAR bonds development in American Bottom floodplain.

Described variously as “TIF on steroids” or “Worst Bill Ever,” Illinois Senate Bill 1909 – the STAR Bonds Financing Act – gives money to private developers at Illinois state taxpayers’ expense to develop in the 100-year floodplain because “such sites are more likely to remain underutilized and undeveloped.” Eligible sites must be vacant and no less than 600 acres, at least 30 per cent of which is in the 100-year floodplain.

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