Since 1989, City Water, Light, and Power (CWLP) has been trying to get the OK to build a dam in Springfield to create a second large reservoir for the city. Prairie Rivers Network and others have opposed the 7,000-acre dam project because it is not needed. We have testified that the City’s existing lake, supplemented by water from nearby well fields and gravel mining pits could supply the City with the water it needs.
The dam would permanently flood two beautiful creek valleys with their steep ravines, ancient oaks, and diverse wildflowers and wetlands. The old Pensacola Tavern, a 180-year-old brick building and stagecoach stop where Stephen Douglas gave a presidential campaign speech in 1860, still stands amidst the ancient oaks. For more information, see our previous post.
Anti-Hunter Dam Brochure by CSWU, a Springfield-based citizen's group
It appears the Army Corps of Engineers may agree with us. The Corps has found CWLP’s analysis of the environmental impacts of the dam unacceptable and will require CWLP, if it still wants a permit, to reexamine the feasibility of using the gravel pits as a water supply.
Here is a link to a project factsheet by the US Army Corps of Engineers: http://www2.mvr.usace.army.mil/Projects/dsp_factsheet.cfm?ProjID=F5A05759-FBBA-DA94-102FB1854749E477
Prairie Rivers Network applauds the Army Corps of Engineers for standing firm and requiring adequate study and consideration of alternatives to this harmful and unnecessary project.
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Formed in 2006, The East Central Illinois Regional Water Supply Planning Committee (RWSPC) released its final report in June, 2009, containing recommendations for future regional water supply planners. The group will discuss its report, “A Plan to Improve the Planning and Management of Water Supplies in East-Central Illinois” Wednesday, September 30, from 7-9 pm at Parkland College’s Tony Noel Center.
This report is not the end, but the beginning, of water supply planning efforts in East Central Illinois. The next steps will involve choosing specific measures, such as conservation practices, that will reduce water use. Public participation and oversight during the subsequent water supply planning process is critical. Future choices regarding water conservation must include protecting the functions and benefits of regional rivers and streams, as well as the the Mahomet Aquifer.
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If you haven’t yet read the New York Times article entitled “Toxic Waters: Clean Water Laws Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering“ that appeared Sunday, September 13, I encourage you to do so now.
The article paints a stark picture of health threats posed by pollution in our nation’s waters. Pollution found in our drinking water is making people sick and has been linked to cancer and damage to the kidneys and nervous system. The Environmental Protection Agency and state regulatory agencies are charged with carrying out the Clean Water Act and the Safe Water Drinking Act in order to ensure clean, safe drinking water. However, between a “culture of transgression and apathy” and a doubling in the number of regulated facilities in the last ten years, the agencies responsible for making sure the laws are enforced are not getting the job done. {Continue Reading »}
Listen here to Eric Freyfogle, PRN board member and supporter for over ten years, discuss who owns our water resources here in Illinois on WILL Focus 580, Illinois Public Media.
On August 23, 2009, Governor Quinn signed a bill protecting Illinois’ drinking water supplies from pollution. To find out more, read the press release from the Illinois Government News Network.
Citizens from Tazewell to Vermilion Counties will have an opportunity to discuss the future of East-Central Illinois water supplies during public meetings being held by the Regional Water Supply Planning Committee (RWSPC). Created by Executive Order 2006-1, and authorized by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the RWSPC’s has the responsibility to develop recommendations for water supply planning in
East-Central Illinois.
The 15 counties included in the RWSPC’s region overlie the Mahomet Aquifer, the major water supply for much of the region. Findings in the Committee’s final report indicate that water use demands on this valuable natural resource are already affecting the aquifer’s normal hydrology and water levels. The report also notes that water demands within the region may increase by as much as 60% by 2050.
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Since 1989, City Water, Light, and Power (CWLP) has been trying to get the OK to build a dam in Springfield to create a second large reservoir for the city. Prairie Rivers Network and others have opposed the 7,000-acre dam project because it is not needed. We have testified that the City’s existing lake, supplemented by water from nearby well fields and gravel mining pits could supply the City with the water it needs.
