Whether “watershed planning” is a foreign concept to you, or you have been actively preserving the health of Illinois watersheds for years, we guarantee that you will discover something new on our For Watershed Groups webpages.

What is a watershed?  What is meant by watershed planning?  Browse through Watersheds 101 to find out.

Watershed Diagram Courtesy of Arkansas Watershed Advisory Groups

What do watershed groups do? Visit Illinois Watershed Groups for links to some of the most active groups in our state.

Tools, Manuals, Websites, and Maps will get you well on your way to taking an active role in protecting your watershed. Do you know which watershed you live in?  Is there a watershed group in your area?  Find out through on-line databases.

Are you already active in your watershed?  Download free tools and manuals that will assist you at all levels.

Would you like to get involved? Visit Partners and Volunteer Networks for links to groups like Illinois RiverWatch Network and the Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program.

View presentations from our Workshops on Watershed Capacity Building.

Learn tips on grant writing to receive funding for your projects. Get advice on conducting outreach campaigns.  Follow step-by-step tutorials to find free on-line data. Read our Final Report to learn more about how Prairie Rivers Network has supported watershed groups.

Remember: we all live in a watershed; we all have a direct impact on the health of our rivers; and there are tools available to help each of us make a difference!

Flowing for over 500 miles from its west-central Ohio headwaters to its confluence with the Ohio River in southern Illinois, the Wabash River is the largest un-dammed river east of the Rocky Mountains. For those living along the Wabash, planning to protect and enhance the river’s future has become a necessary priority. 

Earlier this summer, the Office of Illinois Lt. Governor Sheila Simon conducted a survey of residents in the Wabash River watershed as an initial step in gathering public input that will help direct future watershed planning efforts. Almost 250 people responded from all 18 counties that lie within the watershed’s boundaries. {Continue Reading »}