April 27, 2017 | Blog Post
University and middle school students were canoeing on the Middle Fork this week on an educational field trip when they noticed something that seemed out of place. One of the small tributaries to the Middle Fork was flowing faster than any of the canoers had seen before, and it was flowing thick with milky white sediment. Upstream of this tributary, the water was perfectly clear, but downstream, the entire Middle Fork was cloudy and opaque.
RiverWatch trainees get their feet wet learning to identify aquatic bugs
March 19, 2017 | Blog Post
Last Saturday, RiverWatch trainer Matt Young and five brave river citizens (including myself), wearing questionably waterproof boots, waded into the chilly March waters of the Saline Branch in Urbana’s Crystal Lake Park. Another six participants without waterproof gear watched from the riverbank. We were participating in a RiverWatch training session, becoming citizen scientists ready to observe and report on the water quality of Illinois’ rivers.
Over one hundred new reports released on Illinois’ coal ash: What have we learned?
We are finally seeing the results of many years of rulemaking on the problem of coal ash. Following the 2008 TVA Kingston disaster that spilled a billion gallons of coal ash, destroying property and the environment, the US EPA began drafting rules governing the disposal of coal ash. Coal ash is a waste product produced […]
WIIN passes, and the future of coal ash is unclear.
Regulation of Illinois’ coal ash may now fall solely in Illinois EPA’s hands. This weekend, the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN) passed the U.S. House and Senate, and is now awaiting a signature. This bill provides investments into water infrastructure across the country, including funding to address the Flint water crisis, but […]
Clean Energy Jobs for Illinois!
Thanks to all our supporters who called Senator Bennett in support of this bill. On Wednesday December 7th, Governor Rauner signed the Future Energy Jobs Bill. The bill is an important victory for renewables and energy efficiency in Illinois, and it paves the way for a future in Illinois where our rivers are healthier and […]
