Prairie Rivers Network gathered community members, legislators, and other partners together September 9, 2025 for an early-evening event at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery in Champaign, IL. The occasion: Celebrating recent legislation signed by Governor JB Pritzker protecting the Mahomet Aquifer as a drinking water source for nearly a million Illinois residents. Illinois senators Paul Faraci and Chapin Rose, and Illinois representatives Carol Ammons and Brandun Schweizer, legislators who championed the legislation, were recognized for their efforts in a short program during the festivities.
Over 100 community members mingled with legislators and the Prairie Rivers Network and Eco-Justice Collaborative teams. The event kicked off with Andrew Rehn from Prairie Rivers Network and Pam Richart from the Eco-Justice Collaborative recognizing the dedicated work of the community and local leaders to protect their drinking water. “I don’t think I need to convince anyone here today that water is a source of life,” Richart said from the stage. “It sustains us, and it unites us, and when our water supply was threatened, it was the collective power of community—and that means all of you here—that demanded and worked for policy change to protect our water supply.”
Attention then shifted to state legislators, all of whom received awards from PRN and partners recognizing their efforts championing Illinois’ only sole source aquifer.
“I won’t stand here and tell you our work is done, but I will say this: We can hold our heads high knowing that we’ve taken an important step in the right direction,” remarked State Senator Paul Faraci, who represents Illinois’ 52nd District. “To the environmental advocates and community members, thank you for your passion, your persistence, and your willingness to work together when the path was not easy.”
State Representative Carol Ammons, who represents Illinois’ 103rd district, agreed. “I’ve been part of many of these fights, and I can’t think of a more worthy one than this one,” she said as she received her award. “I’m so proud of our colleagues in the House and Senate who thought that this was a worthy cause for us to fight for and to vote yes for it.”
State Representative Brandun Schweizer, who represents Illinois’ 104th District, thanked his colleagues for the opportunity to work with them to get the legislation passed. “I voluntarily moved my family back to this area, and I don’t want to see anything that is going to destroy our drinking water for my family, for your family, or for anybody else,” he said.
“This has been a long fight with a lot of friends,” said State Senator Chapin Rose, representing the 52nd district. “It was bipartisan, because you know what? Clean water is nonpartisan.”
The program concluded with PRN Executive Director Maggie Bruns and a young activist energizing the crowd, leading a call-and-response chant of “Hey hey!/Ho ho!/CO2 has got to go/Hey hey!/Ho ho!/But not below our H2O”. Attendees then enjoyed refreshments, explored the grounds at Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery, and took in a beautiful sunset soundtracked by live music from the Occasional Cajun Band.
“We’re so thrilled and honored to host this victory celebration,” said Lauren Brokish, the farm’s co-owner. “This legislation is such an important step in protecting local residents and businesses like ours who rely on the aquifer day in and day out. We applaud our local leaders who helped secure these protections, and remain committed to working alongside Prairie Rivers Network and others to keep up the good work.”
“It’s so important to come together, catch our collective breath, and own the wins when they happen, especially in a beautiful, local setting that showcases the importance of our mission,” said Bruns. “Gatherings like these, where we celebrate the successes of our communities and those who represent us in our legislature, fuel us all for the work that lies ahead. There’s so much power in acknowledging achievements and celebrating democracy in action.”
