SPARE America's Wildlands

Illinois River Watershed, Illinois

The Illinois River Watershed - which includes the river, its tributaries, and the urban, suburban and rural areas they drain - covers over two-thirds of Illinois, from Chicago to Alton, where the river meets the Mississippi. The Illinois and its tributaries provide drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people, as well as fishing, hunting and other recreation opportunities. Until pollution took its toll, the watershed supported one of the most productive freshwater fisheries in the world.

The Illinois is under attack and water quality is suffering. Industrial pollution has left a legacy of toxic sediments in the upper reaches of the watershed - including the Chicago and Des Plaines rivers. Sewage and runoff from Chicago's sprawling suburbs threaten to overload the Fox, DuPage and Des Plaines rivers. Downstate, industrial hog factories and the massive amounts of animal waste they produce threaten public health.

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is a good effort to reduce agricultural runoff into the river system, and should be continued and expanded. In addition, Governor George Ryan must make good on promises to improve the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's water pollution control programs, including expediting waterway cleanup plans; strengthening, rather than weakening, standards for ammonia and other water pollutants; and adopting an effective "antidegradation" policy to keep clean waters clean.

Photo courtesy Jack Darin

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