Join our network of watershed caretakers! Make a difference in your community.
Over 600 concerned citizens, teachers, and youth group leaders are members of the FOFR's Watershed Monitoring Network. Members volunteer to collect water quality data, assist at education events, and/or offer their individual expertise or talents. All members are active stewards of the Fox River Watershed.
The hallmark of the Monitoring Network is our water quality monitoring program. Once a year, Network volunteers monitor the water quality of the Fox River and its tributaries at stream monitoring sites throughout the watershed. They collect physical, chemical, and biological data used to assess water quality trends. This data can be the first warning sign of problems in the watershed.
The Monitoring Network also sponsors continuing education and community outreach events.
The Fox River Watershed Monitoring Network is a project of Friends of the Fox River.
Since the project's inception in Jan. 2000, over 400 adults have been trained to monitor water quality. Over 100 stream monitoring sites throughout the watershed have been adopted and are actively monitored. Over 7,500 adults and youth are reached through monitoring network programs each year.
The Network has built a framework of support for its water quality monitors throughout the watershed. Strong partnerships have been established with park districts, forest preserve districts, conservation districts, school districts, private foundations, and corporations through the watershed. These partnerships allow regional outreach through local contacts. Citizens from Hebron to Yorkville are participating in water quality monitoring. Our stream monitoring methods have been incorporated into elementary, middle, high school, and college-level curriculums throughout the watershed as a result of our outreach efforts.
Membership in the Monitoring Network is free.
Call or e-mail Gary Swick, Monitoring Network Director, at 847-426-1322 or swick@mc.net.
Becoming an active member of Friends of the Fox River's Monitoring Network gives you a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded citizens who care about improving the health of the Fox River, its tributaries, and its watershed. We provide our members with a forum to share information about the Fox River Watershed's flowing waters. Most of our members take an active role in protecting the Fox River and its tributaries by collecting stream data once a year for Friends of the Fox River. This important data helps us analyze water quality trends and allows us to take prompt action when water quality trends begin to decline.
The best way to learn how to monitor water quality is to sign up for a free FRWMN Stream Monitoring Training Workshop. Friends of the Fox River and its education partners offer workshops throughout the year. Visit workshops for a list of upcoming stream monitoring training dates.
The Fox River Watershed Monitoring Network partners with state and local government agencies, forest preserve and conservation districts, education institutions, private foundations and park districts. We encourage you to visit our partners' websites.