Welcome to the first issue of Friends of the Fox River’s e-News — our monthly hot sheet for Fox River Watershed conservation news. Our quick-reference format highlights news, workshops, events, and other conservation resources (with links leading to expanded text). There’s great things happening throughout our watershed. We urge you to get involved. If there’s … Read more
Through a generous grant from Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois River Coordinating Council, Friends of the Fox River continued its water willow planting initiative. Through a partnership project with the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance, Oswegoland Park District and Friends of the Fox River, volunteers planted over 2,000 water willow plants at Violet Patch Park … Read more
By Tom Shrader Vice President, Friends of the Fox River Take Action Now Sample letter to U.S. Representatives and Senators Find your U.S. Representatives and Senators As noted in the last newsletter, Friends of the Fox River Vice-President Tom Schrader was invited to serve on the Environmental Task Force (ETF) of the Corridor Planning Group for the Prairie Parkway. … Read more
Dear ____________________, I am writing in regard to the federal funding situation regarding the Prairie Parkway. It is my understanding that the amount of federal funding available to the Parkway will only be enough to build a segment of the freeway. The segment that is planned to be constructed first with the money currently available … Read more
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Illinois Department of Natural Resources Unveil Illinois River Basin Restoration Proposal The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Rock Island District and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources recently released their proposed 50-year plan to restore the Illinois River Basin. The goals of the Illinois River Basin Restoration project … Read more
By Tom Schrader Vice President, Friends of the Fox River In January 2006, Friends of the Fox River (FOFR) President Chuck Roberts and Vice-President Tom Schrader met with engineers from the Illinois Department of Transportation, Parsons Brinckerhoff, and Smith Engineering to discuss FOFR’s concerns about the impact of the proposed Prairie Parkway on environmentally sensitive … Read more
2005 Illinois RiverWatch Program Friends of the Fox River was pleased to receive a generous $15,000 grant from Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois River Coordinating Council in May 2005 to administer the 2005 Illinois RiverWatch Program. The grant enabled RiverWatch citizen volunteers previously trained by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ staff to … Read more
Meeting Future Water Needs in Illinois Report Released Water shortages are forecast for at least 22 townships in the Chicago metropolitan area in the next 15 years and many more shortages are expected in the years beyond 2025 states the recently released report “Troubled Waters: Meeting Future Water Needs in Illinois.” The report, produced by … Read more
Summary of IDNR Surveyof Big Rock Creek By Tom Schrader Vice President, Friends of the Fox River In the last issue of The Riffle, the potential impact of the proposed Prairie Parkway on Big Rock Creek was raised as an issue of concern for Friends of the Fox River. In early October, the Illinois Department … Read more
IDOT Announces Public Meetings to Present Recommended Routes for Prairie Parkway The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) recently announced two open houses that the public is invited to attend regarding recommended alternative sites for the Prairie Parkway. At these open houses, IDOT will present their recommended routes for the Parkway which will be subject to … Read more
