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
How Green Is My River? Tom Schrader, Vice President, Friends of the Fox River Anyone living in the Fox River Valley knows what a hot, dry summer season the region has suffered through this year. Similarly, anyone who has fished or canoed or hiked along or even simply driven across the Fox River in recent … Read more
Potential Threat to Sensitive Areas in the Fox Watershed By Tom Schrader Vice President, Friends of the Fox River Various routing alternatives for the proposed Prairie Parkway connecting I-88 and I-80 are currently under consideration by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The Friends of the Fox River has a vested interest in evaluating the … Read more
