Small Map of Sampling sites

The DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup (DRSCW) coordinates a watershed wide monitoring program that includes approximately 75 sampling sites across the East and West Branches of the DuPage River watershed and its tributaries. Fish, macroinvertebrates, information about habitat and water samples are collected at each site. The West Branch DuPage River watershed was sampled during the summer of 2006 and the East Branch DuPage will be sampled during the summer of 2007. This first round of sampling will help to provide a benchmark of current conditions. The sites will be visited every three years to track improvements as various restoration projects and best management practices are implemented. As assessment information becomes available it will be posted on the website, the final report is due in June 2008.

The DRSCW contracted with Midwest Biodiversity Institute to develop the bioassessment program plan. This plan describes the methodology for choosing sites and sampling techniques. The full Bioassessment Plan can be downloaded here. The data collected through this program will be used locally to help guide resource management activities to improve water quality. The data will also be used by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for water quality assessment purposes. Specific details about the precision and accuracy of this data are found in the Quality Assurance Program Plan.