The DuPage River Coalition (DRC) started the watershed planning process in 1997 working with nearly 100 stakeholders to develop goals and broad objectives for the watershed plan. Although our major goals have not changed, the 2007 update has made some minor changes to the wording to further clarify the goals. Much of the work to revise the plan was completed by Conservation Foundation staff with review and comments from DuPage County’s Municipal Engineers Committee, the DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup and other Coalition Partners.

 Over the last ten years there have been many exciting developments like the formation of the DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup which has developed one of the most comprehensive monitoring programs in the state. The Thorium Clean-up on the West Branch is in full swing with many post-clean-up restoration projects to follow.  Coalition members have received millions of dollars in grant funds through programs like Illinois EPA’s Section 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program and the Illinois DNR’s Conservation 2000 Program.  Each of these projects has furthered the vision and goals of our watershed plan.

The tables below outline the objectives and actions that will move us closer to our vision of a “clean stream”  Many of the actions have direct links to other parts of this website or links to Coalition Member websites that provide more details on the various programs. To keep things on tract we have assembled a list of Implementation Milestones, (link to Implementation Milestones.doc in new page) many of the projects listed will provide critical information for the watershed and help further prioritize projects.

As with any plan or website, we are constantly striving to improve and make sure important elements have not been overlooked.  Please contact info@dupagerivers.org with comments or questions.

Education and Outreach Goal
To preserve and protect the natural resources within the DuPage River Watershed, all citizens need to learn what a watershed is, why a healthy watershed is important and how our actions affect the health of the watershed.

Key Messages:

  • Rain is a valuable resource – keep rain where it falls
  • Keep it clean! Don’t Muddy the Waters
  • Leave No Child Inside – Connect kids (and their parents) with nature.
Action Cost Who?
OBJECTIVE 1 Coordinate Education and Outreach activities between partner organizations to consistently communicate key messages across education and outreach programs.
A watershed plan outreach "standard" will be developed and distribute along with available logos and graphics to all communities, park districts and others that provide watershed programming.   The Conservation Foundation
OBJECTIVE 2 Develop Education and Outreach programs that focus on both increasing awareness and result in behavior change.
Promote and utilize the "Four Steps of Community Based Social Marketing" to assist in the development of E/O programs.   All watershed programming providers
OBJECTIVE 3 Promote the Conservation@Home program across the watershed.
a. Work with Park Districts and Communities to provide Conservation @ Home programs in each community $35,000/year part-time staff and materials The Conservation Foundation
b. Install Conservation @ Home Kiosks at key locations to increase visiblity of program $800/Kiosk x 15 Kiosk The Conservation Foundation
OBJECTIVE 4 Promote watershed based youth programming, both formal and non-formal, that makes a local connection to the DuPage River Watershed.
a. Promote Chicago Wilderness' "Leave No Child Inside" inititive to partner organizations as a framework to connect kids with nature   All watershed programming providers
i. Work with local park districts to develop family based nature programming   The Conservation Foundation, Park Districts
b. Provide watershed based teacher training for educators to increase understanding of watershed topics.   Forest Preserve District, The Conservation Foundation, SCARCE
c. Continue to support and expand existing watershed education programs including, but not limited to:
 
All watershed programming providers
i. Mighty Acorns
 
 
ii. Envirothon
 
 
iii. Bass in the Class
 
 
iiii. Watershed Blues Teacher Training
 
 
v. Discover the DuPage River		   All watershed programming providers

Water Quality Goal

  • To preserve and protect water quality within the DuPage River Watershed, nonpoint and point sources of pollution need to be reduced or eliminated and natural hydrology restored.
Action Cost Funding Who? Priority
OBJECTIVE 1 Implement TMDL plans to meet state water quality standards.
a. Work through the adaptive management approach to further define and document impairments and implement viable projects as identified by the DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup   Current and future Section 319 grants, DRSCW membership DRSCW  
   i. Support continued implementation of long-term bioassessment plan to track water quality improvements $140,000/year Current and future Section 319 grants, DRSCW membership DRSCW High
ii. Support continued implementation of Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Monitoring Program $15,000/year + in-kind service from participating agencies Current and future Section 319 grants, DRSCW membership DRSCW High
   iii. Implement Dissolved Oxygen improvement projects as identified by DRSCW report due out in Fall 2007. $2-8Million for East Branch DuPage River Project Current and future Section 319 grants, DRSCW membership DRSCW High
 iiii. Implement Chloride Reduction Program Phase II   Current and future Section 319 grants, DRSCW membership DRSCW High
v. Develop wet weather program to define and address wet weather impacts $50,000 Current and future Section 319 grants, DRSCW membership DRSCW High
OBJECTIVE 2 Promote and encourage the use of Stormwater Best Management Practices (both pre and post construction) to increase infiltration and capture pollutants of concern.
a. Implement recommendations for BMPs prioritized in the WinSLAMM model   Potential Section 319, DuPage County Stormwater Utility (pending), local community funds    
 b. Hold workshops to promote and encourage the use of Stormwater BMPs such as those detailed in the WinSLAMM model or described in the DuPage County Stormwater Manual $2000/workshop DuPage County NPDES Phase II E&O funds DuPage County, The Conservation Foundation  
b.  Encourage and support changes to DuPage County Stormwater and Floodplain Ordinance to:     Coalition Partners  
  i. Further define and enforce appropriate sediment and erosion control practices during construction        
ii. Mandate the use of permanent Stormwater BMPs        
 iii. Require a CPESC signature for Erosion Control Plans        
c. Encourage and support changes to local ordinances to impove the acceptance of Stormwater BMPs and native landscaping     DRC/ The Conservation Foundation  
   i. Survey communities ordinances to identify road blocks to BMP acceptance     DRC/ The Conservation Foundation  
   ii. After review, provide examples for ordinance change/model ordinaces     DRC/ The Conservation Foundation  
d. Develop and implement a stormwater retrofit program     DuPage County High
i. Use Center for Watershed Protection's Urban Stormwater Retrofit Practices guide to develop a local stormwater retrofit program     DuPage County  
ii. Identify and prioritize retrofit opportunities by subwatershed     DuPage County  
iii. Require implementation of identified projects through redevelopment projects     Communities in Watershed/ DuPage County  
e. Support the development of a comprehensive DuPage County Stormwater Utility that will support BMP implementation and water quality monitoring.     Coalition Partners High
f. Support the continued implementation of the NPDES Phase II Stormwater Permit thru further development and refinement of programs outlined in permit     f. Support the continued implementation of the NPDES Phase II Stormwater Permit thru further development and refinement of programs outlined in permit  
OBJECTIVE 3 Education the public and private sector about their impact on water quality
a. Promote the Conservation @ Home program across the watershed to increase knowledge and implementation of BMPs at the individual landowner scale     The Conservation Foundation  
b. Provide Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control Review and Exam session at least annually $2,500/ workshop   The Conservation Foundation  
c. Provide technical workshops on the planning, design and implementation of BMPs $2,500/ workshop   DuPage County, The Conservation Foundation  
OBJECTIVE 4 Conduct subwatershed surveys to further identify pollutant sources
a. Conduct a streambank survey for each subwatershed to document the extent of streambank erosion and potential sediment loading and help prioritize restoration efforts.     Communities in Watershed/ DuPage County  
OBJECTIVE 5 Monitor the implementation of the thorium clean-up and restoration activities on the West Branch and provide information and assistance to private landowners as needed.
a. Attend project progress meetings     The Conservation Foundation Medium
a. Attend project progress meetings     The Conservation Foundation  
  • Sustainable Development Goal
  • Because the DuPage River Watershed is a dynamic, natural system, landowners (both public and private) and policy makers need to acknowledge the impacts of land uses, land management practices and land development on the entire watershed.
Action Cost Who?
OBJECTIVE 1 Strengthen county-wide stormwater & floodplain ordinances and community ordinances to incorporate conservation design principles to take advantage of redevelopment opportunities as they occur.
a. Provide training opportunitites and workshops to increase awareness about how conservation design can be incorportated into suburban redevelopment   DuPage County, The Conservation Foundation
b. Identify and promote ways that local communities are implementing conservation design principles and best management practices that protect and improve water quality   DRC, The Conservation Foundation
c. Advocate that landowners develop property in an ecologically sustainable manner which protects water quality, natural areas and open space.   DRC, The Conservation Foundation
OBJECTIVE 2 Protect critical areas of the watershed through acquisition or conservation easements.
a. Utilize existing land acquision plans from the Forest Preserve Districts and Park Districts to identify and prioritize protection efforts.   Land Managers
b. Update information collected through the DuPage West Branch Conservation Easement Program in 2002 and expand into appropriate areas in the East Branch Watershed. $30000 The Conservation Foundation

Ecosystem and Biodiversity Goal

  • To promote the biological diversity of the DuPage River Watershed, natural areas throughout the watershed need to be protected, restored and linked into natural corridors.
Action Cost Who?
OBJECTIVE 1 Support Forest Preserve Districts and Park Districts land acquisition plans
    Coalition partners
OBJECTIVE 2 Promote the Chicago Wilderness Biodiversity Recovery Plan and restoration guidelines
b. Work with private and public landowners to restore and manage natural areas with long-term plans   DRC
Priority Habitats   The Conservation Foundation, Forest Preserve District
i. Stream Corridor Restoration along mainstems and tributaries    
ii. Wetland Restoration    
iii. Upland Restoration - Woodland, Savannah & Prairie    
OBJECTIVE 3 Identify, preserve and restore key habitats across the watershed
a. Work with local Forest Preserve Districts and Park Districts to identify restoration and management needs    DRC, The Conservation Foundation
OBJECTIVE 4 Reduce invasive species across the watershed
a. Work with private and public landowners to remove invasive species and replace them with native species through the Conservation @ Home program    The Conservation Foundation
b. Work with transportation managers to identify and manage for invasive species along roadways    

River Access Goal

  • To encourage the public to appreciate the DuPage River as a valuable resource, the river corridor should be accessible for recreational use, where appropriate.
Action Cost Who?
OBJECTIVE 1 Promote awareness about the recreational opportunities along the DuPage River
a. Promote & support the implementation of Openlands Project's Water Trails Plan.   Coalition Partners
b. Provide opportunities for residents to experience the stream from a different perspectiveCoalition Partners   Coalition Partners