DuPage River Watershed Plan Vision and Goals

In 1997 the first watershed plan was developed with the help of nearly one hundred stakeholders. In early discussions, five major topic areas rose to the top of the list as priorities. These topic areas were prioritized and a goal was developed for each. They are listed below in order of priority.  The 2007 plan revision made some minor changes to the goals to update them to current activities and to fill some gaps that were overlooked.

Vision Statement
“A clean stream which exceeds water quality standards, is enhanced by sensitive development, embraced by the public, protected to preserve biodiversity, and used for its recreational values.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

These goals have guided many activities in the watershed over the last ten years and continue to be relevant.  Each of the goals is supported by multiple objectives to further clarify actions needed to achieve our vision for the watershed. The objectives are listed on the Implementation page, but detail for many of the actions can be found throughout the website.