jim bielecki Posted April 7, 2010 Report Share Posted April 7, 2010 Here are some ways to get involved! Cleanup info:Town: Aurora Date: Saturday 4/10/10 Time: 8:00 - 12:00 Address: Aurora Transportation Center Parking Lot, 233 N. Broadway Avenue Type: shoreline clean up Description: shoreline clean-up along Indian Creek and the Fox River in Aurora & lunch to follow. There will also be an expired/unwanted medications collection to keep pharmaceuticals from our waterways. Leader: Pat Divine (630) 301 6817 Sponsored by: Fox Metro Water Reclamation District, City of Aurora, and Kiwanis Club of Aurora, Friends of the Fox River Type of Event: Booth, Educational, Volunteer, InformationalCleanup info:Town: Montgomery Date: Saturday 5/8/10 Time: 9:00 - 12:00 Address: intersection of rt. 25 and Mill Street, Montgomery Type: shoreline Description: shoreline River Clean Up Leader: Debbie Buchanan 630-896-8080 x 1114 Sponsored by: Village of Montgomery, Fox Valley Park District, Friends of the Fox River Cleanup info:Town:Elgin Date: 5/15/10 Time: 8:30 - 12:00 Address: Trout Park Nature's Edge, Duncan Avenue near I90 bridge and Voyageur's Landing Forest Preserve, 50 Airport Road Elgin. Type: shoreline Description: concurrent clean-ups across the river from each other Leaders: Jason Kopplin and Mary Alice Masonick Sponsored by: Friends of the Fox River Type of Event: Booth, Educational, Volunteer, Informational Cleanup info:Town:Algonquin to Carpentersville on the Fox River, Carpentersville Date: 5/15/10 Time: 8:30 - 12:00, lunch at 11:00 Address: Paddlers leave from Buffalo Park Forest Preserve, off of Rt. 31 in downtown Algonquin. Shoreline volunteers go to Fox River Shores Forest Preserve of off Williams Rd in Carpentersville Type: Paddling and Shoreline Description: Volunteers needed to restore this most pristine stretch of the Fox River between and Algonquin and Carpentersville dams. Shoreline workers have quite a job too as Fox River Shores is one of the most heavily used preserves in the area. Leader: Gary Swick 815 370 0026 & Pat Kirmse 847 609 4367 Sponsored by: Friends of the Fox River Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim bielecki Posted April 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 May 8th, 2010 is the next clean up scheduled for the Fox River at the Montgomery Dam. This area is in really bad shape! It would be great to see ISA volunteers out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim bielecki Posted May 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2010 I'm going to be out there in the morning if any other ISA members would like to join me. I don't plan to fish...wish I could but it's my nephews birthday. I will clean up for the first two hours and head out. Breakfast anyone? I will also be bringing out some posts and signs if we need to set some up. This isn't an ISA event but there was a great turn out from the Kiwanis at the last event and there were a lot of volunteers...it really makes you realize there are a lot of people working to make things better. I just wish we can do more to ensure the safety of fish consumption. I love to eat fish but I don't trust to eat any fish from Illinois...even if there's no advisory. That's just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim bielecki Posted May 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2010 Last call...anyone want to meet to help clean up the Fox R. in Montgomery. There will be many other people pitching in...it would be great to see some ISA volunteers out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim bielecki Posted June 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2010 It looks like Friends of the Fox will be having a clean up this Saturday June 5th. in Montgomery. I am getting information regarding this tomorrow. I talked to one of the coordinators with Friends of the Fox...paddlers will be putting in and cleaning up along the way starting around 9 a.m., and shoreline volunteers will be working several areas beginning around 10 a.m. I plan to do some shoreline work. Hope to see you there! http://www.friendsofthefoxriver.org/calendar/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim bielecki Posted June 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2010 Is anyone coming out? If so, lets meet for breakfast. http://www.friendsofthefoxriver.org/calendar/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim bielecki Posted June 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2010 Not a great turn out of volunteers today, there was just me. I was hoping to meet up with some volunteers from Friends of the Fox River but I never crossed paths. I focussed on the east side shoreline above the Montgomery dam. 4 bags of trash, 2 dead birds (from fishing line), one dead carp and one dead dog sort of animal...too decomposed to tell for sure . I also caught a catfish with no gear at all! I was pulling in some fishing line tangled along the shore and at the end of it in the water was a tug! It turned out to be a 14 inch channel catfish! I safely unhooked him and let him go. The Montgomery area needs lots more work. Stay tuned for other events scheduled. I have a 16 foot boat I may use for cleaning up some of the islands if I get extra help. I'll keep you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Clifford Posted June 6, 2010 Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 Thanks for your dedication to the resource, Jim. Looks like we have our work cut out for us. The proof is in the pudding, as they say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Don R Posted June 6, 2010 Report Share Posted June 6, 2010 Water willows are scheduled to be planted in this area. Perhaps a clean-up can be done the same day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim bielecki Posted June 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Cleaned up some of the Fox today. Pulled out a truck tire, some carpeting, cans, bottles...the usual. I saw an ISA sign missing that I put up...I plan to go back and replace it. I was able to talk to a fisherman about ISA. I think it's great when people join ISA; in other cases I think it's also important to do P.R. work....be seen and make an impression. In the future those people will do more the next time they are out fishing. One fisherman saw me picking up and when I came towards him he picked up a few items to add to my trash bin! That's the point in making an impression and being seen in field working. Sometimes I question if the little bit of trash I collected made a difference. When I think about it further the answer is yes. People are interested in what I am doing and when I talk to them they are receptive to the effort I'm putting forth....the result of what I do may be the difference in what others choose to contribute later on. One person can make a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Clifford Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Way to go, Jim! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim bielecki Posted June 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2010 I came across this article which is only 5 years old but more still needs to be done...http://www.ledgersentinel.com/article.asp?a=3633 I cut and paste some of the highlights. Study: Fox River condition deteriorating Lack of intergovernmental coordination also cited as problem by Roger Matile 1/6/2005 A major contributor to the declining quality of the river is string of dams along its length. “There is a lack of coordination within and between government agencies to solve the well-documented problems that the fox River faces, and several organizations are pursuing policies that will further perpetuate the deteriorating condition of the Fox River,” the report contends.The report lists a number of suggestions that could help increase the Fox River’s water quality, including increases in state funding to purchase and restore habitat along the river, establishing state-wide standards to protect all Illinois watersheds from common threats such as nutrient discharges that promote harmful algae growth, requiring all new construction meet international standards for discharges into watersheds, and offering incentives for counties, townships, and other agencies to acquire and protect open space. Although the article is only 5 years old, there is always more that needs to be done. Some of the follow up questions that I would have since the publishing of this article are: 1. Is the Fox River being funded by tax payers to improve habitat? 2. Is the IDNR providing funding to improve water conditions? 3. Are there plans to remove any more dams? 4. Has there been new statewide standards put in place to protect from nutrient discharges. 5. Are there plans to buy and protect the Fox River Shoreline? I can say that Aurora is working on a large stretch of the shorline to improve it. I also know the ISA funds waterwillows but what contributions do tax payers and the DNR make? Since the publishing of this article, does anyone have further information to answer some of these questions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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