Marc Miller

Anticipating some questions, and there was a link above that I would like to point out: http://dnr.state.il.us/pubaffairs/2009/November/faqs.pdf The question you might ask about low lying areas between Des Plaines and canal will have an answer in that document. The bypass areas need to be addressed, and the Corps is working on it. Thanks, MM

All, I wanted to provide you with some information DNR put out today with our partners on the rapid response team (asian carp): FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 13, 2009 Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to Close for Fish Barrier Maintenance Fish toxicant to be used to prevent Asian carp from moving past barrier toward Lake Michigan Asian Carp FAQ's here CHICAGO – A section of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) is planned to be closed to all traffic, weather permitting, beginning December 2 for a period of four to five days. During the first week of December, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to perform scheduled maintenance on Barrier IIA, one of two electric barriers presently in operation on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal constructed to prevent the movement of the destructive Asian carp into Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes. Performing scheduled maintenance is required in order to maintain reliability of the structures and minimize the risk of unplanned outages due to inadequate maintenance. During the maintenance shutdown, Barrier I will remain active. However, because of late summer detection of Asian carp near the barrier system and concern that Barrier I may not be effective in deterring juvenile fish, a fish toxicant called rotenone will be applied to the canal between the barrier and the Lockport Lock and Dam. The application will allow for the removal of Asian carp and other fish to keep them from advancing past the barrier toward Lake Michigan. Illinois EPA water quality experts will be monitoring downstream of the application zone to ensure that the waters of the state are protected, and the chemicals do not move beyond the designated application area. “The barrier is currently the only protection against Asian carp for the Great Lakes and the maintenance shutdown may present an opportunity for the destructive fish to advance up the canal toward Lake Michigan,” said Illinois Department of Natural Resources Assistant Director John Rogner. During this process, the U.S. Coast Guard will be enforcing a safety zone and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) will be closed to all commercial and recreational vessel traffic between CSSC Mile Marker 291 and CSSC Mile Marker 298. The waterway is planned to be closed beginning December 2 and last for the duration of operations. “We understand the impact of this canal closure on commercial and recreational waterway users, but it is necessary to help protect lives, prevent long-term damage to the ecosystem, and facilitate the working group’s application of rotenone and its cleanup, ” said Rear Adm. Peter Neffenger, Commander of the Ninth U.S. Coast Guard District. “We will work closely with our partner agencies to reopen the waterway as soon as operations permit.” Asian carp have been detected using environmental DNA testing in the canal below the barrier, and there is consensus among federal, state, and local agencies along with other partners that actions must be taken to prevent these invasive species from reaching Lake Michigan while Barrier IIA is shut down. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), in coordination with the multi-agency Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup along with the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, will manage the application of rotenone in the CSSC. While the toxicant will eradicate Asian carp and other fish in the canal, rotenone does not present a risk to people or other wildlife when used properly. The application of rotenone is planned for December 3, and crews from the IDNR and other agencies will remove fish from the canal and dispose of them in a landfill. The fish habitat in the section of the canal scheduled for treatment is made up of mostly non-sport fish with the most common species being common carp, goldfish, and gizzard shad. Before the application of rotenone, an electro-fishing operation will be conducted to relocate as many sport fish as possible. Rotenone dissipates quickly on its own, but to accelerate that process a neutralizing agent known as potassium permanganate will be used following the application. The Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup and its partners are committed to implementing the rapid response plan and completing the electric barrier maintenance as quickly as possible to expedite the reopening of the ship canal. “Protecting and restoring the Great Lakes is one of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s highest priorities,” said Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor to U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson on the Great Lakes. “The plan announced today reflects a difficult, but critical team effort to protect the lakes against a destructive fish that could cause catastrophic damage to the Great Lakes ecosystem.” If Asian carp become established in the Great Lakes, they could cause a catastrophic decline in native fish species and severely damage the Great Lakes sport fishing industry, valued at $7 billion. The Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup includes the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Coast Guard, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Chicago Department of Environment, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Midwest Generation, Great Lakes Commission, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, International Joint Commission, and Wisconsin Sea Grant. Fisheries management agencies from Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York are also providing support to the operation.

Go to www.SaveOurStateParks.org to sign an online petition and send an email to Governor Blagojevich. Here's the media release: Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn launches “Save Our State Parks” online petition drive Log on to SaveOurStateParks.org to tell Gov. Blagojevich to keep all our state parks open! SPRINGFIELD – On Wednesday, September 17, at 11:00 a.m. in the State Capitol Blue Room, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn will launch the “Save Our State Parks” online petition drive to prevent Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich from permanently closing 11 Illinois state parks. On August 28, Gov. Blagojevich announced the closure of 11 state parks as part of his effort to slash $14 million from the budget of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. State parks which will be closed on November 30 include: Castle Rock State Park and Lowden State Park in Oregon; Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park in Sheffield; Illini State Park in Marseilles; Channahon Parkway State Park in Morris; Hidden Springs State Forest in Strasburg; Kickapoo State Park in Oakwood; Moraine State Park in Leroy; Weldon Springs State Park in Clinton; and Wolf Creek State Park in Windsor. Illinois citizens can voice their support for saving all our state parks by visiting SaveOurStateParks.org, and sending a loud and clear message to Gov. Blagojevich that closing any of our state parks is not acceptable to the families and children of Illinois. “All of us have a duty to maintain and protect our state parks for the next generation,” Quinn said. “We must leave no child inside.” In the most recent year, there were more than 44 million visitors to Illinois state parks and recreation areas. Wildlife watching, hunting, and fishing contribute $2.4 billion to the Illinois economy each year, according to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Survey. Last month, Lt. Governor Quinn organized an online petition at NoPayRaise.org where more than 17,000 Illinois taxpayers sent emails to Gov. Blagojevich and Senate President Emil Jones forcing the Senate to take a roll call vote rejecting political pay raises for the Governor, legislators, and other public officials. Last spring, Lt. Governor Quinn spearheaded the grassroots movement which forced Gov. Blagojevich to abandon his plan to slash state funding for Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the 4-H Society and the University of Illinois Cooperative Extensions in each county of the state. After a firestorm of public opposition, Gov. Blagojevich backed down and restored funding to all three vital programs. As Lt. Governor, Quinn is the Chairman of the Illinois River Coordinating Council and the Rural Affairs Council. For more information on the online petition to save our state parks, please visit SaveOurStateParks.org. ###

All, this is for the ISA members' general information. If you have questions, concerns or comments, please contact me at the work address. I hope that posting this type of information doesn't upset anyone, but I thought that sportsmen would be interested. I am not aware that there is any official ISA position, so this posting by a member does not represent an endorsement of any sort by the organization. With that disclaimer, here is the news: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 8, 2008 Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn congratulates Rep. Jack Franks, Illinois House of Representatives for making history with Recall Amendment vote SPRINGFIELD – After three decades of advocacy for more democracy in the state of Illinois, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn today congratulated the Illinois House of Representatives for passing Rep. Jack Franks’ proposed Recall Amendment. “Today, the members of the Illinois House of Representatives demonstrated their faith in voters’ good sense and sound judgment,” Quinn said. “I hope the Illinois Senate will follow their good example and swiftly pass this proposed Recall Amendment. The citizens of Illinois should have the right to decide whether to add a recall provision to our state Constitution.” Making a strong statement for grassroots democracy, the Illinois House of Representatives voted 75 – 33 in favor of HJRCA28, a constitutional amendment that would give Illinois voters the right of recall, empowering them to remove inept or unfit politicians from office. “The people of Illinois are sending a loud and clear message to Springfield, letting their elected officials know that they demand the right of recall,” Quinn said. “The General Assembly should seize this historic moment and bring this basic tenet of grassroots democracy to the Land of Lincoln.” HJRCA28 was introduced last August by Rep. Franks (D-Woodstock). A similar resolution has been introduced in the Illinois Senate by Sen. Dan Cronin (R-Elmhurst). If the Illinois Senate passes HJRCA28 by a three-fifths majority, the proposed amendment will be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot for voter approval. The House and Senate must approve identical resolutions by May 4, the ballot deadline. In November, a statewide poll by Glengariff Group found that 65% of Illinois voters supported amending the state Constitution to allow recall of elected officials. Once on the ballot, the amendment would require approval by at least three-fifths of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the election. The right of recall has been endorsed enthusiastically on the editorial pages of newspapers statewide, including the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Herald, the Rockford Register Star, the Belleville News-Democrat, the Champaign News-Gazette, the Daily Illini, the Bloomington Pantagraph, and the Decatur Herald and Review. A Chicago Tribune editorial endorsing recall, published on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007, generated more than 1,200 on-line responses. A Tribune editorial on Oct. 30, 2007, reported that an “overwhelming majority" of respondents favored recall. “When a consumer product is found to be tainted or defective, there’s a recall,” Quinn said. “Why shouldn’t the people of Illinois have the right to recall shoddy elected officials who fail to perform as promised?” (more) Under the proposed constitutional amendment, an effort to recall a state constitutional officer – the Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller or Treasurer – would require signatures equal to 12% of the previous vote total for that office. For example, based on turnout in the 2006 election, it would require collection of at least 418,401 signatures within 160 days to put a gubernatorial recall on the ballot, and it would require approval by more than 50 percent of voters to recall the official. “This amendment sets a reasonably high standard for recall of elected officials,” said Quinn. “Under this proposal, no hard-working elected official need fear a frivolous recall action, but the voters would be given the right to show their displeasure over serious official mistakes.” The proposed constitutional amendment also sets guidelines for the recall of state legislators, requiring collection of signatures equal to 20% of the total turnout for that office in the previous election, again within 160 days. At present, 18 states permit the recall of state officials. The District of Columbia also provides for recall, as do local jurisdictions at least 29 states. In 1996, Minnesota voters approved an amendment to the state constitution allowing recall of elected state officials, and in 1993 a recall amendment passed in New Jersey by a 3-1 margin. Michigan, one of the first states to allow recall of elected officials, included a recall referendum provision in its 1908 revision of the state constitution. In the Midwest, Kansas and Wisconsin also allow recall of state officials. Quinn has supported the right to recall since 1975, both as a citizen and as an elected official. Although recall efforts should not be undertaken lightly, Quinn says the mere possibility of recall gives elected officials an added incentive to deal squarely with the voters who put them into office. “The right of recall reminds elected officials that their constituents are keeping an eye on them, not just on Election Day, but every day,” Quinn said. “When everyday people fail to perform on the job, their employers don’t have to wait for years to hand them a pink slip. The people of Illinois employ their elected officials and pay their salaries, and they should have the right to fire them if those officials don’t perform as promised.” As founder of the all-volunteer Coalition for Political Honesty, Quinn in 1976 led the biggest petition drive in state history, collecting 635,158 signatures and ending a century-old practice allowing Illinois legislators to collect their entire year’s pay on their first day in office. In 1980, Quinn led the statewide campaign for the Cutback Amendment to the Illinois Constitution, which reduced the size of the Illinois House of Representatives from 177 to 118 members. The Cutback Amendment was the first and only amendment to the Illinois Constitution ever adopted by a citizen initiative. ###

Gary, I don't know what is proposed as an alternative, so it is hard for me to comment. Can you provide me with some details? marc.miller@ illinois.gov I have heard from IEPA that there is some promising work with methane digesters at swine facilities that create power from methane and create dried fertilizer pellets. -MM

Everyone, I have been working with Mike Clifford and others regarding this proposal and wanted to post a letter that Lt. Governor Pat Quinn is sending today to the Jo Daviess County Board. Thanks for your continued work on conservation: February 10, 2008 Mr. Marvin Schultz, Chair Jo Daviess County Board 330 North Bench Street Galena, IL 61036 Dear Mr. Schultz: As chairman of the Mississippi River Coordinating Council, I am writing to oppose the dairy proposed by A.J. Boos and to urge the Jo Daviess County Board to vote “no” on the proposal to create a “mega-dairy” near the Apple River. The Mississippi River Coordinating Council is a state commission established by the General Assembly and charged with the responsibility of protecting water quality of the Mississippi River watershed. The proposed “mega-dairy,” and the animal waste lagoon that would be created by a facility of this size, would endanger area groundwater and streams. These wastes, if recycled responsibly as agricultural fertilizer, would cover a massive acreage of farmland; if concentrated over a smaller area, the over-application would result in serious environmental hazards. When runoff carries animal wastes into streams, the nutrients in the wastes promote excessive algae growth that dramatically alters the biological environment. In some cases, the algae overgrowth lowers oxygen levels, causing fish kills. This proposal would place the “mega-dairy” at the headwaters of the Apple River, which is designated as a biologically significant stream by the State of Illinois. Within the county, the state also recognizes the Driftless Area as a Resource-Rich Area. The area also is part of a regional U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Fish Habitat Initiative. Jo Daviess County is a tremendous resource for our state. Tourism and outdoor recreation opportunities in the county create jobs and yield long-term economic benefits. The businesses and the residents of Jo Daviess County are counting on you to protect the beautiful, healthy environment around the Apple River and ensure that your county remains an attractive tourism destination and a pleasant, wholesome place for families to enjoy the great outdoors. Because I believe this proposed “mega-dairy” will harm the environment and the economy of Jo Daviess County, I hope you will vote “no” on the A.J. Boos proposal. Sincerely, Pat Quinn Lt. Governor Cc: Sen. Todd Sieben Rep. Jim Sacia

Mike, Tim, and company: I have been working hard to try to get funding for dam removals in Illinois, and believe that Danville is the most logical place to demonstrate that larger dams can be removed for the benefit of public safety, wildlife, and recreation. What has been needed is a momentum-building opportunity to showcase the possibiltities here in Illinois... We need to find the more rural dams that do not have as many property owners upstream, and have little potential for large amounts or contaminated sediments. Danville may be the best opportunity to fit that scenario. I cannot remember which biologist told me this, but I don't think the asian carp are coming that far upstream on the Vermilion to reach that dam. Anyway, if you all have a spare moment this holiday season, contact your state legislator and let them know how important funding for dam removal is for rivers - safety and recreation. The study completed this summer identified approximately $50 to $70 million needed for removals and other modifications. -MM

ISA Forum members: I wanted to let you know about the upcoming Illinois River Coordinating Council meeting on October 2. Most of these meetings are held during the day, and it is hard for people to attend. This meeting will be held at night, and if there was any interest, it would be an excellent opportunity to participate in the public forum. Representatives of state and federal agencies (ie DNR, Fish and Wildlife, and the Corps), citizen members and the Lt. Governor are at these meetings, and there is a public comment period. We like to do as much as we can to encourage participation and interaction from the public. Here's the details: Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 6:30 PM Holiday Inn City Centre, Room Salon C 500 Hamilton BLVD Peoria It's part of a larger river conference: http://www.conferences.uiuc.edu/conference...ence.asp?ID=413 And here's the Lt. Governor's website: www.cleanwaterillinois.org And you can email me with any questions, thoughts, etc.: marc.miller@illinois.gov -Marc

Hello, friends... It's been a long time since I posted on the forum, and it would be no surprise to Mike and others that this post would draw me out from lurking in the forum shadows. I get to see a great deal of how decision-making occurs in Springfield, and it has only strengthened my opinion about the need for access. Conservation and access are going to go hand in hand towards success, or wane together into ecological decline. Simply put, success depends on numbers. Numbers of people angling, hunting, enjoying the spaces where they have access. As more and more of Illinoisians are removed from their pastoral roots - ie, I am grateful to be only one generation removed from the farm and land access - we have less connection to a sense of place. That connection is the foundation to anyone advocating for conservation. If you didn't have a connection to the Kankakee, Fox, or Kishwaukee Rivers, very few of us would care to protect them. With only 2 percent of the state in public ownership, very few without access to landowners will have a chance to explore and make those personal connections. In Illinois, we need to do several things to promote conservation: 1. Reach out and work with landowners who have that connection; 2. Find ways to improve access through easements or purchase; 3. Work to educate people who lack connection to encourage them to explore Illinois; and, 4. Seriously work on exposing the younger generations to outdoor pursuits. It has been a concern of mine to see the numbers decline on certain pursuits. The discussion on TU was interesting, but the larger issue of how to connect people to the streams is probably more important here in Illinois. I would like to applaud ISA board and members for all of their work. This forum, the conservation programs, etc. have helped to achieve some of these goals. Kids casting clinic at the State Fair also helps... Enough rambling for now. I hope this post continues to get comments and provoke thought. This is a good one. -MM

I'd like to thank Mike and Steve for their efforts on Saturday. They helped encourage hundreds of kids to go fishing through their "mentorship" at the fair. Hopefully some of the kids will get the bug - along with their parents - and go create some memories. I'd also like to add that the website - www.damsafe.org - is one that has a number of resources for the Illinois Dam Safety Initiative. We're making some great progress here! Thanks again for spending your Saturday at the State Fair. -Marc

Here's the release from yesterday's press conference: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 20, 2006 Lt. Governor Quinn, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Capital Development Board announce statewide assessment of dams Study will focus on dam safety on key public waterways in Illinois CHICAGO, IL – Illinois Lt. Governor Pat Quinn, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) today announced the State will hire an outside engineering firm to conduct a statewide safety assessment of dams on Illinois public waterways. The firm will examine publicly owned dams on key navigable waterways including the Fox, Rock, and Kankakee rivers. It will focus on structural and safety issues associated with each dam, along with recommendations for improving public safety at each site. “Today the State of Illinois is taking an important step toward protecting the safety of everyone who enjoys our beautiful rivers,” said Lt. Gov. Quinn. “By their very nature, these river dams are dangerous to fishermen, swimmers and boaters. This safety assessment will help us to identify those dams that should be removed, and will enable us to create other effective safety measures for dams that remain in place.” “The recent tragedies in Wilmington and Yorkville serve as horrible reminders of just how dangerous these structures are,” said IDNR Deputy Director Deborah Stone. “Dams still serve a variety of purposes for the state and individual communities, but it’s clear that expert recommendations must be made to prevent these structures from taking more lives.” The IDNR has identified 25 dams on the Fox, Rock, Kankakee, Des Plaines, Sangamon, and Vermilion rivers that are considered “Run of the River” dams, sometimes referred to as “low-head” dams. These structures are built across a river or stream for the purpose of impounding water, where the impoundment at normal flow levels is completed within the river banks. All flow passes directly over the entire dam structure, excluding abutments, to a natural channel down stream. -more- “We realize this is an urgent situation and stand ready to provide whatever assistance we can for this vital work,” said CDB Executive Director Jan Grimes. The CDB will oversee the engineering contract. The assessment should begin in early fall with completion by mid spring. “All dams pose threats, but these low-head structures are the ones that seem to be the most dangerous,” said IDNR Office of Water Resources Director Gary Clark. “While we conduct this assessment, we strongly urge the public to respect the power that dams possess and stay away from them.” The engineering firm being sought for this project will develop safety enhancement alternatives for both short term and long term at the dams, including the possible removal of any hydraulic rollers, which can create a strong undercurrent below the dam. They will also work with DNR’s Office of Water Resources to recommend standards for public safety measures at the Run of the River dams, including signs, boat barriers, buoys, fencing, markings and clear zones. “It is critically important to communicate the risks posed by these dams, in a way that is clearly understandable to all,” Quinn said. In addition the engineering firm will also document the location, type and condition of all public safety measures at the state’s Run of the River dams; document the structural conditions of the dams and the channel riverbed conditions at a minimum of 500 feet upstream and downstream of the dams; assess access to the dams for maintenance and emergency services use; assess existing boat portage and boat launch facilities and the adequacy of them for safe boat passage around the dams; and assess how remaining hydropower operations impact public safety at those dams. The IDNR coordinates with a number of other agencies regarding dam safety, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates hydropower dams for compliance with federal statutes, and the U.S. Army of Corps of Engineers, which operates and maintains the locks and dams on the Ohio, Mississippi, and Illinois rivers, as well as other agencies regarding dams they own, operate or regulate. “This statewide assessment, coordinated with ongoing IDNR dam safety efforts, will help tell us where the most significant problems are and what we can do to fix them,” Grimes said. -more- Publicly owned dams to be surveyed Rock River ∑ Sears Dam ∑ Steel Dam ∑ Lower Rock Falls Dam ∑ Sinnissippi Dam ∑ Oregon Dam Kankakee River ∑ Momence Dam ∑ Kankakee Dam ∑ Wilmington Millrace Dam ∑ Wilmington Dam Fox River ∑ Yorkville Dam ∑ Montgomery Dam ∑ Aurora East Dam ∑ North Aurora Dam ∑ North Batavia Dam ∑ Geneva Dam ∑ St. Charles Dam ∑ South Elgin Dam ∑ Kimball Street Dam in Elgin ∑ Carpentersville Dam ∑ Algonquin Dam ∑ William G. Stratton Lock and Dam in McHenry Des Plaines River ∑ Hoffman Dam Sangamon River ∑ New Salem Dam ∑ Riverside Dam Vermilion River ∑ Danville Dam -30-

Mike, for the record I was not the head of Prairie Rivers Network, only a watershed organizer. If people are interesting in monitoring at some point in the future, please check out the link to the cleanwater website and go to "get involved." You'll get a link and contact for Vera Bojic, RiverWatch coordinator. -MM

Don, the funding problem with the valuable gauges is systemic - beyond just one gauging station. The best possible course of action is to contact U.S. House and Senate representatives to ask them to restore funding for the program. Otherwise, non-profits will be picking up the tab every year, and that is roughly 10 to 15 thousand per qauge per year (roughly). Illinois DNR picked up the tab for a few to keep operating, but this cannot be sustained. -Marc