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The mission of
the Fox River Study Group is to bring together a diverse coalition of
stakeholders to work together to preserve and/or enhance water
quality in the Fox River watershed. The activities of the Fox
River Study Group shall include, but are not limited to, the
following: |
■ Participation in water quality
monitoring efforts in the Fox River watershed;
■ Development of a computer model
of the Fox River watershed;
■ Maintenance of the computer model
as a management tool to promote efficient use of taxpayer and
private money on watershed projects, assess the effect of
various development options throughout the watershed, educate
stakeholders, evaluate management priorities, identify sensitive
regions within the watershed, develop continuing monitoring
programs;
■ Development of a plan to preserve
and/or enhance the water quality of the Fox River; and
■ Promotion, as needed, of the
adoption of the watershed plan by appropriate entities who have
the authority for its implementation
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From its
headwaters near Waukesha, the Fox River drains 938 square miles in
southeastern Wisconsin prior to entering Illinois. Between the
McHenry County/Wisconsin border and its junction with the Illinois
River near Ottawa, the river runs for 115 miles and drains an
additional 1,720 square miles. Although it is only 3% of the total
area in Illinois, the watershed is home to about 450,000 people
(11% of the state total); a number that is likely to increase by
more than 30% over the next 20 years. The Fox River is a
multi-purpose resource that contributes critical habitat for
wildlife, serves as a valuable resource for recreation, receives
and assimilates pollutants from point and non-point sources and
provides source water for public water supplies. Habitat
modifications may also play a significant role in the dynamics of
the river. Because of the rapid pace of development in the Fox
River watershed, maintaining these resources requires
comprehensive planning. |
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