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 Friends
of the Fox River
This non-profit organization
carries out many programs and activities to educate citizens about river issues,
and advocates the adoption of practices by individuals and governments that will
best protect and enhance the quality of the watershed. Some of their activities
include:
Volunteer Stream Monitoring Network
Friends of the Fox River works with schools and citizens, developing a network
of volunteers that monitors the biological and chemical health of the river and
its tributaries. They provide training, lend equipment, and compile data
collected by the volunteers. These data serve to establish long term trends in
water quality, and can be the first warning sign of problems in the watershed.
Advocacy
When policies that affect the health of the Fox River Watershed are debated,
Friends of the Fox participates as an advocate for the river. They review and
comment on EPA permits for municipal and commercial discharges in the Fox River
and its tributaries, and attend and testify at public hearings on water quality
issues in the Fox Watershed. They write letters to the editors of Fox Valley
newspapers, to legislators and to government agencies about water quality
issues. They are active members of the Fox River Ecosystem Partnership, and
helped to shape FREP’s watershed plan.
Annual Student Congress
In conjunction with Kane County Regional Office of Education, Friends of the Fox
River sponsors an annual Student Congress for middle and high school students.
This event gives several hundred students the opportunity to learn how to be
volunteer stream monitors, and learn why watershed protection is such an urgent
issue in their localities.
Annual Fox Rescue River Clean Up
Each May, volunteers in several communities turn out for the Fox Rescue event.
These enthusiasts, that include students, scout troops, employee groups, as well
as individual citizens, remove thousands of pounds of trash from the shores and
waters of the Fox River and its tributaries.
The group’s website is:
http://www.friendsofthefoxriver.org
For more information call 815-356-6605.
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