It was great to read Alex McLeese’s article [Disparaged Des Plaines River to get its flow back, News, Aug. 8] in Wednesday Journal. In July, I canoed on the Des Plaines fom Evans Field to the canoe launch in Lyons. This pleasant three-hour journey was marred repeatedly by accumulated garbage and logjams that clogged the river in several places. At one point the logjam spanned the entire width of the river, forcing us to portage around this debris. There was no evidence of any maintenance of this great natural river trail. What is, indeed, needed is an adequately funded river water quality maintenance program to be included in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Ecosystem Restoration Project.
But let me set the record straight: In June 2003 I testified at a public hearing in Riverside conducted by the Corps in regards to their proposed Hoffmann Dam modification, and the removal of the Franklin and Armitage dams. River maintenance to address clogging due to logjams and debris was not considered within the scope of this environmental project. Ironically, the purpose of [river maintenance is] to enhance water quality, therefore, biodiversity of the lower Des Plaines River.
After our canoe trip in July, I called the Army Corps of Engineers, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. The individuals I spoke to at each agency indicated that their particular agency was not responsible for cleaning the river. This was an astonishing revelation to me, considering the adverse effect on the water quality and scenic beauty of the river – an important quality-of-life issue.
So don’t hold your breath waiting for the Army Corps of Engineers to complete this important environmental project. It has now been delayed for over four years. The time has finally come for concerned citizens to pressure our federal and state representatives to get this project – including an ongoing river maintenance element – moving.
Victor Guarino
Steward, Thatcher Woods Savanna Restoration Project
