Sen. Dick Durbin announces $250K to complete delayed feasibility study for Fox River restoration

ELGIN – Against a backdrop of the Fox River at Walton Island in Elgin, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin on June 1 announced $250,000 in new federal funding he secured as an earmark to complete a long-delayed feasibility study for the environmental restoration of the Fox River.

Also with Durbin were U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Schaumburg; Elgin Mayor David Kaptain; Col. Paul Culberson, Chicago district commander and district engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Colleen Callahan, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; State Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin; State Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin; Beth Vogt, vice chair of the Fox River Study Group; and Kane County Board Chair Corinne Pierog.

The Fox River Restoration Project will provide habitat restoration to the historically polluted Fox River. It is one of 16 Illinois projects in the Army Corps’ Section 519 Illinois River Basin Ecosystem Restoration Program, Culberson said.

“We are looking forward to partnering with the state of Illinois and area stakeholders in completing the Fox River 519 ecosystem restoration feasibility study,” Culberson said. “Truth in lending, this project was started eight years ago in our Rock Island District. … We went through a realignment two years ago and the Fox River watershed now belongs underneath the Chicago district. We are going to carry this study on behalf of Illinois and the people here.”

Culberson said as a resident of Aurora, he has a vested interest in the health of the Fox River.

“This river runs directly through my town, so I really appreciate this,” Culberson said.

Durbin secured the funds in the Fiscal Year 2022 Omnibus appropriations bill to restart and complete the feasibility study for the environmental restoration project with the collaboration of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“Over the past 100 years, the Fox River has struggled with pollution issues stemming from years of wastewater discharge and untreated runoff,” Durbin said. “Despite significant improvement in water quality over the past 20 years, there is still much work to be done to restore the habitat of the Fox River. This crucial funding will provide much needed restoration.”

Durbin also defended the term “earmark” because it returned local taxpayers’ money back to their region for their benefit.

“What’s wrong with that?” Durbin said. “The completion of this feasibility study is an important step forward in the effort to restore the historically polluted Fox River.”

Krishnamoorthi said the EPA called the Fox River “an impaired river” in 1999.

Since then, because of the efforts to improve the river habitat, “eight species of new fish and wildlife have returned to the river,” Krishnamoorthi said.

“Why does that matter? … When you have fish, you have more fishing,” Krishnamoorthi said. “And when you have more recreation, you have more tourism. And when you have more tourism, you have more jobs. And when you have more jobs, you have more money. So if you follow the fish, you’ll have more money. Now you might think this is a fishy story, but it’s actually what happens when we invest in our environment.”

Kaptain said environmental groups joined with water reclamation districts and local governments to collect data on the health of the Fox River by taking tens of thousands of water samples.

“We created the data. We put money into this for over 20 years,” Kaptain said. “From my standpoint … it’s paid us back tenfold. … The whole idea was what we could do better for this river and how to make it a better place for everybody to enjoy. And that’s where we’re at today. On a weekend, we’ll have 100 people here [at the river]. That’s what it’s all about.”

Vogt said people have supported keeping the river clean for 100 years. The Elgin Sanitary District was formed in June 1922 to clean up pollution entering the Fox River.

Municipalities along the Fox River worked together to control stormwater discharges, Kane County provided for sustainable development requirements and wastewater agencies along the river invested hundreds of thousands of dollars for phosphorus removal to reduce the growth of algae, Vogt said.

“Today, the river serves as a drinking water source for over 300,000 residents in Elgin and Aurora,” Vogt said. “The Fox River Study Group is part of this tradition as a coalition of stakeholders focused on science to guide sustainable policies and development along the Fox River watershed. The group has been collecting thousands and thousands of samples which have been analyzed … to improve the river over 20 years. … We’re at a point where we can continue that work.”