Ecosystem partnership to hear State of the Fox River report
The Fox River Ecosystem Partnership holds a bimonthly membership meeting and program at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, at Oswego village hall, 100 Parkers Mill.
After the business meeting, Steve Pesctelli, Region II Streams Specialist for Illinois Department of Natural Resources, will present the program, "State of the Fox River: Summary of Fish Sampling Efforts by Illinois Department of Natural Resources 1995-2009." The public is welcome to attend.
Since 1995, IDNR has conducted 160 fish community samples at more than 120 sites in the Fox River Watershed, as well as many targeted studies for sport fish species. Evaluation of fish assemblages allows us to gauge the general health of the Fox River and its tributaries using the Index of Biotic Integrity, and to track trends in stream quality throughout the system.
The Fox River Ecosystem Partnership, established in 1997, is one of 41 ecosystem partnerships in the state under the auspices of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The partnership's territory is the entire Fox River Watershed, covering 1,720 square miles situated within the counties of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, McHenry and Will. Membership includes individuals, governments, organizations and businesses that meet regularly "to promote, preserve, protect and enhance the natural, cultural, economic and recreational resources of Illinois' Fox River and its watershed."
For information about this program and the Fox River Ecosystem Partnership, visit foxriverecosystem.org, or contact Becky Hoag at (630) 482-9157.