Have a say on water quality at Carpentersville meeting

Submitted by Kane-DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District

Anyone interested in sharing information and ideas to address local water quality are invited to attend the stakeholder meeting for the Fox River-Jelkes Creek Watershed.

Water quality concerns could include streambank erosion, development concerns, wetland protection, fish and wildlife habitat, groundwater, soil erosion or any other issues regarding our natural resources. The Kane-DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District will host the meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, in the large meeting room at the Otto Engineering, 10 W. Main St., Carpentersville.

A watershed is the land area that drains to a single body of water. Within a watershed, water runs to the lowest point such as a stream, river or lake. The Fox River-Jelkes Creek Watershed is located mainly in northern Kane County including the communities of Elgin, Carpentersville, East Dundee, West Dundee, Dundee Township, Sleepy Hollow, and Unincorporated Kane County.

Community members will be provided the opportunity to share their knowledge about the land that live near and local water issues which will then be considered in the development of a watershed plan. Once completed, the watershed plan will identify priority projects to improve water quality within the watershed. Funding for this project was provided in part through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act distributed through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Participation from citizens, agencies, organizations, businesses, resource professionals and elected officials are needed to create a comprehensive watershed plan for the area. Additional meetings will be held. Those who would like to attend should contact Candice Jacobs at (630) 584-7961, ext. 3.