Illinois Proposed List of Priority Rivers Approved by U.S. EPA

Springfield, Ill. -- The state of Illinois has received approval of its revised listing of priority streams in Illinois from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Section 303 (d) of the federal Clean Water Act requires all states to submit such a list every two years, identifying waters "which will not attain applicable water quality standards with technology-based controls alone," that is, streams with water quality limitations. The states must establish a priority ranking for such waters that takes into account the severity of the pollution and the uses that are made of these waters, and must target watersheds for development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) that would be initiated before the next biennial reporting period.

The submission by Illinois EPA contains 741 waterbody segments, including 201 lakes, 539 stream segments and Lake Michigan. Together, they constitute 5 percent of the state's waterbodies.

There are specific screening criteria for identifying water quality limited waters for inclusion. These consider types and dates of sampling, whether the waters are ranked as "threatened," if they have previously been listed, if they have sport fish consumption advisories, and other elements.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency originally submitted its 303 (d) list on April 1, 1998 for approval. Subsequently, three segments of the Fox River were added to the list. The individual segments, which total 18 miles, were identified as having

potential problems with dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, or both. "Governor Ryan is committed to ensuring that Illinois waterways, including the Fox River, are protected," said Tom Skinner, Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. "Rivers like the Fox are in much better condition than they were 10 years ago, and we need to ensure that future residential and commercial development does not adversely impact them."

The Illinois EPA is currently in the process of hiring a consultant to do the first TMDLs, which must be presented to U.S. EPA within two years of the federal agency's approval of the proposed 303 (d) list.

Once the Illinois EPA completes the revisions to its initial submission list, the information on the Fox River segments will be available to the public on request as inserts to the original proposed list. The inserts, and additional information, may be obtained by writing the Illinois EPA Bureau of Water, Watershed Management Section, 1021 North Grand Avenue E., P.O. Box 19276, Springfield, IL 62794-9276, or by calling 217-782-3362.