Regional Stormwater Management Plan
Stormwater and the Illinois River
Did you know:
The Peoria Lakes have lost 77% of their original volume as a result of sedimentation?
The Illinois River and many of its tributaries are listed on the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Section 303(d) list of polluted waterways?
Sections of the River that were 8 feet deep eighty years ago are now just 18 inches deep?
These statistics illustrate the degraded water quality in the Tri-County area, and the lack of stormwater management is the primary cause. Stormwater flows over rooftops and paved areas, picks up oil, fertilizers, and pesticides from lawns and driveways, and in most cases rushes into a curb and gutter system where it discharges into local tributaries. In developed areas near the edges of river bluffs, stormwater is discharged onto steep slopes where it speeds downhill and disrupts soil. The resulting contamination and erosion can lead to the undermining of buildings, increased flooding, damaged aquatic life and habitat, and a lower quality of life.
In order to address these problems, a process to create a regional stormwater management plan for the Tri-County area has officially begun. Thanks to funding from the United States Department of Agriculture and the generosity of Peoria County, recommendations for mitigating the negative impacts of stormwater flow will be provided on a regional scale. The Illinois River Valley Council of Governments’ Stormwater Advisory Committee, which is staffed by TCRPC, is overseeing creation of this plan.
For this important planning process to be successful, your input is needed. Please follow these links to learn more about the public comment component of the plan and provide your input. Thank you for helping to improve the quality of life and brighten the future of Central Illinois' watersheds!
Problem Statement
Goals
Recreational opportunities such as boating could be jeopardized by sedimentation of the Illinois River.
Curious about what a stormwater management plan is? Click here to visit the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission's publications web page, where the Lake County Stormwater Management Plan can be obtained. Remember: just as our region is different from Lake County, so too will be our plan.
