The Lower Des Plaines Watershed Group (LDWG) formed in 2017 as a proactive way for municipalities and other dischargers to work together to address water quality issues in the watershed. The watershed encompasses approximately 490 square miles from Willow Creek, just north of O’Hare Airport in Cook County, down to the confluence with the Kankakee River in Will County. All but two municipal dischargers are participating in LDWG.
In 2018, LDWG worked with Illinois EPA to develop special conditions language for NPDES permits that allow and encourage dischargers to work together to develop a NARP. Activities in 2018 to support this plan included:
- Developing and implementing a bioassessment program to provide a baseline of biological, habitat, and chemical data. Approximately 175 sites are sampled over a five-year cycle. In the first year, sampling was completed on 26 sites in the lower portion of the Lower Des Plaines main stem. The final report will be completed after the remaining main stem sites are sampled in 2019.
- Working with the Lower DuPage River Watershed Coalition, LDWG expanded seasonal outreach campaigns to Lower Des Plaines members to help meet Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) outreach requirements. Campaigns focus on using native plants in the spring, detention basin maintenance in the summer, proper leaf disposal in the fall, and reducing chlorides in the winter. Outreach materials include social media posts, articles for newsletters and websites, printable hand-outs, and specialized items for the Salt Smart, Save More winter campaign.
In 2019, LDWG will be forming a working committee to determine a NARP framework and identify additional data and resource needs.
