The national river conservation group American Rivers released its annual report lastweek, placing the Fox River seventh on the list of 10 rivers throughout the U.S. that face the most severe and immediate environment degradation threats.
Wisconsin residents might not think of the Fox River as a waterway filled with toxic farm run-off and sewage treatment plant waste as it begins its 115-mile meander south near Brookfield, traveling through Waukesha, Big Bend, Waterford and Burlington before crossing the state line. The Vernon Marsh wildlife refuge in Waukesha County is created by its water, and it even feeds the lakes in Illinois' Chain o' Lakes State Park (one of the most heavily used recreational areas in the Midwest).
In Kane County, Illinois, the Fox is the centerpiece of historic towns such as Elgin, St. Charles, Geneva, Aurora and Batavia -- communities that have restored their downtown riverfront areas. More than eight million people live within 100 miles of the Fox, and 200,000 people get their drinking water from the river. The river supports 48 nature preserves, 118 natural areas and numerous conservation and forest preserves.
While the water receives sewage treatment as it heads south, its quality remains relatively decent and its muddy banks show signs of wildlife. About 10 people seen fishing last December along the banks below a Waterford dam are testament to its fish population.
But once it passes through the fringes of suburban Chicago, the Fox is thoroughly polluted with human waste, chemical fertilizers and toxic run-off from roads and fields. Pollutants from suburban lawns and parking lots also wash into the river.
The report blames urban sprawl for the Fox's slow death near Chicago. In the past 20 years, the area has seen a 30 percent population growth. Inadequate sewage treatment plants can't handle the population increase, and plants are planning to discharge 50 percent more waste into the stream. It's a load the river is having a tough time carrying.
Too much waste means algae blooms in the water, which sucks out oxygen and kills aquatic life.
"The Fox provides fabulous recreational opportunities and is an important source of drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people," said Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers. "It supports many nature preserves and natural areas where wildlife thrive. The state of Illinois has a responsibility to prevent this wonderful resource and popular destination from returning to the bad old days when it was an unhealthy eyesore."
Wodder's comments reflect the fact that the Fox was considered one of the successes of the 1970 Clean Water Act, when it began to recover from run-off and sewage problems.
"This river is reverting to its degraded past because the state is turning a blind eye," said Jeff Stein, a regional representative of the group.
The state of Illinois has failed to take meaningful action in cleaning up the Fox, the report contends. State officials kept the river off a list of over 300 rivers slated for help in a recent clean-up plan. The state has also proposed weakening ammonia discharge regulations and loosening up sewage regulations, as well as withholding money to build new treatment plants for the burgeoning population.
Looking at the bigger picture, metro Chicago's sprawl will continue to degrade the Fox until "smart growth" land use plans are used. And since the Fox flows into the Illinois, which flows into the Mississippi -- two rivers that can't support swimming or fishing in certain areas because of pollution -- Chicago's waste will make its way to the Gulf of Mexico and affect water quality downstream.
The group urges the state to enact a water pollution permit fee and establish stricter regulations on sewage treatment plant emissions. More comprehensive urban planning to prevent serious sprawl would also prohibit pollutants from overloading the river.
This year's American Rivers report is the group's 14th annual effort in identifying waterways nationwide that face too much pollution or other factors that threaten their existence. This year's focus is the effects of urban sprawl on the life of waterways.
The other rivers and the reasons for their place among the top 10 are
as follows.
Lower Snake River in Washington: Federal dams threaten the wild salmon with extinction.Missouri River: The nation's longest river appears every year on the endangered list with threats from concrete channelization, dams, inadequate and poorly thought-out bank stabilization plans, and poor grazing practices leading to substantial run-off.
The Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin: Home to one of the richest and most endangered collections of freshwater aquatic species in the world, the basin is threatened by Atlanta sprawl. A thirsty, growing population and industries are drawing water from the basin, and there is no way to replenish it. New dams are planned, which would alter stream flows and disrupt the balance in the basin.
Upper San Pedro River: The community of Sierra Vista, Arizona, which owes its existence to the U.S. Army base Fort Huachuca, is pumping water so fast that a steady decrease in the river's flow during dry season is noticeable now. The San Pedro is known for its biological diversity and (formerly) year-round water flows that also served as a stopping point for neotropical migrating birds.
Yellowstone River: The Yellowstone in Montana and North Dakota gained a lot of publicity during the resurgence of interest in Lewis and Clark, but is now threatened with civilization's attempts to tame it. It's becoming a rock-lined channel due to the activities of private landowners.
Cedar River: Running into the Puget Sound, the Cedar boasts one of the largest runs of salmon and steelhead in the state of Washington. Seattle's sprawl has begun to take its toll on the run, as more and more water is drawn out of the river, reducing water levels and ruining salmon habitat.
Carmel River: Overuse of water from the river by Monterey County, Calif., is destroying what John Steinbeck in Cannery Row described as a river that "in its course has everything a river should have." Overwhelming flocks of migratory birds once visited the area; now those birds' survival is threatened.
Coal River: A new coal mining strategy in West Virginia involves bulldozing mountaintops. The resulting leftovers block some 200 miles of streams that flow into the river. A simple solution would force coal companies to comply with the Clean Water Act and the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act.
Bear River: The Bear is the largest freshwater source feeding into the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Salt Lake City is adding to its possible demise because it is the city with the second highest per capita water consumption in the country, coupled with the lowest water prices in the Rocky Mountain region. Dam building is a distinct possibility. A world-renowned wildlife refuge is threatened by the reduced waterflows.