Waterway Clean Up Month: September 2024
By Jennifer Satorius
September is Waterway Clean-up Month in Illinois!
Join the Illinois Paddling Council in celebrating Waterway Clean Up Month this September! Trash can be harmful to fish and other wildlife that live in and around our rivers, as well as the humans who enjoy the rivers, plus it’s just ugly.
This past Illinois House session, Representative Janet Yang-Rohr led the effort to adopt a House Resolution declaring September 2024 as Waterway Cleanup Month to be observed throughout the State as a month to encourage waterway cleanup activities in Illinois rivers.
Stewardship groups, communities, businesses, and schools are encouraged to organize and participate in efforts to clean up the rivers and waterways around Illinois. Let’s join forces to make our waters cleaner!
The Illinois Paddling Council wants to hear about your clean-up plans! Let us know the details and we will post on social media, on our website, or through our newsletter. And be sure to send us pics afterward of all of the trash, litter, and debris you saved from our waters – we’ll share that, too!
If you want to organize a clean-up, but aren’t sure where to start, here are a couple great resources:
- (Local Group!) Friends of the Fox River: https://friendsofthefoxriver.org/cleanup-organizers-toolkit/
- American Rivers: https://www.americanrivers.org/make-an-impact/national-river-cleanup/organizers/
- River Network: https://www.rivernetwork.org/connect-learn/resources/aquatic-litter-removal-toolkit/
Let’s get cleaning!
