EAST ALTON Volunteers across the state collect stream-quality data on their local streams with the Illinois RiverWatch Network.Illinois RiverWatch Network
While neither the city’s Streets and Sanitation Department, nor the Illinois Department of Transportation is expected to completely cut out road salt, there should be a continual push to reduce the amount used by experimenting with more environmentally friendly products.
Danielle Haake, director of the program, talks about how salt that gets washed into rivers can harm creatures all up the food chain and about a program that has citizen volunteers help monitor waterways.
Olney Central College served as a host site for the Illinois RiverWatch Network’s Citizen Scientist training on April 2.
Illinois RiverWatch is a volunteer stream monitoring program administered by the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center. Citizen scientist help identify potentially degraded waters and areas that may need greater protection.