New Strains on our Wastewater System
To combat COVID-19, people are using more and more disinfecting products [...]
Attend the Virtual Open House for the Master Plan for Salt Creek at Fullersburg Woods to learn about the plan to improve water quality, recreation, and education at Salt Creek. Register for live webinars and view other resources on the Master Plan at RestoreSaltCreek.org
The DRSCW is made up of representatives from local communities and agencies including, Publically Owned Treatment Works, (POTWs), municipalities with a Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4s), environmental organizations and engineering companies. The DuPage River Salt Creek Work Group (DRSCW) works to develop and implement a dynamic plan that will achieve attainment of water quality standards and designated uses for Salt Creek, East Branch DuPage River and West Branch DuPage River.
Resolving Waterway Issues and Implementing Solutions
The DRSCW is committed to producing comprehensive data sets for local watersheds in order to determine and resolve priority stressors to local aquatic systems.
The DRSCW formed in 2005 in response to concerns about TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Loads) being set for the East & West Branches of the DuPage River and Salt Creek.
DRSCW has compiled data into a database accessible online through the interfaces below. For questions or comments about the database, please contact Stephen McCracken
The mission of the Workgroup is to bring together a diverse coalition of stakeholders to work together to preserve and enhance water quality and stream resource quality.
The Workgroup organized to implement rigorous analysis and targeted projects and programs that cost effectively worked towards the goals of the Clean Water Act. To perform this task the Workgroup set out to better determine the stressors to local aquatic systems via a long- term water quality-monitoring program. Based on the measure/plan/implement/measure approach at the heart of adaptive management, the Workgroup then worked to develop, implement, and evaluate the impacts of a series of viable restoration projects.
Chlorides and Winter Management
In 2004 chloride Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs, a pollutant budget for a waterway) were placed on several segments of the West Branch DuPage River, East Branch DuPage River and Salt Creek. The TMDLs were triggered by exceedences of the State Water Quality Standard (currently at 500 mg/l). The exceedences occurred during the winter months, a finding confirmed by subsequent monitoring conducted by the DRSCW.
The DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup (DRSCW) is seeking to reduce chloride water quality concentrations and achieve water quality standards in the water bodies within their area via education and outreach to local communities.
The communities in the DRSCW watersheds primarily use rock salt for deicing, and most of them use liquid calcium chloride as a pre-wetting agent or an anti-icing agent. A few communities use CMA or potassium acetate in addition to rock salt.
The DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup (DRSCW) developed this Model Facilities Plan for Snow and Ice Control to aid facility managers in developing a plan for winter operations protocols for snow and ice control at their facilities.
The mission of the Workgroup is to bring together a diverse coalition of stakeholders to work together to preserve and enhance water quality and stream resource quality in the East Branch DuPage River, West Branch DuPage River, Salt Creek and their tributaries.
Workgroup News and Events
Copyright © 2024 DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup (DRSCW). All Rights Reserved.
