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Water monitoring demonstration on Dupage River Sept. 20

Release Date: 09/19/2006
Contact Information: Phillippa Cannon, (312) 353-6218, cannon.phillippa@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 06-OPA164

CHICAGO (Sep. 19, 2006) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will participate in a water quality monitoring demonstration on the west branch of the DuPage River in Naperville on Wednesday, Sept. 20, to highlight the importance of clean water. The public has been invited to attend the demonstration cosponsored by EPA, the DuPage River Salt Creek Workgroup, and the Conservation Foundation to mark World Water Monitoring Day, an international event to encourage the public to protect precious water resources.

"Protecting water quality is one of EPA's priorities. Clean lakes, rivers and streams provide our communities with recreational opportunities, habitat for fish and wildlife and drinking water," said EPA Regional Water Division Director Jo-Lynn Traub. "EPA supports and values community water quality monitoring programs because the data they provide help identify the most effective ways to improve water quality."

Starting at 9:30 a.m. in the Grand Pavilion at the Naperville Riverwalk,
Traub, DuPage County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom and representatives of environmental groups will speak about the importance of clean water to communities and local efforts to protect the DuPage River and Salt Creek watersheds. Monitoring demonstrations will include water, fish, mussel and sediment sampling in the west branch of the DuPage River to assess the quality of the river.

The Grand Pavilion at Naperville Riverwalk is located off Jackson Avenue. Enter through the Centennial Beach parking lot and proceed south to Riverwalk parking. To attend the event, contact Steven McCracken at the Conservation Foundation at (630) 428-4500 est. 18 or e-mail him at http://www.smccracken@theconservationfoundation.org.

More information about volunteer water monitoring is available on EPA's Web site: www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring