Institute for Environmental Risk Management

Institute for Urban Environmental
Risk Management

USE ATTAINABILITY ANALYSIS OF
THE LOWER DES PLAINES RIVER

Primary Investigator: Dr. Charles S. Melching
Sponsor: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA)and AquaNova International, Ltd.
Duration: April 2001 - October 2002
Funding Level: $31,675

The Institute is cooperating on a large stream restoration project of the Lower Des Plaines River. The river forms one of the headwater streams of the Illinois River, a large tributary of the Mississippi River. The Des Plaines River originates in Wisconsin and flows in general southerly direction through the Chicago metropolitan area and, after lower case joining the Kankakee River southwest of Joliet (IL), becomes the Illinois River. This historic river more than three hundred years ago saw explorers such as Father Marquette and Joliet trying to find a passage from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. In the last one hundred years it was modified by diversion of flows from Lake Michigan, conveyance of the treated wastewater and nonpoint pollution from the 9 million population metropolitan Chicago area, and by building the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal that is the main flow contributor to the Lower Des Plaines River.

Significant progress has been made in improving water quality through improvements at the Stickney, Calumet, North Side and other water reclamation plants (WRPs) discharging into the Des Plaines River system. Most of the combined sewer flows from the Chicago metropolitan area are now conveyed to the WRPs or into the TARP system and these flows and dry weather flows receive treatment in the Stickney, Calumet, and North Side WRPs. The lesser use of "secondary contact recreation and indigenous aquatic life” was applied to the Lower Des Plaines River in the 1970's. Other beneficial uses of the river include navigation (existing) and water supply (non-existent) in the downstream sections of the Illinois River (Peoria). Obviously, waste disposal and conveyance are also uses of the river.

The time has come to reevaluate the designated use and arrive at a higher use consistent with the goals of the Clean Water Act and Illinois General Use that would be realistically attainable. The federal water quality standards regulation requires that states must perform an Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) for water bodies where designated uses are lower than the statutory fish and aquatic life protection and propagation and contact recreation were assigned. The present uses of the water body for navigation and wastewater and storm runoff disposal may conflict with the higher statutory designated uses (aquatic life protection and propagation, contact recreation, and water supply).

The Institute provided technical service on water quality data analyses and modeling. The project provided support to two graduate students.

The final report from the UAA was delivered to the IEPA by AquaNova in December 2003. In IEPA currently is considering the appropriate action plan.

Figures:

1. Field trip with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to the Lower Des Plaines River

2. Lockport Lock and Dam on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The beginning of the Lower Des Plaines River.

3. Des Plaines River in Joliet (IL)

4. Historic 150 years old Illinois-Michigan Canal in Lockport IL

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