Friends Wins Regional Stormwater Management Award

On January 5, 2017, the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (LCSMC) presented Friends of the Chicago River with its 2016 Education, Outreach, and Media Award, honoring public outreach activities in the Chicago River watershed. This award recognizes an individual, publication, website, or group for addressing topics related to stormwater and floodplain management. Significantly, it highlights the ways Friends’ and LCSMC’s missions intersect to improve water quality, reduce flood damages, and restore and enhance the river system.

“Friends is thrilled to receive this honor from the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission, which affirms our commitment to responsible stormwater management and public engagement,” said Margaret Frisbie, Friends’ executive director. “Our initiatives like Chicago River Day and the McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum aim to connect everyone with the river’s tremendous historical, cultural, and recreational value and its health. This year’s focus includes Overflow Action Days, which emphasize everyday actions we can all take to conserve water and prevent combined sewer overflows (CSOs). Our role as river advocates and educators is to get the public excited about the river and help them understand how we are all connected to the river system. This award reflects the many facets of our educational and outreach efforts.”

Other 2016 awardees include the Park District of Highland Park’s Skokie River Woods Wetland Restoration Project (Best Management Practice Project of the Year), Jeff Weiss of the Buffalo Creek Clean Water Partnership (Steward of the Year), Scott Drabicki from the Village of Gurnee (Stormwater Manager of the Year), and the Grand Dominion by the Del Webb Community Association (Community of the Year).

Overflow Action Days complement Friends’ river-edge ecosystem restoration activities throughout Illinois. Want to get involved? Volunteer or make a New Year's river resolution to conserve water.