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Each year on the third Saturday in September, communities across Illinois celebrate "It's Our River Day" by organizing educational, recreational, and/or beautification activities along their local rivers.
The Illinois River Coordinating Council, a collaborative committee chaired by the Illinois Lt. Governor, launched It’s Our River Day in 2004 as a fun way to encourage businesses, clubs, municipalities, and others to celebrate their watersheds.
To learn more about It’s Our River Day and to see a list of events scheduled across Illinois, visit www.CleanWater.il.gov
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2006 Highlights
On Saturday, September 16, 2006, UDPREP hosted an It's Our River Day event entitled "Bringing Back the Fish!: A Hands-On Learning Experience for Young and Old."
Participants gathered on the beautiful shores of Sanctuary Pond to learn about the "Des Plaines River Fish Sanctuary Project." This interesting and important effort is designed to breed and re-introduce fish species that have nearly disappeared from our river.
Water Resource Specialists Jim Bland and Pat Bland introduced participants to this remarkable project and demonstrated how to seine for fish (i.e. catch them in a net) and sample for “critters” (i.e. find cool bugs!). Jim and Pat explained how scientists use these techniques to collect data vital to the project.
Sanctuary Pond is so named because it is the first sanctuary in Illinois for endangered and threatened fish species. These species, which used to be common in the waters of the Des Plaines River region, have all but disappeared. Now a small band of committed individuals is working to bring these fish back to our region through a special breeding program at the pond.
For more information on the Fish Sanctuary Project, contact Jim Bland at ilmbland@comcast.net
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The crowd reacts in surprise as Jim demonstrates
how wide a dragonfly nymph can open its mouth.
Jim answers questions as participants
examine individual specimens up-close. | 
