Lake sediment creates new park.On May 17 in East Peoria East Peoria, city (1990 pop. 21,378), Tazewell co., N central Ill., on the Illinois River opposite Peoria; inc. 1919. A rail and warehousing center for central Illinois, it has shifted from heavy industries to entertainment and service industries, including a , Ill., several politicians began slinging mud. But it wasn't quite the scene you might imagine--instead of speaking negatively, the politicians were there to celebrate the first scoop of sediment dredged from the Illinois River Illinois River River, northeastern Illinois, U.S. Formed by the junction of the Des Plaines River and Kankakee River in Illinois, it flows southwest across the state, joining the Mississippi River after a course of 273 mi (440 km). at Peoria Lake Peoria Lake () is a section of the Illinois River between Peoria in Peoria County, Illinois and East Peoria in Tazewell County, Illinois. The oldest section of Peoria, the largest city on the river, lies at its shores. . The dirt will then make its way to Chicago, where it will become part of a project called "Mud-to-Parks." Chicago has several brownfields and industrial areas that are in need of renovation, but obtaining the soil can be costly, as well as require shipment across state highways and streets, which can cause delays and wear on the pavement. Instead, John Marlin, an Illinois Department of Natural Resources The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is a cabinet-level department of the state government of Illinois. It is headquartered in the state capital of Springfield. scientist, suggested the new approach, which will dredge 105,000 tons of sediment from Peoria Lake, then ship it up the Illinois River" to Chicago's old U.S. Steel The United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States and Central Europe. The company is the world's seventh-largest steel producer ranked by sales (see list of steel producers). South Works facility. The sediment will be spread across the site, native grasses will be planted, and hopefully by spring of 2005, a green park will emerge. At the ceremony, Chicago Park District The Chicago Park District is the oldest and (financially) largest park district in the nation, with a $385 million annual budget. The park district also has the excellent reputation of spending the most per capita on its parks, even more than Boston in terms of park expenses per General Superintendent Timothy J. Mitchell said, "This project is the first of its kind in the nation. This is a huge recycling program that will save taxpayers money by using clean soil to create a beautiful new park." This project will not only create new parks out of brownfields, but will help save ecosystems and transportation around the Illinois River. Each year, 14 million tons of sediment goes into the river basin, which is equivalent to 17,808 truckloads daily. The sediment blocks barge traffic and destroys fish and waterfowl waterfowl, common term for members of the order Anseriformes, wild, aquatic, typically freshwater birds including ducks, geese, and screamers. In Great Britain the term is also used to designate species kept for ornamental purposes on private lakes or ponds, while in habitats. Marlin said, "There's enough sediment in Peoria Lake [a section off the Illinois Rivet'] to fill a football field 10 miles high." The coalition responsible for the project hopes it can serve as a model for other communities facing the same problem, and also hopes to use the river sediment throughout the state of Illinois for various other new parks. For more information on the project, contact Lydia Hall at (312) 742-4791. |
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