Identified Concerns

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• Fish consumption impairments for Mercury and PCBs

• High E. Coli levels

• Public perception of the water quality problems

• Contamination of private wells

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Steering Committee 

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In March 2019 local stakeholders, along with the Jasper and Newton County SWCDs, began to hold preliminary steering committee meetings to begin to gather information on the water quality concerns for the Lower Kankakee River. Meetings will continue to be held quarterly, or more, so the steering committee can continue to guide our efforts.  

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Water Quality Monitoring

25 sites throughout Jasper and Newton County were chosen to be tested for a total of 18 months. Testing parameters consisted of temperature, dissolved oxygen, phosphorus, nitrates, E. coli, turbidity and total suspended solids.

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Water quality monitoring is taking place once a month to test the following levels: 

• E. coli

• Dissolved Oxygen

• Conductivity

• pH

• Turbidity

• Phosphate

• Nitrate

• Flow (only at certain sites)

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The map below show the sites where water quality monitoring is taking place in the Lower Kankakee Watershed.