Save the Illinois River (STIR) is concerned about a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study for the Illinois River watershed in Oklahoma and Arkansas.  This study by U.S. EPA is now underway with the cooperation of both states. STIR is very concerned that there may currently be an effort to steer the EPA’s TMDL study in order to prolong and confuse its completion and implementation. Please check out the attached letter outlining the group's concerns, sent by STIR leaders to Administrator Lisa Jackson at EPA.  More information about STIR and this issue can be found on their website: http://www.illinoisriver.org/default.aspx Picture from Save the Illinois River http://www.illinoisriver.org/Photos/15486.jpg

It is time to nominate rivers to American Rivers' 2012 America's Most Endangered Rivers^TM report!  Nominations are due Tuesday, November 1, 2011.  If you didn't get to see their 2011 report, please go to: http://www.americanrivers.org/our-work/protecting-rivers/endangered-rivers/. 

On July 13th, the House of Representatives passed HR 2018, the so-called Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011, by a vote of 239-184. A sad but not surprising outcome. To see how your Member of Congress voted check HERE.

There is an assault taking place on Capitol Hill and across the states to weaken laws that keep our drinking water and waterways clean. It is important that decision makers know that supporting anti-environmental legislation will turn back the clock to times of dirtier rivers, lakes, streams and coastal areas. Read an opinion piece Natalie Roy penned  regarding onerous legislation that is being debated on Capitol Hill. 

Thanks to everyone who participated in Clean Water Week 2011 here in the nation's Capitol. The sessions were tremendously engaging, the workgroup meetings productive and the side meetings with EPA and OMB extremely useful. Photo to the left is Executive Director Natalie Roy and Hackensack Riverkeeper Hugh Carola with the Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. at one of the many events during CWW.  We also had a great Mississippi River Basin briefing on Capitol Hill thanks to our new Mississippi River Basin leaders and workgroups members. CWW participants also paid many visits to their congressional member offices to discuss important clean water issues, particularly the disastrous environmental federal budget cuts being proposed for fiscal year 2011. Thanks to so many folks for coming here and putting in so much time and effort. It was a busy two days to say the least! We will follow-up with more specific results from the workgroup meetings and sessions next week. All presentations will be posted over the next week or so as well. Photos of the many events that took place can be found by clicking HERE.

Thanks again for participating and making CWW 2011 a terrific event!

Dereth Glance, Executive Program Director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment and Clean Water Network Board Treasurer, was recently appointed by President Obama to be a Commissioner with the International Joint Commission at the Department of State. In her time with Citizens Campaign as well as Defenders of Wildlife, Citizen Action Coalition of Indiana, the Michigan League for Human Services and a Board member of Clean Water Network, Dereth has been an incredibly effective dedicated servant to bettering the environment and public well being. Dereth has also served

Very early Saturday morning, while most of the nation was sleeping, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an aggressive plan to slash the budgets of critical federal environmental programs.

Clean Water Network has joined a number of other Network member groups in supporting the Smarter Stormwater Coalition's platform for stormwater management. The platform is intended as a touchstone to galvanize support and reflect shared priorities for EPA's stormwater rulemaking. A few of the principles advocated for in the platform include EPA adopting new Objective Performance Standards, EPA requiring retrofits in developed areas to reduce effective imperviousness through green infrastructure-based approaches, the use of Total Maximum Daily Loads to limit pollution loading and writing enforceable permits and plans that are clear, measurable, objective and specific. Click the following link to read the stormwater platform.

Happy Holidays Clean Water Network Community!
Here is the moment you all have been waiting for, CWN's Ten for 2010 dirty (Yellow Snow) and clean (Happy Snowman) water lists. Next stop David Letterman!

Not every good or bad clean water event made our Ten for 2010 Lists. That is why we need your help. Many of you have probably prepared your own end of year top ten lists. Please feel free to share your ideas and lists with us by emailing gordonculver@cwn.org. CWN will post your submissions on a special end of the year page on the Clean Water Network website.

The Clean Water Network, in addition to a number of Network members, signed on to a recent letter sent to four Senators asking them to protect the FY 2011 Omnibus Appropriations bill from the addition of an anti-environment rider to prevent the enforcement of numeric nutrient standards, currently being promulgated by the EPA for the state of Florida's lakes and flowing waters. The letter calls on Congress to avoid returning to a system where riders were added without a vote, through controversial, last minute-additions. Congress cannot return to the business of the late 1990's when riders were inserted into appropriations bills, with no public debate, in an effort to overturn environmental regulations. Click the following link to read the full letter.