Posted on September 26, 2018
Finding a buyer for much-needed topsoil is the best hope for the sediment-heavy Illinois River.
That’s what a group of some 25 stakeholders that included EastPort Marina, Ducks Unlimited and the Greater Peoria Sanitary District agreed on at a Monday meeting organized by the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission.
Dredging the river, specifically the Peoria Lakes portion, is more needed now than ever, said Reema Abi-Akar, a Tri-County planner.
“Outside of the barge channel in the river, there are places where the river is only 18 inches deep,” she said.
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If central Illinois could dredge up more demand for Illinois River sediment, the costly dredging process could help pay for itself.
When it gets dredged, the river silt dries into some of the highest-quality topsoil in the world, said John Marlin of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, who’s conducted research on the river for decades.
By digging up more demand for its sediment, river advocates think that dredging could ultimately pay for itself.
Source: JournalStar
