The 14th annual Fox River Summit will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12, at Veterans Terrace in Burlington, Wisconsin. Registration is now open at southeastfoxriver.org.
Every March, residents of Illinois and Wisconsin gather at the Fox River Summit to update one another on what is happening throughout the Fox River watershed. Advocacy and governmental agencies host the event.
The event is intended to develop a framework to support ongoing watershed protection actions, continue dialogue on shared challenges concerning recreation, develop relationships and build trust between Illinois and Wisconsin stakeholders and identify future challenges facing the communities within the watershed.
The summit is intended for a wide range of stakeholders, according to a news release, including interested citizens; recreational users; property and business owners; developers; lake, river and other environmental organizations; federal, state, county and local governments; economists; tourism representatives; and environmental and water resources professionals; scientists; students; engineers; managers; biologists; planners; consultants; educators and attorneys.
Presentation topic areas include restoration, recreation, challenges, research, wildlife and actions.
Among the many presentations are:
- “Nippersink Creek Rebirth and Renewal” by John Peters of the McHenry County Conservation District and Steve Byers of Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.
- “Fox River Valley Dam Removal” by Art Malm of Friends of the Fox River.
- “Paddle for Parks: 2025 Fabulous Fox National Water Trail Challenge” by Mike Kies, St. Charles Park District and Wally Werderich of Kane County.
- “Fabulous Fox! National Water Trail Access Infrastructure Project” by Karen Ann Miller of Kane County and Jeff Mengler of Hey & Associates.
- “Carpenter Dam Botanizing” by Susanne Masi of Friends of Dundee Natural Areas.
- “Fox River Watershed-Based Planning Efforts in Lake County” by Jacob Jozefowski and Sharene Gould Dulabaum of the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission.
A full list of presentations is available at southeastfoxriver.org.
Early registration is $45. The early registration deadline is noon on March 11, after which the cost is $75. A remote viewing livestream option is also available for those who cannot attend in person.
The registration fee includes a breakfast bar and lunch for in-person attendees. Reduced student rates are available by contacting Tom Slawski at tslawski@sewrpc.org.