120 and fish, construction of dams needed to be stopped. Unfortunately, local jurisdictions that manage portions of the Fox River did not consider the problem as a problem for the entire Fox River, but only the segment they manage, and built dams that acted as quick solutions for regulating water levels. Friends of the Fox, alongside the Sierra Club, understood the problem from the perspective of the entire Fox River and nominated the Fox River for this endangerment status to bring state level attention to the issue. While this endangerment status reflected somewhat poorly on the area, it was necessary to get the entirety of the Fox River working together with the longevity of the river in mind. Without the endangerment status, Fox River likely would have never been approached holistically and local governments would have continued to make changes only for their area. Construction of dams needed to be halted, if not reversed, for the Fox River to maintain its biodiversity. A 2003 study conducted by Friends of the Fox funded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources found that dams were overall detrimental to the Fox River. “The distribution of fish species among station types during summer indicated that most fishes favored free-flowing portions of river over impounded areas created by dams. Further, we’ve found higher quality fish communities in the free-flowing river…”4 Friends of the Fox found overall that dams hurt the consistency of oxygenation, biodiversity of fish, and consistency of water levels. This issue is a somewhat controversial one, with some locals believing that dams aided in fishing and prevented the Fox River from draining completely. Friends of the Fox addressed all of these claims in their report, finding that the dams were not effective for flood protection, and that removal of dams could actually make fishing easier and more consistent throughout the river.5 This report came after the 4 “Fox River Fish Passage Feasibility Study.” Friends of the Fox River. March 11, 2003. Friends of the Fox River. Retrieved November 13, 2022, from https://friendsofthefoxriver.org/wpcontent/uploads/2018/03/FoxRiverFishPassageFinalReport.pdf 5Art Malm, “Frequently Asked Dam Questions,” Friends of the Fox River (Friends of the Fox River), accessed November 13, 2022, https://friendsofthefoxriver.org/dam-questions/.
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