History: How We Came Together

A diverse group of Northwest Arkansas leaders organized an Upper Illinois River Summit in September 2005 with 65 watershed stakeholders committing to personal action and agreeing that public education is the number one priority to improve and protect water quality in the Illinois River. In December 2005, the summit group officially formed the Illinois River Watershed Partnership.

The Illinois River Watershed Partnership is a diverse group of men and women who directly affect the water quality of the Illinois River. This group is holding itself accountable by striving to improve the water quality of the Illinois River through personal endeavors and through the education, the encouragement and the positive reinforcement of fellow Illinois River Watershed residents. We are not a politically charged organization, but rather a group that works at the grassroots level with other organizations to seek changes in environmental issues for the betterment of our region.  We look beyond the river banks and see the future and how the Illinois River will support our lives into the next centuries.