Openlands - Issues

Farmland Protection

Water Quality

Water is vital to our health and well-being. It is an economic driver, a recreational asset, and a haven for a rich diversity of wildlife. Because water plays such an important role, Openlands carefully examines the relationship between development practices and water quality. In 2004, we published Changing Course, which evaluates federal, state, and local water policies and offers recommendations for balancing regional growth and water resources in the region.

For more information about water quality issues, please contact Openlands Policy Coordinator Stacy Meyers-Glen via e-mail or by phone at 312-863-6265.

Openlands has also advocated for several approaches to improving water quality, including:

Water Quality Standards: Cleaning the Chicago River

Openlands is celebrating the recent chain of events that are accelerating the adoption of stronger water quality standards for the Chicago Area Waterways (CAWS).

Facility Planning Areas (Sewage Treatment)

Over the last decade, Openlands has advocated for mandatory review of how and where sewage treatment plants can expand in Illinois. Facility planning areas (FPAs) guide where communities can extend sewers and offer centralized wastewater treatment. The FPA process plays an important role in determining where growth takes place and has strong ramifications for our streams and wetlands.

Stormwater Management

Openlands is a key partner in promoting better stormwater management practices throughout our state. Stormwater runoff is one of the most insidious threats to both water quality and water supply in our region. When rainwater can’t soak back into the ground, it rolls across roads and yards, picking up pollution, such as oil, metals, and fertilizer along the way.

Watershed Planning

Changing Course highlighted the urgent need for watershed planning, with the realization that each community cannot individually prevent flooding or protect the quality of water resources that cross jurisdictional boundaries.