HJ0089 LRB094 15849 HSS 54147 r

1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Illinois River played a vital and historic
3 role in our nation's growth by connecting the Great Lakes with
4 the Mississippi River; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The waterways of Illinois have been instrumental
6 in shaping the culture, commerce, and communities of our State;
7 and
 
8     WHEREAS, More than 90 percent of all Illinois residents
9 live within the sprawling Illinois River watershed and its
10 tributaries - the Calumet, Chicago, Des Plaines, DuPage, Fox,
11 Kankakee, La Moine, Mackinaw, Sangamon, Spoon, and Vermilion
12 Rivers - which also provide habitat for countless species of
13 fish, reptiles, waterfowl, and fauna; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Nearly one million Illinois residents rely on the
15 Illinois River and its tributaries for drinking water; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Generations of Illinois farmers have relied on the
17 Illinois River to get their harvests to market, and thousands
18 of Illinois businesses use the Illinois River as an economic
19 corridor to ship more than 60 million tons of commodities
20 annually, including coal, iron, petroleum products, chemicals,
21 steel, sand, gravel, and agricultural products; and
 
22     WHEREAS, The Illinois River's recreational opportunities
23 have blossomed in recent years, as fishermen, boaters,
24 bird-watchers, bikers, hikers, and tourists from across the
25 nation have begun to enjoy anew the Illinois River's vast
26 beauty; and
 
27     WHEREAS, Since 1999, the Office of the Illinois Lieutenant
28 Governor has co-sponsored the "Annual Illinois River Sweep", in
29 which thousands of volunteers at dozens of sites roll up their

 

 

HJ0089 - 2 - LRB094 15849 HSS 54147 r

1 sleeves to clean up this precious resource; therefore, be it
 
2     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
4 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we recognize the third Saturday
5 of every September as "Illinois River Day" to celebrate this
6 magnificent waterway and its profound impact on our lives as
7 Illinoisans.