Bradley University has received a grant of $5,500 from Illinois American Water’s 2011 Environmental Grant Program to launch a project to engage community members in monitoring water quality along the Illinois River and its tributaries.

Illinois American Water’s Environmental Grant Program funds community-based projects that improve, restore or protect watersheds. Bradley’s project was one of seven selected from more than 30 grant applications evaluated on criteria such as environmental need, innovation, community engagement and sustainability.

The University, in collaboration with the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (TCRPC), will establish a River Action League in central Illinois that will involve citizens in water quality data collection to improve understanding of local water and watershed quality. The project is designed to increase awareness of how to build a healthier river and to advocate for sustainable river management.

The coordinators are Dr. Kelly McConnaughay, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of biology, and Dr. Sherri Morris, associate professor of biology, both at Bradley, and Melissa Eaton of the TCRPC.

“Addressing water quality issues and watershed protection requires improved data acquisition and interpretation and more informed citizens,” said Dr. McConnaughay. “We are grateful for the Illinois American grant which allows us to begin this important project to provide long-term benefits to our community.”

The River Action League will involve citizens of all ages in informal science education activities including data collection, workshops, seminars and classes. Participants will be trained in water quality data collection and will collect data from local stream systems. Bradley professors will analyze the data and upload it to a mapping website.

The project partners hope to train up to 50 volunteers to collect data this summer and plan to begin building the database this fall.