Water Willow Plantings

Water Willow Planting

Thank you to all the volunteers who have made this possible.

Help FOFR Improve Fox River Habitat

Water willow plantings represent part of a new initiative for Friends of the Fox River: habitat restoration. This initiative will complement our longstanding river cleanup work by providing permanent habitat improvement for organisms that call the Fox River home as well as beautifying the shoreline.

A native plant of the Fox River, water willow colonies along the river were nearly eradicated by shoreline development. A few original colonies still exist along the less developed southern reaches of the river. Seeds and clippings from these colonies were used by Country Roads Greenhouses nursery in Rochelle to propagate the plants we use in our plantings ensuring that the water willows we plant come from original Fox River stock.

Friends of the Fox River will be continuing its successful river habitat improvement initiative. Plan to help us plant more sections of the river with water willow plants. When established, these plants create fish habitat and provide many other environmental benefits.

This event is sponsored by FOFR and the Illinois Smallmouth Association. Bob Rung, a streams biologist from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, will be on hand to explain the planting process and give a brief talk about the benefits of water willows to the river.

Volunteers should bring waterproof boots and sturdy work gloves; We will provide the necessary tools.