The Kane County Board and Kane County Forest Preserve District are among the supporters of a St. Charles task force initiative to leverage our area’s most-valuable natural resource: the Fox River.

The Active River Task Force invites St. Charles residents, downtown property and business owners, and others who share a passion for the future of the Fox River Corridor in St. Charles to participate in a community workshop from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday May 20, 2015, at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center, 3795 Campton Hills Road in St. Charles.

“The Fox River is our community’s most valuable, yet most underutilized asset. This workshop is designed to gather community input on how we can leverage the river to enhance economic and recreational activity, while also improving the river ecology. We hope that the entire community will help us identify and explore ways that the river can contribute to making St. Charles a unique destination,” said John Rabchuk, Chairman of the Active River Task Force.

Possibilities being studied for the project include a white water rapids course for kayaking, floating gardens, elevated bicycle trails, and water parks similar to the crown fountain at Millennium Park in Chicago.

At the beginning of the workshop, the Active River Task Force’s consultant team, led by Hitchcock Design Group, will introduce the project and discuss their interpretation of the existing resources and market conditions. Following the presentation, attendees will discuss the preliminary findings and brainstorm ideas to improve the River corridor throughout the City of St. Charles.

To update the River Corridor Master Plan completed in 2002, the River Corridor Foundation of St. Charles teamed with St. Charles Park District, City of St. Charles and Kane County Forest Preserve to create the Active River Task Force to determine ways to capitalize on the Fox River as a natural and economic asset. When complete in August of this year, the consultant team will deliver a market-supported strategy, policy recommendations, and a framework for public and private investment over the next 5 years and beyond.

To learn more about the project, visit www.stcrivercorridor.org or email John Rabchuk at jrabchuk@gmail.com.

SOURCE: Active River Task Force press release