Prairie Rivers Network

*Edit to Graphic 1: The river is closed starting near the town of Potomac (not Pontiac).

Last Friday, October 16, IDNR closed the Middle Fork of the Vermilion river due to seepages through an old coal mining embankment that separates the river from an abandoned strip mine pond—impacting recreational use of the river. The concern is that the seeps might grow, drive erosion, and compromise the stability of the embankment.

While IDNR has confirmed this closure is not related to Dynegy’s coal ash ponds that also sit on the banks of the river, the seepages raise serious concerns about the stability of aging embankments along the Middle Fork—and beyond—left behind by legacy coal mining.

We’re grateful this incident doesn’t involve coal ash, but is a reminder that abandoned mine lands can pose ongoing risks to our rivers, communities, and the environment. Prairie Rivers Network has long fought to ensure that sufficient funding is available to address abandoned mine land problems, and we’ll continue that fight locally along the Middle Fork and across our state.

Learn more about this closure, and why addressing abandoned mine lands matters, in our most recent blog post. https://prairierivers.org/front-page/2026/10/legacy-coal-mine-issues-lead-to-closure-of-middle-fork/

**Photo in graphic 2 is an example of the Middle Fork River and adjacent surface coal mined lands in the early 1970s before reclamation. Courtesy of Clark Bullard

Who says fall means raking? This season, put down the rake and leave the leaves where they land! Leaves are free, fun, and a great excuse to get outside. Here are just four ways you can use leaves to see your neighborhood differently:

1. Take chalk on a walk. Leaves are just one great way to work with nature to create a unique street or sidewalk mural.

2. Go on leaf patrol. Collect leaves of different shapes, sizes, and colors, then try to figure out which trees they came from. Compare their sizes, colors, and even smells.

3. Document fall's sidewalks. Sketch or photograph nature’s ever-changing art exhibits.

4. Make leaf art. Bring leaves inside and use them to create collages, tracings, rubbings, and much more.

BONUS: Leaving the leaves also gives moths, caterpillars, lightning bugs, and birds a place to call home, so your yard gets healthier while you play outside. This link has more information on why leaving the leaves is so important 🍁🍂: https://prairierivers.org/front-page/2024/10/leave-the-leaves-this-fall/

PS: We'd love to see how you're having fun with leaves this fall, if you're willing to share. Post your photos with the hashtag so we can check them out!

A proposed large-scale data center in Mahomet has raised serious concerns about transparency, utility costs, long-term community impacts, and the Mahomet Aquifer—the drinking water of nearly one million people in central Illinois.

Prairie Rivers Network is hard at work supporting communities across Illinois as the threats of new data centers arise, and this development is no different. We are reviewing documents released via the Freedom of information Act earlier this week,and are using our knowledge to raise questions about tax incentives, claims about water use, and legally enforceable protections.

We are all looking for something to do. Here are a few actions you can take today and beyond to protect our county and state from the impacts of large-scale data center developments.

1. If you live in Mahomet, contact your Board of Trustees and voice your concerns.
2. Join concerned community members and advocates tomorrow (October 3) at 11:30am at the Mahomet Public Library for the Mahomet Data Center Community Meeting—there is power in numbers!
3. Tell your state legislators to pass the POWER Act this veto session. Regulations must be put in place to protect our communities from these developments.

Learn more about how to take these actions and more here: https://prairierivers.org/front-page/2026/10/proposed-data-center-in-mahomet-il-what-were-doing-and-what-you-can-do/