Coastal Clean Waters Program

The IDNR Coastal Management Program (CMP), in partnership with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), has been developing a Coastal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program (also known as the Coastal Clean Waters Program). The goal of the program is to reduce pollutants that may impact Lake Michigan and the waters within the Illinois Coastal Zone. ​

CMP submitted the proposed program documents to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) on July 31, 2014. After being conditionally approved in 2016, we are excited to announce that the program recieved full approval on August 30, 2022.

The Coastal Clean Waters Program focuses on:

• ​Water quality monitoring
  
• Green infrastructure and other nature-based solutions
  
• Increasing intergovernmental coordination to control pollution
  
• Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs)
  
• Addressing pollutants at their sources

The creation of this program is in compliance with Section 6217 of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990. For more information, visit: ​​https://coast.noaa.gov/czm/pollutioncontrol/#Illinois

• Illinois Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Program Executive Summary (2014)
  
• Illinois Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Program Final Document (2014)
  
• Presentation of the Coastal Clean Waters program (2014)
  
• Final Decision Memo (2022)
  
• Final Approval Letter (2022)
  
• Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (2016)
  
• Proposed Findings (2016)