River Sweep

DuPage County

River Sweep

32nd Annual DuPage River Sweep
Saturday, May 20th, 2023
9:00am – 12:00pm

The annual DuPage County River Sweep is a county-wide self-coordinated stream cleanup held each spring. The purpose of the one-day event is to encourage volunteer groups to help “sweep our rivers clean” by picking up debris in and along local waterways. 

River Sweep Over Time

How It Works

Participants register and are assigned to a Community Liaison, who coordinates volunteers to remove litter from a nearby section of river. Streambank restoration activities, such as removing invasive species and planting native species, are available in some areas for those who prefer to keep their feet dry. Supplies and technical support are provided by sponsoring organizations to help communities coordinate their efforts.

Registration

Register above to count yourself in! To learn more about being a Community Liaison or Group Coordinator, read our Group Coordinator’s Manual.

Fox River Cleanup picture
River Sweep picture

Help us expand the River Sweep to more locations by volunteering to be a Community Liaison or Group Coordinator in an area not listed below. Contact Amy Phillips for how to get started – it’s simple!

Restoration Sites

If picking up trash isn’t your bag, help communities by restoring natural areas near waterways. Please indicate this preference on your registration. Adult supervision is requested for volunteers under age 18.

Participating restoration locations include:
City of Itasca
Village of Bolingbrook – Various Locations
Hitchcock Woods Forest Preserve – Lisle
City of Naperville – Various Locations
Village of Westmont – Various Locationst – Various Location

In Your Community

Promote the River Sweep

Share the River Sweep Brochure widely to help spread the word in your community!

volunteer cleaning

Other ways to help include:

Watercraft Training & Rentals

Having fun on the water is a priority and learning to do so safely is paramount. Here are some suggested resources for canoe/kayak training from some of our seasoned volunteers:
Prairie State Canoeists

Sponsors & Partners

Photography by volunteer Nissa Sampson

Addison
Ron Remus
rremus@addison-il.org
(630) 620-2020 x2310

Bloomingdale
Joe Potts
joe@bloomingdaleparks.org
(630) 339-3570

Bolingbrook
Dan Finn
dfinn@bolingbrookparks.org
(630) 783-6563

Carol Stream
Greg Ulreich
gulreich@carolstream.org
(630) 871-6220

Downers Grove
Julie Lomax
jlomax@downers.us
(630) 493-8821

Glen Ellyn
Laurie Bellmar
lbellmar@gepark.org
(630) 942-7273

Elmhurst
Stanley Balicki
pworks@elmhurst.org
(630) 530-3020

Itasca
Sandy Harris/Chris Carling
sharris@itascaparkdistrict.com
(630) 773-2257

Lisle
Rich Gallas
rgallas@villageoflisle.org
(630) 271-4107

Lombard
David Gorman
gormand@villageoflombard.org
(630) 620-5765

Naperville
Amy Phillips
aphillips@theconservationfoundation.org
(630) 428-4500 x113

Oak Brook
Bonnie Gibellina
bgibellina@obparks.org
(630) 645-9544

Oakbrook Terrace
Craig Ward
cward@oakbrookterrace.net
(630) 941-1651

Plainfield
Jonathan Proulx
jproulx@goplainfield.com
(815) 609-6139

Villa Park
Robert Wagner
villagegreens1@aol.com
(630) 279-3499

Warrenville
Ray Ziemer
rgziemer@comcast.net
(630) 836-0086

West Chicago
Mike Gasparini
mgasparini@we-goparks.org
(217) 737-3264

Westmont
Zachary Chorney
zchorney@westmont.il.gov
(630) 926-9326

Wheaton
Kevin Flynn
kflynn@wheatonparks.org
(630) 510-4981

Wood Dale
Steve Krych
krychsteve@gmail.com
(630) 400-0926

Woodridge
Andie Trucco
atrucco@woodridgeil.gov
(630) 719-4709

All Other Areas
Amy Phillips
aphillips@theconservationfoundation.org
(630) 428-4500 x113