Prairie Rivers Network

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Prairie Rivers Network (PRN) is a nonprofit organization based in Champaign, Illinois. It is a 501(c)(3) charity and an independent state affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. PRN’s mission is to protect and restore rivers, return healthy soils, and support diverse wildlife by using science, law, and community action.

PRN began in 1967 when Bruce and Patricia Hannon formed the Committee on Allerton Park to stop a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam on the Sangamon River near Decatur. The dam plan was dropped in 1985. The group later changed its name to Central States Education Center in 1984 and then to Prairie Rivers Network in 1998.

PRN works across Illinois to protect waterways and riparian ecosystems. Its focus includes pollution from industrial agriculture, coal ash and coal mining, and helping communities and farmers improve soil and water health.

In May 2018, PRN, with Earthjustice representing it, sued the energy company Dynegy for Clean Water Act violations tied to coal ash piles along the Middle Fork Vermilion River. The coal ash is connected to the Vermilion Power Station, built in 1956 on the river’s west bank and later owned by Dynegy (which had acquired the plant in 2000). The plant closed in 2011, and Dynegy later merged with Vistra Energy, with the company now operating as Vistra.

PRN is led by Executive Director Maggie Bruns, and its Board President is Jon McNussen.