Friends of Everbloom

05/04/2026

Sign up information for the LakesFest Golf Outing July 31st.

https://canva.link/pi3jt3d2r0l03zz

04/24/2026

What’s everybody catching so far this year?

04/02/2026

Event Postponed! Planting season preparation has begun, and our farmer feedback has been appreciated. We look forward to a future event to discuss all things conservation with our speakers. If you would like to be contacted in the future about our event, please reach out to the McLean County SWCD office and provide us with your contact information.

04/02/2026

Fish Sale Order Deadline April 3, 2026! Check the comments for a link to order.

03/24/2026

Join us for an informative evening with Illinois Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Biologist, Mike Garthaus at Lake Bloomington and Evergreen Lake! This free community event will highlight active projects with a focus on fish populations in both lakes.

📅 Tuesday, March 31, 2026
⏰ 6:00 PM
📍 Lake Bloomington – Davis Lodge
25449 Davis Lodge Rd, Hudson, IL 61748

Hosted by McLean County SWCD, and Friends of Everbloom, this event brings together local partners working to protect and enhance our lakes.

03/23/2026

Awesome!

03/23/2026

The 2026 Illinois spring trout fishing season will open Saturday, April 4 at 58 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state.

An early opportunity at select trout sites – the spring catch-and-release fishing season – will open Saturday, March 21. No trout may be kept during the catch-and-release period, but anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular season beginning April 4. The daily harvest limit for each angler is five trout.

The Illinois Catchable Trout Program receives funding support by those who use the program through the sale of inland trout stamps. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources stocks more than 80,000 rainbow trout each year in bodies of water where trout fishing is permitted during the spring season. An additional 80,000 trout will be stocked for the fall trout season, which begins in October.

Learn more here: https://ifishillinois.org/Pages/Resources/Programs/CatchableTrout

03/16/2026

💦 Fix a Leak Week! Do you know how much water a family of four uses every day in the United States? Not 50 gallons, not 100 gallons, but 400 gallons! You could take up to 10 baths with that much water—but who would want to do that? Fortunately, there are many things we can do to save.

Pick-up your Leak Detection Kit here in Bloomington-Normal this week at the following locations!

Home Depot
Menards
Ecology Action Center
McLean County Museum of History
McLean County SWCD Office

03/03/2026

Update from The City of Bloomington, Illinois on the water supply. We will also be sending out information soon for the annual "Fix-A-Leak-Week" that we are proud to support. It runs March 16-22nd this year. Stay tuned to find out where you can find your very own leak detection kits absolutely FREE! Thanks to Mclean County SWCD and the City of Bloomington, Illinois for allowing us to assist in this endeavor.

We’ve seen questions and conversation recently about water loss in Bloomington’s water system and want to provide additional context. This is something we have been actively addressing for more than two years.

Water loss is the difference between water produced and water billed. It includes authorized uses such as firefighting, system flushing, hydrant use, and meter transition timing. It is not simply water that is unaccounted for. Bloomington is not unlike most municipalities that experience system water loss. While our percentage remains higher than we would like, we have reduced it from 33 percent to just below 30 percent in a few short years through infrastructure upgrades, leak detection, meter testing, and improved system monitoring.

Addressing water loss remains a priority, and this work continues.

02/12/2026

Boater Safety Class
March 14, 2026