A trip down the Illinois River as a court weighs the poultry industry’s responsibility for pollution

A group of 11 kayakers gathered on the shore of the Illinois River in late December, their brightly colored vessels lined in a row, ready to launch for the 8-and-a-half mile trip down stream.

Ed Fite, the leader of the trip that day, was one of the last kayakers in the water after ensuring that the others got out safely. It was a trip he has made dozens of times, likely more, in his decades of experience on the Illinois River. The relatively warm weather made this trip a “fair weather” versio...