On January 9, the Mayor of Monticello, Larry Stoner, declared through a mayoral proclamation, that February 4, 2023 is officially Mudpuppy Day in Monticello: 

"WHEREAS the mudpuppy, a state threatened species, is found in the waters of the Sangamon River near Monticello; and 

WHEREAS the presence of the mudpuppy is a sign of a healthy river; 

WHEREAS the Land Conservation Foundation's annual Mudpuppy Festival invites the community to celebrate this remarkable creature and the waters where it lives."