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Water Survey

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  • New Homeowners' To-Do List Should Include Well Water Testing

    Apr 26, 2016 8:00 pm

    Looking for that special house in the country?  Don't forget to have the well tested to ensure safe drinking water, advises Steve Wilson, groundwater hydrologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • New collaboration with the United Kingdom Focuses on water challenges

    Jan 13, 2013 2:00 am

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, has signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on water-related projects with faculty at the Water@Leeds Research Centre, University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.  This collaboration will focus on topics such as climate change, water quality and supply, flooding, drought, and regulatory issues.

  • Network now monitors air temperature inversions in several locations

    May 14, 2018 8:30 am

  • Near-surface soil temperatures and moisture levels are declining in mid-April

    Apr 16, 2021 11:30 am

    Colder weather in the second week of April has caused soil temperatures to decline in Illinois.

  • Near-Normal August after a Hot and Dry Summer for Illinois

    Aug 31, 2012 7:45 pm

    After months of exceptionally warm temperatures and drought, Illinois finally experienced temperatures and precipitation closer to normal in August, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • National Science Foundation funds project to improve weather forecasts for cities

    Feb 23, 2022 12:00 pm

    Scientists at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) have begun a new project that will ultimately improve weather forecasting of severe storms and heatwaves in cities across the US.

  • National Groundwater Awareness Week: March 8–14, 2015

    Feb 27, 2015 3:15 pm

    About half the U.S. population receives its drinking water from wells. Many cities in Illinois, including Champaign-Urbana, Normal, and most of the western and southern suburbs of Chicago, get some or all of their drinking water from groundwater sources. In addition, almost all rural residents use groundwater. During National Groundwater Awareness Week, we want to promote stewardship of this important resource, to protect and conserve it.

  • National Groundwater Awareness Week: March 11–17, 2012

    Mar 1, 2012 8:15 pm

    About half the U.S. population receives its drinking water from wells. Many cities in Illinois, including Champaign-Urbana, Normal, and most of the western and southern suburbs of Chicago, get some or all of their drinking water from groundwater sources.  In addition, almost all rural residents use groundwater. During National Groundwater Awareness Week, we want to promote stewardship of this important resource, to protect and conserve it.

  • MRCC Climatologist Appointed to World Meteorological Organization Expert Task Team

    Dec 20, 2011 8:00 pm

    Nancy Westcott, research climatologist at the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC), was recently appointed as the North American representative to the Task Team on Climate Data Rescue, initiated by the World Meteorological Organization's Commission for Climatology.

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    Most of Illinois has warmer, drier soils in mid-September

    Sep 17, 2019 9:00 am

    Warmer weather has caused higher than normal soil temperatures for Illinois, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • momcilo markus

    Momcilo Markus named Head of the Watershed Science Section

    Jun 21, 2023 3:15 pm

    Markus specializes in hydrological forecasting and artificial neural networks. His work on the effects of climate change and urbanization on water resources, statistical evaluation of streamflow and water quality networks, stochastic modeling for load estimation, data mining, and hydrologic flood frequency analyses has contributed to the development of the National Weather Service River Forecast System.

  • Model Stormwater Ordinance is Now Available for Communities

    Nov 23, 2015 2:15 pm

    Flooding in urban areas from stormwater runoff may be mitigated when state and local governments plan a coordinated effort to reduce their risk. The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) offered their support to communities by developing a model ordinance that city and county officials can use when revising or drafting their own stormwater ordinances.

  • Mild Winter Leads to Warmer Soil Temperatures

    Feb 27, 2012 8:15 pm

    The mild winter weather has led to higher soil temperatures in comparison to last winter based on temperatures collected at weather stations across the state, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Mild March was quite a contrast to February

    Apr 2, 2021 8:30 am

    The preliminary statewide average March temperature was 45.9 degrees, 4.5 degrees above the 1991–2020 average and the 13th warmest on record going back to 1895. Preliminary statewide average total March precipitation was 4.10 inches, 1.16 inches above the 1991–2020 average and the 30th wettest on record going back to 1895.  

  • Mild February wraps up a weak winter

    Mar 2, 2023 4:45 pm

    February in Illinois was particularly mild, ending a winter season that was 2 to 6 degrees above normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. February also brought wetter weather to the state.

  • Midwest Sets Record Cold Temperatures in July

    Aug 4, 2009 11:15 am

    This was the coldest July on record for the nine-state Midwest region, based on preliminary temperature data. The average temperature for the region was 68.0 degrees, 4.7 degrees below normal. The previous record was 68.9 degrees in 1992, according to Mike Timlin, Regional Climatologist with the NOAA Midwestern Regional Climate Center (http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Midwest Regional Climate Center Announces Free Online Climate Data Tools Environment

    Oct 10, 2013 1:45 am

    The Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) is announcing the launch of a new online climate data system where registrants can access climate data and other value-added products for free!

  • Midwest Heavy Rain and Flooding is Compared to 1993 Flood

    Jun 13, 2008 12:00 am

    The recent heavy rain in the Midwest and flooding in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Missouri are drawing comparisons with the weather and events associated with the Great Flood of 1993 on the Mississippi River, according to Steve Hilberg, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) at the Illinois State Water Survey. Climatologists there have compared 2008 weather events with what occurred in 1993 to place the current situation in perspective.

  • Midwest Experiences Warmest and Wettest December on Record

    Jan 6, 2016 10:30 pm

    In a year when many state records were broken, 2015 ended with historically warm temperatures and well above-normal precipitation, leading to the warmest and wettest December on record for the Midwest, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • Mid-September soils across Illinois were warmer and drier than normal

    Sep 17, 2021 9:15 am

    Soils remained warm in mid-September because of hotter than normal weather across Illinois. 

  • Walton R. Kelly, John Scott, Nancy Holm, Wei Zheng and Samuel V. Panno

    Microplastic contamination found in common source of groundwater

    Jan 25, 2019 7:45 am

    A new study by PRI scientists is the first to report microplastics in fractured limestone aquifers – a groundwater source that accounts for 25 percent of the global drinking water supply.

  • McConkey joins U of I group on building resilience to climate change

    Sep 11, 2019 9:30 am

    Professional engineer Sally McConkey has joined the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment’s (iSEE) new Resilience Working Advisory Team (RWAT) to foster resilience to the local effects of climate change.

  • May Was Warm and Wet in Illinois

    Jun 1, 2015 2:45 pm

    Despite cool weather at times, May was 2.3 degrees above average on temperature and 1 inch above average on rainfall, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • May in Illinois: Warmer Than Average, Dry in the West

    Jun 2, 2014 4:00 pm

    The statewide average temperature for May in Illinois was 63.9 degrees F, which is 1.2 degrees above average. This is the first month for temperatures to be above average in Illinois since October 2013, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • May brought spring and a taste of summer to Illinois

    Jun 2, 2022 11:00 am

    Illinois temperatures in May varied from periods of below average to periods of far above average, breaking records across the state, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. Rainfall was slightly below normal in May statewide.

  • May brought a cool end to a warm spring

    Jun 2, 2021 8:15 am

    May temperatures varied substantially across Illinois, with an average temperature 2.5 degrees below the 30-year normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • rain on umbrella

    May 2019: Exceptionally wet and stormy across Illinois

    Jun 3, 2019 3:30 pm

    May 2019 will be a month remembered for exceptional, record-breaking wet conditions locally, as well as an active, stormy, and at times severe weather pattern across the state.

  • broken umbrella in muddy field

    March was warmer with above average precipitation in Illinois

    Apr 2, 2020 9:15 am

    March was warmer and wetter than average across the state, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford.

  • March Was Warmer and Drier than Normal

    Apr 6, 2010 1:45 am

    Based on preliminary data in Illinois, the statewide average temperature for March was 43.6 degrees, 2.5 degrees above normal. This ends a three-month streak of colder than normal temperatures that occurred this winter, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • March was Cold and Dry in Illinois

    Apr 1, 2014 4:15 pm

    The statewide average temperature for March in Illinois was 33.8 degrees, which was 7 degrees below average and the 8th coldest March on record. Combined with the colder-than-average January and February made this the 4th coldest start (23.6 degrees) for Illinois for the year to date, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • March started the spring season with rain and storms

    Apr 4, 2023 9:30 am

    In his blog, State Climatologist Trent Ford describes the March weather conditions in Illinois.

  • rain

    March 2019: A cold start with a stormy, wet finish to the month

    Apr 1, 2019 2:30 pm

    March 2019 will be a month remembered for an unseasonably cold start, followed by an active and wet weather pattern which resulted in a continuation of excess soil moisture, and major flooding events on many local streams and rivers.

  • March 2013 Was Much Colder Than Last Year

    Apr 3, 2013 2:45 am

    This March was 21.2 degrees colder than the average statewide temperature in March of last year, according to Jim Angel, State Climatologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, part of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • March 2012 Was the Warmest March on Record for Illinois

    Apr 3, 2012 8:00 pm

    The statewide average temperature for March was 54.9 degrees, 13.8 degrees above normal, making March 2012 a record-setting month, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • map of Central Illinois' Mahomet aquifer

    Mahomet Aquifer Protection Task Force issues recommendations

    Jan 9, 2019 4:45 pm

    A task force formed by the Illinois General Assembly to identify gaps in protection of the Mahomet Aquifer has issued its final recommendations. Illinois State Water Survey hydrologist George Roadcap served as a member of the task force, and other Prairie Research Institute scientists provided data and expertise to support the group’s yearlong effort.

  • Little Change in Soil Moisture During the First Half of August

    Aug 18, 2015 2:30 pm

    Soil moisture levels in Illinois showed little overall change in the first half of August, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Lessons Learned from 1950s' Heat Wave Show Planning Needed for Future Severe Events

    May 18, 2011 12:45 am

    Studying the impacts of a widespread, long-lasting heat wave in 1954 foretells increased power and water shortages if a weather event of that magnitude were to happen today, according to Nancy Westcott, climatologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • Laura Keefer named Illinois State Hydrologist

    Jul 2, 2018 3:30 pm
  • Laura Keefer

    Laura Keefer named Deputy Director of the Water Survey

    Apr 19, 2023 12:00 pm

    Keefer has more than 37 years of experience in multi-scale watershed monitoring and assessments of hydrology, nutrients and sediment for many Illinois watersheds, as well as studying erosion and sedimentation processes related to stream channel stability issues. In addition to her role as Deputy Director, Keefer serves as the Illinois State Hydrologist, providing science-based information on watersheds, rivers, groundwater, and other state water resources and leverages the expertise of PRI staff on statewide water issues, such as flooding and contamination. Laura has represented the Water Survey as an advisor on dozens of committees ranging from watershed planning to state and federal interagency task forces to resolve hydrologic, sediment, and nutrient watershed issues. 

  • Late October Freeze Ends Growing Season in Illinois

    Nov 5, 2008 9:30 am

    While Illinoisans in the far northern part of the state experienced freezing temperatures early in the month, the official close to the 2008 growing season at most locations occurred on October 28. Cold Canadian air pushed across the Midwest, producing lows that morning in the mid- to upper 20s across Illinois, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Lake-Effect Snow Poses Challenging Questions for Meteorologists

    Jan 20, 2009 8:15 pm

    Weather forecasters can predict an upcoming lake-effect snowstorm, but the intensity of the storm, which communities will be hit, how far inland the snow will extend, and how long it will last are much harder to foresee. Like storm chasers hoping to solve weather mysteries, Illinois State Water Survey Head of the Center for Atmospheric Science David Kristovich, students, and colleagues have flown over the Great Lakes inside developing storms to study lake effects on winter storms in lakeside communities.

  • Lake Effect Adds a Punch to the Latest Snowstorm

    Feb 3, 2011 12:30 am

    Conditions earlier this week were exactly right for Lake Michigan to help the latest intense snowstorm drop up to 2 feet of snow in the Chicago area, according to David Kristovich, head of the Center for Atmospheric Science at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • Kristovich to speak May 15 on Great Lakes Climate Changes and Impacts on Water Resources

    Apr 13, 2018 8:15 am

    David A.R. Kristovich, head of the Water Survey's Climate and Atmospheric Science Section, will speak at a meeting of the Air & Waste Management Association Lake Michigan States Section on May 15. 

  • June was Warm with Extreme Rainfall Variations across Illinois

    Jul 5, 2017 3:00 pm

    The average temperature for June in Illinois was 72.8 degrees, 0.9 degrees above normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel with the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • June Was Warm and Dry in Illinois

    Jul 5, 2016 7:30 pm

    The statewide average temperature for June in Illinois was 74.8 degrees, which was 2.9 degrees above normal and the 14th warmest June on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • June soils are hot and dry across Illinois

    Jun 21, 2022 9:30 am

    Illinois’ soils are warm and dry in mid-June after record-breaking hot weather blanketed the state.

  • June in Illinois: Warmer and Wetter than Average

    Jul 1, 2014 3:00 pm

    The statewide average precipitation for June 2014 in Illinois was 6.78 inches, 2.58 inches above average and the 8th wettest June on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • June in Illinois: Hot and Dry

    Jul 3, 2012 7:45 pm

    Following the warmest spring on record, June continued to be hot and dry in Illinois, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • June brought all kinds of weather to start the summer in Illinois

    Jul 1, 2021 2:15 pm

    June in Illinois started out particularly warm and ended with above average rainfall from numerous storms, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • rain on umbrella

    June 2019: Stormy and wet with a warm finish

    Jul 1, 2019 4:30 pm

    June 2019 will be a month remembered for a continuation of above average precipitation and near to seasonably cool temperatures, despite an unseasonably warm finish.