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Water Survey

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  • Heavy Rain in Southern Illinois Results in Widespread Flooding

    Mar 19, 2008 7:15 pm

    A storm system moving slowly through southern Illinois since March 17 has produced rainfall totals that have already exceeded 8 inches in some places south of Interstate 70, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu), a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

  • Corn field and blue sky

    Growing degree day calculator provides site-specific weather data

    Sep 2, 2020 9:00 am

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) growing degree day (GDD) calculator is updated daily through local weather stations for users to calculate projections on crop development and maturity specifically for their location.

  • Groundwater is plentiful for water supplies in future years, but surface water may be lacking, especially for Springfield, putting East-Central Illinois communities at risk for water shortages in a serious drought, according to George Roadcap, Hydrogeologist with the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) in the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Study Identifies Cities Where Water Shortages May be a Future Issue in East-Central Illinois

    Feb 14, 2012 8:30 pm

    Groundwater is plentiful for water supplies in future years, but surface water may be lacking, especially for Springfield, putting East-Central Illinois communities at risk for water shortages in a serious drought, according to George Roadcap, Hydrogeologist with the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) in the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • Groundwater hydrologist is honored for contributions to the water operating profession

    Jan 22, 2020 11:00 am

    Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) groundwater hydrologist Steve Wilson has received an Association of Boards of Certification’s award for advancing the water and wastewater operating profession. The Kenneth D. Kerri Excellence in Workforce Development Award was presented to Wilson for going beyond the call of duty as an educator.

  • Leaves turn at Volo Bog Nature Preserve in the fall. Photo credit: Bill Batalden

    Groundwater experts help industries and nature preserves thrive

    Jul 7, 2022 8:00 am

    ISGS and ISWS began monitoring the intersections between industry and the state-protected nature preserves in 1998, letting science and groundwater testing lead the way. Then-graduate student Randy Locke embarked on what was intended to be a two-year groundwater monitoring project; that project is now in its 24th year and has expanded to 414 dedicated nature preserves across 62,270 acres in Illinois.

  • Groundwater Awareness Week: March 10-16, 2013

    Mar 1, 2013 2:45 am

    In the spring, just before peak water use season begins, is a good time to check that your water well is working properly and that your water is safe to drink, according to Walt Kelly, interim head of the Center for Groundwater Science at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), University of Illinois.

  • Gov. Rauner appoints ISWS scientist George Roadcap to Mahomet Aquifer Task Force

    Dec 22, 2017 2:45 pm

    Illinois State Water Survey hydrogeologist George Roadcap is among those appointed to the Mahomet Aquifer Task Force, which has been charged with protection of the Mahomet Aquifer, a primary source of drinking water for 500,000 Central Illinois residents.

  • GIS topographic view

    GIS topographic tool is applied statewide

    Apr 15, 2020 8:30 am

    The Water Survey uses a GIS analysis tool called the Topographic Wetness Index to identify low-lying areas that could be subject to ponding during rain events. The index is particularly important because areas of low terrain with upslope—conditions that contributes to drainage areas—can be spotted outside of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s mapped floodplain areas.

  • Future Groundwater Supplies are a Concern for Growing Illinois Communities

    Aug 24, 2009 10:00 am

    Population growth may be an economic boon for communities and counties, but the subsequent increased water demand could threaten the amount and quality of public water supplies available within the next few decades, according to Scott Meyer, hydrogeologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, a division of the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability at the University of Illinois.

  • Free Online Program Educates Homeowners with Water Wells

    Nov 19, 2012 7:30 pm

    Homeowners in small communities and rural areas without a public water supply often don’t fully understand how to manage, operate, and protect their private well.

  • Fourth wettest February-March on record in Illinois

    Apr 3, 2018 2:30 pm

  • Fourth Warmest Spring in Illinois

    Jun 11, 2010 1:15 am

    Based on preliminary data, the statewide average temperature for spring in Illinois was 55.3 degrees, 3.3 degrees above normal and the fourth warmest spring on record. Warmer than normal conditions prevailed in all three spring months of March (2.5 degrees above), April (6.2 degrees above), and May (1.3 degrees above), according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Flood Terminology Can be Misleading

    Apr 2, 2009 7:00 pm

    We have heard the term "500-year flood" often in the news these days, and yet these extremely rare events seem to occur too frequently. Just last week, Fargo, ND experienced record flooding only 12 years after the 500-year flood in 1997.

    The problem is, people often have a misconception about flood-related terms, according to Jim Angel, state climatologist at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Fifth Wettest Spring on Record

    Jun 3, 2009 11:15 am

    Wet conditions in March, April, and May resulted in 15.9 inches of rain, 4.5 inches above normal and the fifth wettest spring since statewide records began in 1895. May precipitation was 6.0 inches, 1.7 inches above normal and the 19th wettest May on record, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Fifth Warmest November and Second Warmest Fall in Illinois

    Dec 2, 2016 4:30 pm

    November 2016 was the 5th warmest November on record for Illinois, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

    This year also had the 2nd warmest fall (September, October, and November) on record for Illinois. 

  • map of Illinois flood insurance rate map status by county

    FEMA recognizes Water Survey's significant contributions as a Cooperating Technical Partner

    Mar 15, 2021 8:30 am

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently praised the Water Survey’s accomplishments as a Cooperating Technical Partner, including improving the flood mapping process in Illinois and developing accurate, easily accessible flood data for every county in Illinois. 

  • Rock Island county map of structure-based flood risk assessment

    FEMA honors Water Survey and Illinois Department of Natural Resources

    May 18, 2021 3:00 pm

    The Illinois State Water Survey and the Office of Water Resources in the Illinois Department of Natural Resources took first place in FEMA’s 2021 National Cooperating Technical Partner Recognition Award for their statewide efforts to assess flood risk at the individual property level. 

  • February Tornadoes Are Rare But Violent

    Mar 1, 2012 8:15 pm

    Harrisburg, Illinois was struck by a deadly tornado on February 29, leading to six reported deaths and widespread damage. While more common during spring and summer in Illinois, tornadoes sometimes occur in February, said Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • February: More Rain, Less Snow

    Mar 3, 2009 8:00 pm

    February statewide precipitation averaged 2.45 inches, 0.52 inches above normal. Ft. Massac State Park reported the highest monthly precipitation total of 6.03 inches, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey 

  • February in Illinois was Slightly Warmer than Normal

    Mar 1, 2016 10:30 pm

    The Illinois temperature for February was 33.2 degrees, 2.3 degrees above average, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • February breaks record for warm temperatures in Illinois

    Mar 3, 2017 4:30 pm

    February was the warmest February on record for Illinois, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel at University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Farmers Must Adapt to Climate Changes in Illinois

    Aug 17, 2016 7:00 pm

    Farmers who keep an eye on the sky and an ear tuned to the local weather report will also want to pay attention to long-term climate change trends which may sway production decisions down the road.

  • Fall Brings Near-Record Warmth to the Midwest

    Dec 8, 2015 2:15 pm

    Warm conditions blanketed the Midwest during the 2015 fall season (September-October-November), bringing near-record seasonal and monthly temperatures, according the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/), Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • Fall 2011 Precipitation in the Midwest: From Shortage in the West to Surplus in the East

    Nov 3, 2011 9:00 pm

    In the Midwest during the fall of 2011, precipitation was plentiful in the eastern Midwest but scarce in western parts of the region (meteorological fall is September through November), according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • End-of-June Rainfall Provides Remarkable Transformation

    Jul 6, 2007 7:45 pm

    "The most outstanding feature of June weather was the change from very dry conditions the first 18 days to very wet ones the rest of the month. As a result, crops, lawns, and gardens recovered quickly from abnormally dry conditions that began in May," says State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu), a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Statewide June precipitation in Illinois was 4.47 inches (0.39 inches above normal), and statewide temperatures were 72.7°F degrees (0.8°F above normal). "That's quite a switch from the first 18 days of June, only 1.03 inches statewide, less than half the 2.42-inch normal for that period. The last 12 days of June had 3.44 inches, about twice the 1.66-inch normal," says Angel.

  • El Niño Not Likely to Affect First Fall Freeze

    Aug 9, 2009 11:00 am

    A developing El Niño in the Pacific Ocean will likely not affect the first freeze this fall in the Midwest, according to Steve Hilberg, Director of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), University of Illinois.

  • El Niño and the Midwest

    Nov 19, 2015 2:15 pm

    What effect could El Niño have on winter in the Midwest and the rest of the United States? Find out on the new El Niño webpage from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC), located at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS). (http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/mw_climate/elNino/index.jsp)

  • Early Warmth in 2012 and the Climatology of the Last Spring Freeze in the Midwest

    Mar 26, 2012 8:15 pm

    With warm weather seemingly stationary across the Midwest, many people are wondering if we have seen the last of freezing temperatures.  Climatology tells us that there is still the possibility for a late freeze, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • Drying, warming soils across Illinois

    Sep 14, 2018 2:45 pm

    Soils are drying out after the early September rain, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Drought takes hold after a warm and dry May

    Jun 6, 2023 8:30 am

    The typical May showers were largely absent for most of Illinois, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the Illinois State Water Survey. Most of the state ended the month between 1 and 4 inches drier than normal, with drought conditions affecting soil moisture and streamflow. 

  • Demissie Named Director of Illinois State Water Survey

    Feb 25, 2009 8:00 pm

    The Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability (INRS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has named Mike Demissie, head of the Center for Watershed Science at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), as new director of the Survey.

  • December in Illinois: Warm with Little Snow

    Jan 3, 2012 8:30 pm

    The statewide average temperature for December 2011 in Illinois was 35.7 degrees, 5.9 degrees above average. This ranked as the ninth warmest December on record with statewide records going back to 1895, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • December in Illinois: Tornadoes, warm temperatures, and little snow

    Jan 2, 2019 3:00 pm

    With warmer than average temperatures, December 2018 brought slight snowfall and a historic late-season severe weather outbreak to Illinois.

  • December Finished Cold in Illinois

    Jan 7, 2014 4:15 pm

    In December, the statewide temperature of 25.5 degrees was 4.4 degrees below average, making it the 20th coldest December on record since 1895. However, it is far short of the record coldest December of 1983 when the statewide temperature was only 17.1 degrees, 8.4 degrees colder than this December, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • frost on evergreen branch

    December brought warm and dry weather to end 2020

    Jan 4, 2021 10:45 am

  • December average temperature in top three for Illinois

    Jan 3, 2024 9:30 am

    Preliminary reports showed that December 2023 was the third warmest December on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • December 2021 was exceptionally warm

    Jan 5, 2022 8:45 am

    Provisional data show December was among the top 5 warmest on record in Illinois, with no snow on Christmas.

  • December 2010 in Illinois–Cold and Snowy

    Jan 3, 2011 12:30 am

    The statewide average temperature for December was 24.0 degrees, which is 5.8 degrees below normal. This ranks as the 12th coldest December on record, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Complex Hydraulic Flow Patterns of Cache River

    Data from the sky inform flood planning

    Jun 21, 2022 8:00 am

    CHAMP is at the helm of one of the largest 2D models in Illinois, spanning five southern Illinois counties – Johnson, Pope, Massac, Pulaski, and Alexander. The extremely flat topography of this region, known as the Cache River Valley, follows the Cache River system and the historic path of the Ohio River that’s been heavily manipulated by humans over time.

  • Jo Daviess County alfalfa crop pattern in 2012

    Database reveals locations of sinkholes, crevices, and mines in Jo Daviess County

    May 18, 2023 8:45 am

    A new database compiling information from a decade of Prairie Research Institute (PRI) studies on the unique geology and hydrology of Jo Daviess County is designed to help residents and officials understand the karst features of the land where they live and to better protect their water supply from surface contamination.

  • Cultivating Innovation: The Intersection of Geography, Climate, and Agricultural Research in Illinois

    Jan 31, 2024 8:45 am

    Since its inception in 2008, the Prairie Research Institute has conducted long-term monitoring of Illinois’ water, soil, and climate. These data, including growing and pest degree days, soil temperature and moisture, water table levels, and in-stream sediment, are used every day by thousands of Illinoisans and by the state’s agriculture, renewable energy, and construction industries.

  • corn fields

    Corn fields add to muggy, humid Midwestern temps

    Jul 21, 2020 9:15 am

    It’s not just the heat; it’s the humidity and “corn sweat” making muggy Midwestern summers feel even hotter.

  • Cool, Wet Weather Slows Northern and Central Illinois Planting

    May 3, 2007 8:15 pm

    "Combined with cooler temperatures, wet April conditions led to widespread corn planting delays in the northern two-thirds of the state, where precipitation averaged 4.05 inches (0.46 inches above normal) and up to 5–7 inches at some locations. April temperatures averaged 49.5°F statewide (2.7°F below normal), and statewide precipitation was 3.75 inches (just 0.05 inches below normal), based on preliminary data. Southern Illinois was drier, averaging 3.38 inches (0.74 inches below normal), and planting there is further along," says State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu), a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

  • Cool, Wet Summer in Illinois

    Sep 2, 2009 11:00 am

    Based on preliminary data for Illinois, this was the 11th coolest and 8th wettest summer since statewide records began in 1895. The average temperature for June–August was 71.4 degrees, 2.4 degrees below normal. The total precipitation for June–August was 15.2 inches, 3.6 inches above normal, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey 

  • May was cool and wet in Illinois

    Cool, wet May ends wet spring

    Jun 2, 2020 9:00 am

    May was much colder and moderately wetter than average across Illinois, bringing an end to a wet climatological spring season. The preliminary statewide average May temperature was 60.5 degrees, 2.2 degrees below the 30-year normal and the 39th coldest on record. Preliminary statewide average total precipitation for May was 5.41 inches, 0.81 inches wetter than the 30-year normal and the 25th wettest on record.

  • Cool fall temperatures continued in October

    Nov 3, 2020 1:00 pm

    October was much cooler than average across Illinois, 2.6 degrees below the 30-year normal for the month, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. The preliminary statewide average October temperature was 51.8 degrees.

  • Cooler, Wetter Soils in Mid-May

    May 16, 2016 7:00 pm

    Soils were wetter and cooler than average over most of Illinois in mid-May, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Cooler than Normal July Prevails

    Aug 3, 2007 7:45 pm

    "Statewide July temperatures averaged 73.5°F, 2.3°F below normal, and the 20th coolest July since 1895. While we had some hot days, Illinois generally managed to avoid the heat wave experienced out West during July," says State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu), a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

  • Cooler soil temperatures in mid-April

    Apr 18, 2018 8:45 am

  • Cool, Dry November Finishes with First Major Snow of the Season

    Dec 3, 2008 8:15 pm

    November in Illinois was both cooler and drier than normal. However, a low-pressure system at the end of the month brought the first significant snowfall of the season across northern and central Illinois, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).