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Water Survey

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  • snow on pine branches

    April 2019: An active weather pattern and late-season snow

    May 1, 2019 4:30 pm

    April 2019 will be a month remembered for a continuation of an active and stormy weather pattern across Illinois, with two short-lived, yet notable and uncommon late-season snow events which impacted many in the northern portions of the state.

  • April in Illinois was Much Wetter than Last Year

    May 2, 2013 2:30 am

    April was the 4th wettest on record for Illinois with 6.90 inches of rain, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois. That total was 3.13 inches above the long-term average of 3.77 inches for the month.

  • Warmest April on Record for Illinois

    May 3, 2010 1:15 am

    Based on preliminary data, the statewide average temperature for Illinois in April was 58.4 degrees, 6.2 degrees above normal and the warmest April on record. This beats the old record of 58.2 degrees set in 1955, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • April brought a mix of winter, spring, and summer weather

    May 3, 2021 12:45 pm

    Illinois temperatures varied considerably in April from way above to significantly below normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • A Wet May, Spring, and Year to Date for Illinois

    Jun 3, 2013 2:30 am

    The statewide precipitation for May was 6.87 inches, 2.25 inches above the long-term average, and the 12th wettest May on record, according to Jim Angel, Illinois State Climatologist at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Wet Soil Conditions in Illinois

    Jun 17, 2017 2:45 pm

    Higher than normal rainfall across most of the state has led to wet soil conditions,  according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Hot and stormy end to summer

    Sep 2, 2021 8:15 am

    August temperatures were largely above normal across Illinois. Because of the heat and humidity, August precipitation was accompanied by frequent severe weather events including several tornadoes, hail, and strong winds.

  • August and Summer Were Cool and Dry in Illinois

    Sep 5, 2013 1:00 am

    The statewide average precipitation for August was 1.38 inches, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.  It was the third driest August on record and 2.22 inches below the 1981-2010 average.

  • Public Meeting on Arsenic in Tolono Wells to be Held Oct. 4

    Sep 23, 2011 9:15 pm

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) is presenting information and outcomes from a study on arsenic concentrations found in resident wells in the Tolono area on Tuesday, October 4, 2011.

     

  • 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.

  • November 2013 in Illinois – Cold and Dry

    Dec 2, 2013 1:30 am

    November 2013 will always be remembered for the tornado outbreak on November 17, 2013, that produced 25 tornadoes across Illinois based on the latest reports. While not as dramatic, weather conditions for the month of November were colder and drier than average, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • 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. 

  • Second Wettest Year on Record for Illinois

    Jan 9, 2009 8:15 pm

     Illinois experienced its second wettest year on record when 50.7 inches of precipitation fell in 2008. This was 11.4 inches above normal. Only 1993 was wetter with 51.2 inches. Nine of the 12 months in 2008 received above-normal precipitation, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • 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.

  • ISWS Scientist Honored for Contribution to Meteorological Sciences

    Feb 7, 2011 12:30 am

    The American Meteorological Society at its Annual Conference in Seattle during January 24–27, 2011 awarded the distinction of Honorary Member to Stanley A. Changnon, a scientist at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • Soils Warmer than Average across Illinois this Winter

    Feb 22, 2016 10:30 pm

    Soil temperatures in Illinois have been above normal for most of the winter, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • 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.

  • Surveyors Collect Data on Home Elevations in North-Central Illinois for Flood Risk Project

    Jun 8, 2017 3:00 pm

    As part of an Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) project to determine the risk of flooding for individual homes and businesses in floodplains, licensed surveyors will visit properties to measure the height of structures from late June to July for two pilot areas in the City of Ottawa and the City of Moline.

  • State Climatologist: July brought its typical calamity in Illinois

    Aug 1, 2022 4:00 pm

    Rain inundated the south-central and northern parts of Illinois in July, causing flooding, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • physical model in which vertical rods extend from a map to show groundwater level changes in the Joliet, Illinois, area

    ISWS innovates in analysis and visualization of groundwater data

    Sep 18, 2020 10:15 am

    Water Survey staff have developed innovative ways to analyze and visualize groundwater data, from painstakingly soldered flow models using electricity, to digital flow models like the widely used Prickett-Lonnquist Aquifer Simulation Model (PLASM), to more recent interactive maps and a new approach to developing potentiometric surfaces using MODFLOW.

  • Second Wettest October on Record

    Nov 2, 2009 10:00 am

     Based on preliminary data in Illinois, the statewide average rainfall was 8.9 inches, 6.0 inches above normal. This is the second wettest October on record for the state based on data going back to 1895. It almost beat the wettest October on record, 9.2 inches set in 1941, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • geologist Sam Panno explores Calf Cave in Joe Daviess County

    Jo Daviess County collaboration tackles water quality

    Dec 10, 2019 12:30 pm

    With its unique geology marked by sinkholes, crevices, and caves, Jo Daviess County is highly susceptible to water contamination. Scientists from the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) and Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) are using their expertise and collaborating with a local organization to help citizens understand water quality issues and protect their water supplies.

  • Tenth Warmest March on Record in Illinois

    Apr 6, 2016 10:15 pm

    March 2016 was the 10th warmest March on record with an average temperature of 46.5 degrees, 5.2 degrees above normal. Illinois was not alone; essentially the entire US was warmer than normal in March, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • ISWS Engineer is Selected to Serve on New FEMA Council

    Jul 17, 2014 3:45 pm

    Sally McConkey, Water Resources Engineer at the Illinois State Water Survey, has been selected as a member of the newly created Technical Mapping Advisory Council for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as directed by Congress.

  • Eric R. Larson and Sally McConkey standing in the U. of I.’s Red Oak Rain Garden. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    How do we measure community disaster resilience?

    Aug 12, 2022 8:15 am

    In a new study, retired Illinois State Water Survey engineer Sally McConkey and Eric R. Larson, a professor of natural resources and environmental sciences, examined the metrics used at a county scale for national assessments to determine whether communities are prepared to withstand and recover from natural disasters such as floods and fires. 

  • Soil Temperatures Higher than Normal in Mid-September

    Sep 16, 2016 4:00 pm

    Soil temperatures in Illinois are averaging 3 to 5 degrees above the long-term averages, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Warm year in Illinois ends with a cold, dry December

    Jan 3, 2018 2:00 pm

    2017 was the sixth warmest year on record in Illinois with a statewide average temperature of 54.3 degrees, or 2 degrees above normal, in spite of the very cold ending to December.

  • 2014 Marks the 4th Coldest Year on Record for Illinois

    Jan 5, 2015 3:15 pm

    The statewide average temperature for 2014 was 49.4 degrees F, which is 2.9 degrees below average.  The year was tied with 1912 and 1979 for fourth place, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Study Shows McHenry County Water Supplies May Not Suffice in Future

    Jan 7, 2014 4:15 pm

    Groundwater resources in McHenry County may be strained in 35 to 40 years, potentially causing local water shortages and detrimental effects to the ecology of local streams, according to Scott Meyer, hydrogeologist at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois.

  • New online county maps highlight flood hazard areas in Illinois

    Feb 8, 2008 7:15 pm

    Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) engineers are bringing county floodplain maps into the 21st century, from two-dimensional paper products to digital illustrations using the latest geographical software and technology. The updated, online maps are easily accessible to community stakeholders for use in reducing the risk for flood damage.

  • 12th Biennial Conference on the Management of the Illinois River System

    Feb 28, 2009 8:00 pm

    The Illinois State Water Survey is Co-Sponsoring:The Twelfth Biennial Conference on the . Management of the Illinois River SystemOctober 20-22, 2009Hotel Pere Marquette, Peoria, IL 

  • ISWS Staff Will Measure Private Wells in McHenry County

    May 17, 2011 12:00 am

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) will contact well owners in McHenry County in May and throughout the summer for permission to measure water levels in wells as part of a multi-year investigation to support future policies for managing water resources in the county.

  • Scientific Models Use Weather Data to Predict State's West Nile Virus Infection Rates

    Aug 4, 2016 7:15 pm

    As this year's West Nile virus (WNV) transmission season begins, researchers from the University of Illinois have made available forecasting models they created for each of the nine climate areas of Illinois to predict mosquito infection rates on a weekly basis. Mosquitoes transmit WNV to humans.

  • A warm, dry September extended summer in Illinois

    Oct 4, 2021 8:15 am

    The statewide average temperature of 69.4 degrees in September was 2.6 degrees above average, but the humidity was lower than in the previous months. 

  • Sixth Wettest April on Record

    May 1, 2009 11:30 am

    April statewide rainfall averaged 6.2 inches, 2.4 inches above normal and tied with 1983 for the 6th wettest April since statewide records began in 1895. The wettest April on record was 7.1 inches in 1957. Normal statewide April rainfall is 3.8 inches, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu).

  • 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.

  • 14th Illinois River Conference – Working Locally-Reaching Globally

    Jul 29, 2013 2:00 am

    “Working Locally-Reaching Globally”, the theme for the 14th Biennial Governor's Conference on the Management of the Illinois River System, offers a look at the river system, the local work being done to protect it, and its place on a global scale. The conference will be held on October 1-3, 2013 at Peoria's Four Points by Sheraton.

  • 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)

  • Science in support of the Forest Preserves of Cook County developing the Natural and Cultural Resources Master Plan

    Jan 12, 2015 10:15 am

  • 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.

  • winter scene in the woods

    A wild February ended an otherwise mild winter

    Mar 2, 2021 8:00 am

    The cold season came with a vengeance in February, bringing bitter cold and snow across the state. The preliminary statewide average February temperature was 20.0 degrees, 11.1 degrees below the 1991–2020 average.

  • 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

  • New Online Map Tracks Freezing Temperatures

    May 18, 2011 12:45 am

    The Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) in the Illinois State Water Survey, a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois, has provided a new tool for users to glean information on the occurrences of freezing temperatures to help assess the vulnerability of spring flowers and plants.

  • ISWS offers a flood assessment for critical facilities

    May 19, 2017 4:00 pm

    When a flood inundates a community, critical facilities such as hospitals and fire stations can lose electricity and equipment used to serve and protect citizens. A flood vulnerability assessment is now available for managers of critical facilities to identify their facility's susceptibility to flooding.

  • Warm Soils across Illinois in July

    Jul 18, 2017 3:00 pm

    Soil temperatures at depths of 4 inches under bare soil averaged 79.9 degrees on July 15, 2.1 degrees above the long-term average.

  • 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).

  • Water Survey simulation of Aug. 12 Gibson City flood

    Water Survey simulation matches progress of Gibson City flood

    Aug 24, 2021 2:45 pm

    A model simulation produced by the Illinois State Water Survey shows the progression of the flood in Gibson City from the morning to the evening of Aug. 12, 2021

  • Illinois State Water Survey and U of I Extension Team up to Reduce Flood Risk

    Sep 15, 2010 1:00 am

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) and the University of Illinois (U of I) Extension are teaming up to help Illinois communities better understand and reduce their flood risk.

  • Regional Climate Models are Poised to Predict Future Climate of Illinois

    Nov 19, 2008 9:15 am

    While scientists have predicted for years that the global climate will change in the future, an atmospheric scientist at the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign is working on a climate model at the regional scale to predict the impacts of climate change right here in Illinois.

  • 2011 Midwest Summer

    Sep 6, 2011 9:15 pm

    Summer (June through August) in the Midwest was marked by above average temperatures, especially in July and early August, and extreme precipitation conditions.  Drought conditions occurred for half of the Midwest, while at the same time, several severe precipitation events resulted in flash flooding, breaking 17 all-time precipitation records, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).