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Water Survey

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  • Soybeans ready for harvest

    Illinois has cooler, wetter soils in mid-September

    Sep 17, 2020 8:00 am

    Soil temperatures have cooled the first half of September. Wetter weather the past two weeks has led to increases in soil moisture for northern and central Illinois. 

  • 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.

  • Soil moisture has improved in Illinois

    Jul 19, 2023 9:30 am

    Illinois has received 3.41 inches of rain in the first half of July, 1.6 inches more than in the entire month of June, and leading to higher soil moisture across the state. 

  • Illinois soil conditions are hot and dry in June

    Jun 17, 2021 1:45 pm

    Warmer weather has led to higher than normal soil temperatures for Illinois in June.

  • Annual precipitation records were broken across the Midwest

    Jan 7, 2019 3:30 pm

    More than 120 stations across the Midwest had their wettest year on record in 2018, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS). 

  • April 2018 was second-coldest on record for Illinois

    May 1, 2018 11:45 am

    Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel reports that the statewide average temperature for Illinois in april was 44.7 degrees, 7.9 degrees below normal. The only colder April on records was in 1907, with an average temperature of 43.1.

  • Users of data on Illinois environmental conditions will now register for access

    Feb 6, 2018 8:45 am

    Starting this month, users will be asked to register to access data on Illinois’ weather, soil, and water conditions on the University of Illinois’ Water & Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program website. Data are still free of charge.

  • Soils are drier for most of Illinois in mid-July

    Jul 16, 2021 10:15 am

    Illinois soils have been drying out after the wet weather at the end of June, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Water Survey to analyze flood risks in Macoupin County, Illinois

    Jul 10, 2020 1:15 pm

    Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) hydrologic and hydraulic modeling in Macoupin County, Illinois, is underway as part of a study to help local communities identify areas of high flood risk for flood mitigation planning.

  • ""

    Soils cooler in October

    Oct 18, 2019 7:30 am

    Soil temperatures have fallen across the state as October brought cooler weather, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

    Soil temperatures at 4 inches under sod averaged 57 degrees on Oct. 16, 2 degrees below the long-term average for mid-October. Temperatures have been steadily falling throughout the month, dropping 18 degrees since Oct. 1. Daily highs have ranged from the mid 50s to low 60s.

  • Soils are drying out across Illinois in October

    Oct 16, 2020 1:45 pm

    Rainfall was lower than average throughout the state in the first half of October. According to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center, Illinois received 1.36 inches from Oct. 1 to 15, 1.08 inches below normal. Combined with a dry September for southern and parts of central Illinois, these conditions have caused soil moisture levels to fall to near the wilting points for most of the state.

  • Water Survey to analyze flood risks in Boone and Winnebago counties

    Mar 11, 2021 3:45 pm

    Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) hydrologic and hydraulic modeling in Boone and Winnebago Counties, Illinois is underway as part of a study to help local communities identify areas of high flood risk for flood mitigation planning.

  • ""

    Soils are warming and drying in mid-May

    May 17, 2019 10:00 am

    After a cooling spell last weekend, soil temperatures are once again rising in Illinois, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Increased Water Demand Threatens Deep Bedrock Aquifer Water Supplies in Northeastern Illinois

    Oct 12, 2015 2:30 pm

    Deep sandstone aquifers that feed water supplies to parts of Northeastern Illinois are at risk of becoming partially or completely depleted in the next 35 years, a new study at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) suggests.

  • Water Survey to analyze flood risks in McHenry County, Illinois

    Nov 30, 2022 6:15 pm

    Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) hydrologic and hydraulic modeling in McHenry County, Illinois, is underway as part of a study to help local communities identify areas of high flood risk for flood mitigation planning.

  • Illinois soil temperatures are cooler than normal in mid-April

    Apr 20, 2023 2:00 pm

    Cooler weather in mid-April has caused Illinois soil temperatures to fall.

  • 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.

  • 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!

  • Short-Term Weather Lore Holds a Kernel of Truth

    Oct 25, 2010 12:00 am

    Before the Internet, The Weather Channel, and NOAA radios, our ancestors relied on nature to tell its tale of upcoming weather. Moss growing on the south side of trees and squirrels hiding their nuts deep underground were thought to foretell a severe winter ahead.

    Some natural prognostications like these are grounded in truth, given our current knowledge of meteorology, but others are purely fiction, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • cropped map of Chicagoland water sources

    Water Survey maps complex web of water use in Illinois

    Nov 7, 2017 2:30 pm

    Scientists at the Illinois State Water Survey have developed an interactive map of where every community in Illinois gets its water. Sources include Lake Michigan, rivers and reservoirs, and groundwater.

  • Water Survey to analyze flood risks in DeKalb County, Illinois

    Jul 6, 2023 8:00 am

    Illinois State Water Survey hydrologic and hydraulic modeling in DeKalb County, Illinois, is underway as part of a study to help local communities identify areas of high flood risk for flood mitigation planning. The first phase of the project, data collection, is anticipated to begin in July 2023 and be completed in early fall 2023. In this phase, surveyors will conduct detailed channel and bridge surveys of streams in or near the community of Sycamore.

  • CoCoRaHS logo

    Backyard weather observers contribute to science

    Mar 29, 2023 10:45 am

    Whether you enjoy watching the weather or hope for more accurate local forecasts, reading a rain gauge in your own backyard as a volunteer to the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow (CoCoRaHS) network can make a big contribution to spot-on forecasts and studies of precipitation and climate, according to Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • Higher soil temperatures this winter foretell potential crop pest problems

    Mar 5, 2024 3:15 pm

    Winter 2023-24 has been warm throughout Illinois, creating conditions ripe for insects to overwinter, according to scientists at the Prairie Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Illinois.  

  • Water Survey to analyze flood risks in Rock Island County, Illinois

    Apr 27, 2022 2:15 pm

    Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) hydrologic and hydraulic modeling in Rock Island County, Illinois is underway as part of a study to help local communities identify areas of high flood risk for flood mitigation planning.

  • floodwaters covering most of a traffic sign

    Water Survey to analyze flood risks in McDonough County

    Feb 12, 2020 1:30 pm

    The Illinois State Water Survey will be conducting hydrologic and hydraulic modeling in McDonough County, Illinois, as part of a study to help local communities identify areas of high flood risk.

  • girl drinking water

    Water Survey analyzes home water supplies

    Jan 7, 2020 3:00 pm

    When Illinoisans with private wells have questions about their home water supply, the Water Survey’s Public Service Lab can provide answers. Our lab can analyze water from any Illinois well, checking for parameters including calcium, magnesium, iron, arsenic, manganese, sodium, hardness, total dissolved solids, alkalinity, color, turbidity, fluoride, chloride, nitrate, and sulfate. 

  • ISWS is Pioneer in Tracking Tornadoes by Radar

    Apr 9, 2012 8:00 pm

    The Illinois State Water Survey played a key role in developing tornado-tracking technology used today to issue warnings of impending severe storms.  While testing radar equipment to measure rainfall rates in 1953, ISWS meteorologists were the first to photograph and document a hook echo, a classic sign of tornado development.

  • irrigation system watering young plants in a field

    Time for Illinoisans to report irrigation water use

    Sep 30, 2021 3:00 pm

    The deadline is approaching for Illinoisans to report their 2021 irrigation water use to the Illinois Water Inventory Program. The deadline for individual reporting is Jan. 1, 2022, while aggregate reports are due by March 1, 2022.

  • Hydrogeologist speaks at a conference.

    PRI shares water sustainability research with Illinois municipal leaders

    Sep 25, 2024 3:15 pm

    Municipal officials from across the state attended a panel session on water sustainability hosted by the Prairie Research Institute and Champaign County community leaders last week.

  • PRI scientists provide winter soil conditions and an insect pest forecast for Illinois

    Mar 14, 2022 9:30 am

    Near-average winter soil and air temperatures are an indication that crop insect pests may have survived the cold in Illinois, according to scientists Jennie Atkins and Kelly Estes at the Prairie Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Illinois.

  • ""

    Illinois’ soils are cooler and drier in mid-April

    Apr 17, 2020 9:00 am

    Colder weather entering Illinois has caused soil temperatures to fall, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • ""

    Warmer, wetter winter leaves crop pest picture unclear

    Mar 3, 2020 8:00 am

    A warmer, wetter winter has caused higher than normal soil temperatures across the state, which could be helping agriculture pests survive the season.

  • Water Survey to analyze flood risks in Massac County, Illinois

    Dec 23, 2020 1:15 pm

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) announced today that new hydrologic and hydraulic modeling in Massac County, Illinois is underway as part of a study to help local communities identify areas of high flood risk for flood mitigation planning.

  • Online tool estimates nitrogen availability for crop fields

    Apr 6, 2023 1:30 pm

    An atmospheric scientist at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) is perfecting his online and Android app decision-support tool that helps farmers schedule applications based on real-time nitrogen availability in local soils.

  • 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. 

  • flooded river

    Water Survey to analyze flood risks along the Wabash River

    May 20, 2019 8:30 am

    The Illinois State Water Survey (announced today that new hydrologic and hydraulic modeling of the Wabash River and select tributaries is underway as part of a study to help local communities identify high flood-risk areas within the Lower Wabash and Middle Wabash-Busseron watersheds for flood mitigation planning in Illinois.

  • 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.

  • Soil moisture levels rose in mid-May

    Soils are wetter in Illinois from mid-May showers

    May 19, 2020 2:30 pm

    Recent rains have caused soil moisture levels to rise in most of Illinois, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • water pipe

    ISWS-Waterly partnership digitizes groundwater data

    Jun 15, 2022 2:00 pm

    Leveraging Waterly software will allow the ISWS groundwater science team to acquire almost real-time water pumping data that will amplify the team’s ability to forecast aquifer changes and gain a better understanding of current and future water risks across Illinois.

  • Illinois State Water Survey celebrates 125 years of water and weather research

    ISWS kicks off 125th anniversary year

    Mar 10, 2020 8:00 am

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) held the first of five statewide events commemorating 125 Years of Water and Weather on Feb. 4 in Champaign.

  • TapTalk icon

    Water Survey team launches podcast for drinking water professionals

    Sep 9, 2021 8:15 am

    The team behind WaterOperator.org and Private Well Class is launching a new podcast to strengthen connections between the many stakeholders involved in ensuring that every American has water that is safe to drink. The first two episodes of Tap Talk: The Drinking Water in Rural America Podcast are available now! 

  • Water Survey receives grant to sample wells in disadvantaged areas of Chicago

    Oct 26, 2022 9:00 am

    Evan Rea, head of the Health and Environmental Applications Laboratory (HEAL) at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U. of I.), was recently awarded a grant by the U. of I. Chancellor’s Office to sample private wells in the Chicago metro area. The Chancellor’s Call to Action to Address Racism & Social Injustice Research Program provides $2 million annually to U. of I. researchers to support projects that address systematic racism and social justice, law enforcement and criminal justice reform, and disparities in health and health care.

  • Road salt

    ISWS wins Salt Symposium Chloride Reduction Leadership award

    Aug 30, 2023 10:00 am

    Starting in the late 1990s, the ISWS began assessing groundwater quality data in the Chicago region to determine how chloride concentrations might be increasing with time due to road deicing applications. It turns out almost all water resources in the region are being impacted. Because of these efforts and increased awareness, various counties and municipalities in the region now practice sensible salting, including pre-application of brines and training of operators. 

  • 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.

  • Water Survey to analyze flood risks in eight east-central and southeastern Illinois counties

    Jan 27, 2023 11:45 am

    Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) crews are starting to collect data within the Embarras River watershed as part of a multiple-phase hydrologic and hydraulic study to help local communities identify areas of high flood risk for flood mitigation planning. Results from the new study will be used to update the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), which typically depict the 1 percent and 0.2 percent annual-chance floodplains.

  • Walt Kelly, Zohreh Askari, and Sam Panno

    PRI researchers gain new insights into how groundwater flows within the Illinois Basin

    Sep 15, 2017 3:00 pm

    A conceptual model of water movement in rock layers many feet underground, published by Prairie Research Institute scientists, shows for the first time that water is flowing steadily south through the thick sequence of rock layers that form the Illinois Basin.

  • Warmer soils this winter in Illinois could indicate healthy insect populations for spring

    Mar 5, 2021 9:00 am

    Despite the cold weather this February, winter soil temperatures averaged 1 to 2 degrees higher than the long-term averages in Illinois, indicating a greater chance of insects surviving the winter.

  • A lack of rain prompts drier soils across Illinois in mid-June

    Jun 17, 2020 8:00 am

    Drier weather has led to declining soil moisture across Illinois, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Illinois’ mild winter might benefit insect pests this spring

    Mar 9, 2023 2:45 pm

    Above normal air temperatures this winter kept Illinois average soil temperatures higher than usual. These mild conditions are favorable for insect pests that overwinter in Illinois, but many other factors will affect insect populations for the upcoming growing season, according to scientists at the Prairie Research Institute (PRI), a part of the University of Illinois.

  • Water Survey to analyze flood risks in Bureau County, Illinois

    Jun 14, 2021 4:30 pm

    Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) hydrologic and hydraulic modeling in the Villages of Tiskilwa and Walnut (Bureau County, Illinois) is underway as part of a study to help local communities identify areas of high flood risk for flood mitigation planning.