blog posts

• Illinois Farm Bureau NLRS Priority Watershed Work

  Dec 8, 2023 12:30 pm

  Watershed planning efforts in Illinois EPA priority watersheds continued to be a significant area of focus for Illinois Farm Bureau and County Farm Bureaus across the state. IFB’s work in this area often included providing technical, financial, and outreach support to these efforts. By working closely with CFBs and their local communities, IFB is also able to help ensure farmer and landowner feedback is brought to watershed planning initiatives.

• Partnerships with Drinking Water Suppliers and Wastewater Treatment Plants

  Dec 8, 2023 12:30 pm

  The Illinois Farm Bureau has prioritized building relationships and developing cooperative efforts with drinking water suppliers and wastewater treatment plants for a number of years. In 2021 and 2022, these efforts included several examples of supporting watershed planning and implementation projects, as well as co-hosting education and outreach opportunities. For more information, see www.ilfb.org/ruralurban.

• Upper Macoupin Creek Watershed Partnership

  Dec 8, 2023 12:30 pm

  American Farmland Trust provided leadership for the Upper Macoupin Creek Watershed Partnership, comprised of 15 federal, state, and local government partners, agricultural trade associations, environmental groups, agricultural retailers, and a local university. The goal of the partnership is to increase the use of conservation practices that reduce soil erosion and phosphorus loss in the watershed.

• Vermilion Headwaters Watershed Partnership

  Dec 8, 2023 12:30 pm

  The Vermilion Headwaters Watershed Partnership is a group of stakeholders, including farmers, community leaders, government agencies, research institutions, and nonprofit organizations working to reduce the loss of nitrogen from farmland in the watershed. The adoption of conservation cropping systems, such as reduced tillage, cover crops, nutrient management, and tile water treatment, can help protect water quality and improve a farmer’s bottom line. Key partners include American Farmland Trust, The Wetlands Initiative, NRCS – Pontiac Office, Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District, Northwater Consulting, Precision Conservation Management, and Compeer Financial. For more information, see farmland.org/vhw.

• Water Supply & Industry Partnerships

  Dec 8, 2023 12:30 pm

  Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association continues to work toward nutrient loss reduction to surface water supply reservoirs across central Illinois. In 2021–22, partnerships with the Sangamon County Soil and Water Conservation District and Springfield City Water, Light, and Power continued to track metrics and provide education and outreach to stakeholders in the Lake Springfield and Lake Decatur watersheds.

• Calumet Stormwater Collaborative

  Dec 8, 2023 12:30 pm

  Since 2014, the Calumet Stormwater Collaborative has convened stakeholders to solve flooding and water quality problems in the Little Calumet River and Cal-Sag Channel watersheds. Representatives from more than 40 organizations participate in the collaborative. During monthly meetings, group members exchange information on water quality and flooding needs as well as worthwhile projects and initiatives. The collaborative has developed free, online green infrastructure design templates for communities, a new data-mapping tool for the region, a repository of stormwater management resources, and a logic model for green infrastructure training and maintenance. It developed four watershed plans: the Little Calumet River, Cal-Sag Channel, Des Plaines River in Cook County, and Poplar Creek. These plans were approved by Illinois EPA and recommend best management practices, such as green infrastructure, to reduce nutrient pollution from stormwater.
  
  As of 2023, the Calument Stormwater Collaborative has completed the first iteration of the green infrastructure baseline inventory, led by the Metropolitan Planning Council, and the urban flooding baseline, led by the Center for Neighborhood Technology. 

  More information on the green infrastructure baseline can be found at www.metroplanning.org/work/project/23/ subpage/7. 
  The urban flooding baseline tool can be found at ufb.cnt.org. 

• Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Technical Assistance

  Dec 8, 2023 12:30 pm

  The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning’s Local Technical Assistance Program supports communities in northeastern Illinois and aligns with the region’s current long-range plan — ON TO 2050 — and its principles of regional resilience, inclusive growth, and prioritized investment. Since 2012, the program has assisted communities in developing more than 200 projects with local governments, nonprofits, and intergovernmental organizations to address local issues at the intersection of transportation, land use, and housing, including the natural environment, economic growth, and community development. The program helps communities plan projects that build local capacity, engage marginalized groups, and connect local partners with implementing agencies and capital funding for infrastructure investments, including stormwater management. For more information, see www.cmap.illinois.gov/programs/lta.

• Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

  Dec 8, 2023 12:30 pm

  The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning is developing a watershed-based plan for a 16-square-mile area in northeastern Illinois that drains to Indian Creek and the adjoining Fox River. The planning area spans eastern Kane and western DuPage counties and involves numerous planning partners, including the cities of Aurora and Batavia, counties of Kane and DuPage, the Fox River Study Group, the Fox River Ecosystem Partnership, Fermilab, and the Fox Metro Water Reclamation District. The plan will be completed in early 2023. For more information, see engage.cmap.illinois.gov/indian-creek-watershed-based-plan.

• DuPage County Stormwater Management

  Dec 8, 2023 12:30 pm

  Using funds awarded through the Illinois EPA’s Section 604(b) Water Quality Management Planning Grant program, DuPage County Stormwater Management completed a watershed-based plan for the East Branch DuPage River watershed. The East Branch DuPage River watershed spans more than 52,000 acres and is located in central DuPage County, with a small portion extending south into Will County. It has been classified as an impaired waterway by the Illinois EPA due to several pollutants, including total phosphorus, sediment/ siltation, dissolved oxygen, and aquatic algae. The Illinois EPA is reviewing the plan.

• Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Commission

  Dec 8, 2023 12:30 pm

  The Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Commission has an active role in the development of watershed-based plans in southern Illinois. Two watershed-based plans were completed during the reporting period: Western Crab Orchard Creek watershed, a collection of three HUC 12 watersheds encompassing Carbondale and Makanda; and Kinkaid Creek watershed, a HUC 10 watershed containing Kinkaid Lake. For more information, see GreaterEgypt.org/watershed-based-planning.

  • The Kinkaid Creek Watershed-based Plan was approved in 2022. Partners include US Forest Service Shawnee National Forest, Jackson County Emergency Management Agency, Kinkaid-Reed’s Creek Conservancy District, Jackson County IL League of Women Voters, Sierra Club Shawnee Chapter, and citizens of the Kinkaid Creek Watershed. Entities will use the plan to apply for funding for various water quality management grants.
  • The Western Crab Orchard Creek Watershed-based Plan was approved in 2021. Partners include Green Earth, Inc. Carbondale, Carbondale NAACP, City of Carbondale, Sierra Club Shawnee Chapter, Village of Makanda, Jackson County Emergency Management Agency, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Jackson County IL League of Women Voters, and citizens of the watershed. Entities will use the plan to apply for funding for various water quality management grants.