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  • Zebra mussels found in DuPage Co.

    Kristin TePas, Aquatic Nuisance Species Assistant Coordinator with the Illinois Natural History Survey's Lake Michigan Biological Station, is quoted in four articles describing the zebra mussel's appearance in Bartlet, IL at the Deep Quarry Lake. The appearance of the mussels in the lake is concerning to scientists as they are an invasive species, and have not previously been documented there. The articles can be accessed via NewsBank:

  • Zebra finch study finds mixed impact of early-life stress

    A bout of early-life stress can have lifelong impacts on two key signals that help male zebra finches attract mates: beak color and song complexity. But rather than being uniformly negative, a recent study published in Functional Ecology found that the consequences of stress are mixed. Stressed males wind up with duller, less colorful beaks but sing more complex songs.

  • Yu-Feng Lin

    Yu-Feng Lin named director of Illinois Water Resources Center

    Yu-Feng Lin, a hydrogeologist at the Illinois State Geological Survey, is the new director of the Illinois Water Resource Center, which addresses the state’s water resources challenges through research and education.

  • Yeast byproduct inhibits white-nose syndrome fungus in lab experiments

  • storm clouds over a field

    World Data Centre for Precipitation Chemistry finds a new home at ISWS

    The Illinois State Water Survey is the new home of the World Data Centre for Precipitation Chemistry, which receives and archives precipitation chemistry data and complementary information from stations across the globe.

  • Working with scientists better informs managers’ decisions on bird conservation

    Scientists studying birds have the data, and conservation managers make the decisions in the field, but if the two groups collaborate, together they can form the best outcomes on real-world bird conservation issues.

  • Winter tips for bird feeders

    Christopher Whelan, an avian biologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, recently offered some tips for keeping overwintering birds in your yard. The tips were featured in the Like an Eagle-Soar blog and were offered through the National Wildlife Association.

  • Winter Finally Arrives in Illinois in February

    Snowfall was below average in January, but the statewide precipitation—which includes both rain and melted snow—was 3.9 inches, nearly 2 inches above average, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

  • Winter bald eagle count a new record

    In an article published February 23, 2008 in The Daily Journal, Survey scientist Randy Nyboer discusses the this year's record bald eagle count. Though the count is unfinished, it has already surpassed previous records. Visit this website to view the complete article.

  • coal ball

    Windows to the deep past

  • Wind Chill – Serious Science or Hype?

    When the temperature dips below zero and the wind picks up, the wind chill becomes a concern for anyone venturing outdoors.   There are important things to keep in mind about wind chill, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Will Illinois have snow for Christmas?

    Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel wonders if it will be a white Christmas here in Illinois.

  • Widespread shallow groundwater contamination found in Southwestern Illinois cave streams and springs

    Researchers have detected prescription and over-the-counter medications and personal care products in Illinois groundwater, an indication that humans are contaminating water that is vital to aquatic life.

  • Widespread Shallow Groundwater Contamination Found in Southwestern Illinois Cave Streams and Springs

    Researchers have detected prescription and over-the-counter medications and personal care products in Illinois groundwater, an indication that humans are contaminating water that is vital to aquatic life.

  • Wide Range of Weather Hits Illinois This Winter

    The old saying, "if you don't like the weather in Illinois, just wait a minute," was certainly true this winter. Since December 1, Illinois has experienced heavy snows, heavy rains, flooding, and severe weather, including five tornadoes in January. Both precipitation and snowfall totals this winter have been significantly above average for much of the state, 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.

  • Why do ducks eat that?

  • White Nose Syndrome found in three additional counties

    White Nose Syndrome, the fungal disease that leads to mortality in bats, has now been confirmed in 11 counties in Illinois. First discovered in New York in 2006, the fungus has spread west, first being detected in Illinois in 2013. INHS Cave Biologist Steve Taylor told an NPR affiliate that, "between 2013 and 2015, it was like a 95 percent decrease in the number of bats at this site, which in 2013 was in excess of 25,000 bats."

  • White Nose Syndrome confirmed in Illinois

    INHS researchers and their collaborators have confirmed the presence of White Nose Syndrome (WNS)—a disease fatal to several of our bat species—in Illinois. Read more about WNS and the work INHS researchers are doing to understand the disease on the INHS website.

  • Where the wild turkeys aren't

    The wild turkeys have not been cooperating with avian ecologist Christine Parker as she attempts to catch, weigh, measure, and fit them with micro-GPS units to learn about their habits.

  • Where is Spring?

    A cold and wet first half of April has farmers still waiting to get into the fields and homeowners waiting to get into their gardens. Temperatures in the first two weeks of April were 4.5 degrees below normal and precipitation was 58 percent above normal. Many places in northern Illinois reported measureable snowfall from an April 5-6 storm, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu).

  • When Will the First Fall Frost Arrive in Illinois?

    While the actual date varies from year to year, Illinois farmers, landscapers, and gardeners anticipate the first fall frost in October, a sure sign that the growing season has ended.

  • Praveen Kumar

    What's the importance of state scientists?

    State scientists are a critical part of research efforts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – as well as helping to inform state policy, working with industry and educating the public on issues of scientific importance. Praveen Kumar, the executive director of the Prairie Research Institute, discusses the importance of Illinois state scientists and the roles they play as experts for the state with News Bureau staff writer Maeve Reilly.

  • Wet Weather Continues for Illinois

    For the fifth time this year, the monthly statewide precipitation has been above average, resulting in the third wettest January-May since 1895, 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.

  • Wet Weather Challenges the 2008 Growing Season

    Although recent Illinois weather conditions have been ideal for crops, many areas have been affected by late planting and significant flooding across the state, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Wettest January-June on Record for Illinois

    Monthly statewide precipitation has been above average every month in the first half of 2008, resulting in the wettest January-June since 1895, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu), at the Institute of Natural Resources Sustainability at the University of Illinois.

  • Wettest February Ends Third Wettest Winter

    This past February was the wettest on record in Illinois with statewide records going back to 1895. The 4.48 inches of precipitation was 2.49 inches above average. February is typically one of the driest months of the year, averaging only 1.99 inches, 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.

  • Wet Soil Conditions in Illinois

    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.

  • Wet Soil Conditions Continue Throughout Illinois

    Soil conditions throughout Illinois remain wet as most of the state experienced higher than normal rainfall in the first two weeks of July, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Wet Month Leads to Seventh Wettest Spring for Illinois

    The statewide average rainfall for Illinois in May was 5.6 inches, 1.3 inches above average for the month. Combined with the 2.8 inches in March and 7.3 inches in April, the total rainfall for this spring was 15.7 inches. This is the seventh wettest spring on record since 1895 and 4.3 inches above average, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Wet June for Illinois

    Statewide June precipitation in Illinois was 5.3 inches, 1.2 inches above normal, and the 25th wettest June on record. The total precipitation for the first half of 2009 was 24.2 inches, 4.8 inches above normal, and the 14th wettest January–June on record for the state, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu).

  • Wet June and Wettest Year-to-Date in Illinois

    The statewide average precipitation for June 2013 in Illinois was 5.2 inches, which is nearly 1 inch above the 1981–2010 average. It was more than double the June 2012 total of 1.8 inches, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • West Nile Virus confirmed in Evanston

    The Illinois Natural History Survey Medical Entomology Lab has reported the first positive tests for West Nile Virus this year from samples collected in Evanston. For more information, visit the Medical Entomology Program website.

  • West Nile found in Champaign county mosquitoes

    INHS Medical Entomology Program confirmed the presence of West Nile Virus in a mosquito sample from the Champaign Department of Public Health. Champaign is the 12th county to have positive mosquito samples this year. No human cases have been reported yet this year, but the CDPH recommends dumping standing water and taking general precautions.

  • Western corn rootworm webinar

    INHS Behavioral Entomologist Joe Spencer recently presented a webinar on Western Corn Rootworm, a longtime pest of corn crops in the United States. INHS scientists have been studying WCR, and ways to control them, for over 100 years. This webinar presents a review of WCR biology, the history of corn rootworm as a pest species and the WCR's adaptation to crop rotation that began in Illinois. The use of Bt-transgenic corn for rootworm management is introduced along with assumptions about WCR behavior in refuge and Bt corn. Data on WCR behavior and mating in several different configurations of refuge and Bt- corn are presented to illustrate how the placement of refuge affects the biology and ecology of mating WCR beetles.

  • Western corn rootworm developing resistance to rotation

    INHS Behavioral Entomologist Joe Spencer is looking at rotation-resistant western corn rootworms, which are causing severe injury to crops. Crops modified to resist infestation by insects and crop rotation are some of the methods to control injurious insects, but some rootworms have developed resistance to these mechanisms. Repeated use of the modified corn year after year has given the rootworms time to adapt. Producers are encouraged to watch their fields for injury. This story was reported in InvestorPlace and the Bulletin.

  • Western corn rootworm behavior in soybeans offers clues to understanding rotation resistance

    Illinois farmers’ concerns about increasing western corn rootworm populations and plant damage in rotated cornfields have University of Illinois researchers taking a closer look at how rootworm diets affect the beetles’ flights from soybeans to cornfields.

  • Western corn rootworm beetles likely to emerge soon

    INHS Insect Behaviorist Joe Spencer has observed corn rootwork larvae in their second instar, which indicates the adults can be expected to emerge in about 2 weeks. This is earlier than previous years, but not unexpected given the warm spring.

  • water professional measuring well

    Well assessment tool now available for well inspectors

    Sanitarians, drillers, and other professionals who evaluate private well safety can use a new, thorough well assessment tool from the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute (PRI) to better learn how to assist homeowners and identify potential problems with family wells.

  • Welcome new Water Survey staff!

    Since the beginning of the year the Water Survey has hired more than a dozen new people, expanding its capabilities and capacity.

  • Tiemann snorkels in Rio Valles

    Weightless in San Luis Potosi

    Field biologist Jeremy Tiemann describes a recent trip to the Valles River basin in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi to collect freshwater mussels. 

  • Weather was Average for April in Illinois

    Colder temperatures in the first half of April in Illinois were nearly canceled out by warmer temperatures in the second half of the month, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Water Survey to receive $1M for rural outreach programs

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) will receive more than $1 million in funding through 2021 to support its drinking water outreach programs for private well owners and small, rural communities.

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

    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.

  • Water Survey to analyze flood risks in Peoria County

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

  • New hydrologic and hydraulic modeling in McHenry County, Illinois is underway.

    Water Survey to analyze flood risks in McHenry County, Illinois

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) announced today that new 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.

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

    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.

  • floodwaters covering most of a traffic sign

    Water Survey to analyze flood risks in McDonough County

    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.

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

    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.

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

    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.

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

    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.