Illinois State Water Survey - Illinois Drought, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Current Climate Conditions in Illinois (Illinois State Climatologist) - Climate maps and graphs for Illinois, for precipitation, snowfall, mean temperature, low temperature, and more. These products are updated by 10:30 AM central time.

Daily Weather Data (Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program) - Daily Weather Data from the Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program.

Illinois Water and Climate Summary (Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program) - The Illinois Water and Climate Summary is a monthly summary publication issued by the WARM Program on some of the data collected by the networks within the WARM domain. Full descriptions of each set of data presented are available for weather and climate information, soil moisture information, surface water information, and ground-water information. There is also an archive of old summaries.

USGS Streamflow Conditions Map (United States Geological Survey) - The USGS Drought Watch For Illinois page, including the Illinois Streamflow Conditions Map.

USGS Streamflow Index Stations for Illinois (United States Geological Survey) - Daily mean discharge graphs for 3 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in Illinois. Graphs represent 1 year of data from today's date and are updated daily (weekdays only).

US Drought Monitor (National Drought Mitigation Center) - The U.S. Drought Monitor focuses on broad-scale conditions. Local conditions may vary. The data cutoff for Drought Monitor maps is Tuesday at 8 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The maps, which are based on analysis of the data, are released each Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

USGS Below Normal Streamflow Map (United States Geological Survey) - Current water resources conditions, including a map of below normal 7-day average streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day of the year for Illinois.

NOAA's 5-day precipitation forecast (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) - Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts from the National Weather Service's Hydrometeorological Prediction Center.

Precipitation Total Maps (Intellicast) - Intellicast provides precipitation total maps on their web site in both weekly and daily formats.

Illinois Water Supply (Illinois State Water Survey) - What is water? This may seem a simple question, but have you thought about how many different uses exist for water? Each day in Illinois, water is used for drinking, bathing, and washing our dishes - but it is also used for navigation, in industry, and as a source of power. Illinois is a water-rich state, but water availability varies widely across the State. The Illinois State Water Survey has answered some basic questions about water supply and availability in Illinois.

Illinois Weather & Crop Information (Illinois Agricultural Statistics Service) - Information on Illinois' weather and crops including the Illinois Weather & Crop Report, Corn, Soybean, & Wheat Progress Charts (charts updated every Monday at 3:00 pm CST) and more.

Integrated Water Quantity Planning & Management (Illinois Department of Natural Resources [DNR] & Illinois Environmental Protection Agency [IEPA]) - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency are formulating a strategy to better identify, plan for, and address Illinois' numerous and diverse water quantity issues. This web site accommodates public access to documents that provide a framework for the development of a strategy to address important water quantity issues in Illinois.

US National Drought Watch (United States Geological Survey) - USGS state information on drought including a map of below normal 7-day average streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day of the year.

Water Supply and Demand in Illinois (Illinois State Water Survey) - A presentation about water supply and demand issues in Illinois. Topics include: Low cost public good, Renewable resources, Reasonable use, Competition and conflicts, Diffuse management, and Social, economic, political, institutional, administrative, legal, and scientific issues.

Reports on Past Illinois Droughts - Reports on past droughts in Illinois including:

The 2005 Illinois Drought - Dry conditions in 2005 reached a historic level of severity in some parts of Illinois and ranked as one of the three most severe droughts in Illinois in 112 years of record. ...

Illinois Drought of 1999-2000 - The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)/Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) issues a monthly summary report on the state’s water and climate data, called the "Illinois Water and Climate Summary. ...

And More...

The Water Cycle and Water Budgets in Illinois: A Framework for Drought and Water-Supply Planning - Provision of adequate and reliable supplies of clean water at reasonable cost is a basic necessity for public health, the economy, recreation, and navigation. It is the goal of watersupply planning and management. As water withdrawals increase, so too does the need to protect watersheds, aquifers, and aquatic ecosystems for present and future generations. With sound planning and management, there is no reason why the residents of Illinois, a water-rich state, ever should face a water crisis. Without sound planning and management, however, current local problems and regional concerns could mushroom into conflicts and crises, and courts increasingly could be called upon to determine the reasonableness of withdrawals.
The Water Cycle and Water Budgets in Illinois: A Framework for Drought and Water-Supply Planning, Derek Winstanley, James A. Angel, Stanley A. Changnon, H. Vernon Knapp, Kenneth E. Kunkel, Michael A. Palecki, Robert W. Scott, and H. Allen Wehrmann, 2006 Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, IL 116 p.: ill., ISWS I/EM-2006-02

Detecting Drought Conditions in Illinois - A major study of Illinois droughts was conducted to develop a basis for quantitative assessments of drought conditions in Illinois. Such information should aid decision making related to local and state actions to ameliorate the effects of future droughts. Those who must deal directly with aspects of drought need to know 1) whether a drought is developing, 2) how severe the drought is at any given time, and 3) how long the drought will last. This report provides information to help address those questions.
Detecting Drought Conditions in Illinois Changnon, Stanley A., Jr., 1987 Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, IL 36 p.: ill., maps ISWS C-169

Impacts of Irrigation and Drought on Illinois Ground-water Resources - This investigation is the first of three phases of a ground-water management study. In this report, effects of irrigation and drought on the ground-water resources of Illinois are examined.
Impacts of Irrigation and Drought on Illinois Ground-water Resources Bowman, Jean A., and Mark A. Collins, 1987 Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, IL 31 p.: ill., maps, tables ISWS RI-109

Dry Periods in Illinois: A Climatological and Meteorological Analysis - In Print, copies available.
Dry Periods in Illinois: A Climatological and Meteorological Analysis Changnon, Stanley A., Jr., Floyd A. Huff, Kenneth E. Kunkel, Robert W. Scott, and Nancy E. Westcott, 1996 Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, IL 144 p.: ill., tables ISWS CR-599

Assessment of Weather Modification in Alleviating Agricultural Water Shortages during Droughts - Out of Print, copies available through Interlibrary Loan.
Assessment of Weather Modification in Alleviating Agricultural Water Shortages during Droughts Huff, Floyd A., and John L. Vogel, 1977 Illinois State Water Survey, Champaign, IL 133 p.: ill., tables ISWS CR-195

ISWS Publications Database - Search over 1,000 ISWS Publications on our web site.