The mission of the Water Survey's Watershed Science Section is to generate historical and spatial scientific data, investigate and understand watershed processes, and to provide high quality scientific and engineering analyses to policymakers, planners, and resource managers in the state of Illinois and beyond so that they can develop and implement sustainable watershed programs based on the best scientific and engineering analyses possible.
The Watershed Science team is led by Illinois State Hydrologist Laura Keefer.
Related Research Programs
- In addition to leading the Watershed Science Section, Laura Keefer is also the Illinois State Hydrologist.
- Watershed Science staff gather data that helps assess the state's Drought conditions and vulnerability, along with the Illinois State Climatologist, and participate in drought planning activities
Illinois Water Inventory Program (IWIP) conducts a statewide inventory of water use and withdrawals. The priority is to develop and maintain a database of high-capacity water wells and intakes from public water supplies, self-supplied industries, irrigation, fish and wildlife, and conservation.
Highlights
- Report: Bulletin 75 -- Precipitation Frequency Study for Illinois [Supercedes: Bulletin 70 and Circulars 172 & 173]
- Report: ISWS Benchmark Sediment Monitoring: Long-term Trends
- Report: Water Quality Trend Analysis for the Fox River Watershed
- Paper: Communicating Impacts of Projected Climate Change on Heavy Rainfall using Weighted Ensemble Approach
