DBA: Southwestern Illinois Resource
Conservation & Development
406 East Main
Mascoutah, Illinois 62258
Customer Service: (618) 566-4451
Fax: (618) 566-4452
Email: swircd@swircd.org
Conservation & Development
406 East Main
Mascoutah, Illinois 62258
Customer Service: (618) 566-4451
Fax: (618) 566-4452
Email: swircd@swircd.org
© 2010 Southwestern Illinois Resource Conservation & Development All Rights Reserved.
Southwestern Illinois contains a wealth of water resources, including the Mississippi River, the Kaskaskia River, and Carlyle Lake, the largest man-made lake in the State of Illinois. There are also approximately 200,000 acres recorded as “wetlands” within the region. These resources are truly multi-functional, offering opportunities for drinking water, recreation, industry, agriculture and navigation. While our water resources are considered as assets, many of these resources possess some level of contamination.
The seven county Metro East region contains approximately 26,000 surface acres of impaired lakes. Carlyle Lake alone makes up nearly 85% of this total. Pollutants include remnants of pesticides and herbicides that have now been banned or are heavily regulated, as well as elements such as phosphorus, manganese, and zinc. Another issue affecting the region’s lakes is aquatic algal blooms from high nutrient deposition leading to lower dissolved oxygen levels. Sources of these pollutants include urban storm sewer runoff, agricultural practices including crop production and animal feeding operations, industrial point discharge, recreational pollution sources and on site waste treatment systems.
There are also approximately 800 miles of impaired rivers and streams in the region. Many waterways have incurred stream bank alterations and loss of vegetation creating high levels of sedimentation and changes in depth and velocity of water. Pollutants include chemical elements and compounds such as barium, manganese, nitrogen, phosphorus, silver, copper, sulfates and ammonia. The sources include many of the same lakes listed above, as well as municipal point source, combined sewer overflows, site grading for land development, surface mining and impacts from abandoned mines. Polychlorinated biphenyls, dissolved oxygen levels, sedimentation and siltation, pH values, fecal coli form, total dissolved and suspended solids levels affect both bodies of water as well as rivers and streams in the region and also originate from the sources listed above.
The seven county Metro East region contains approximately 26,000 surface acres of impaired lakes. Carlyle Lake alone makes up nearly 85% of this total. Pollutants include remnants of pesticides and herbicides that have now been banned or are heavily regulated, as well as elements such as phosphorus, manganese, and zinc. Another issue affecting the region’s lakes is aquatic algal blooms from high nutrient deposition leading to lower dissolved oxygen levels. Sources of these pollutants include urban storm sewer runoff, agricultural practices including crop production and animal feeding operations, industrial point discharge, recreational pollution sources and on site waste treatment systems.
There are also approximately 800 miles of impaired rivers and streams in the region. Many waterways have incurred stream bank alterations and loss of vegetation creating high levels of sedimentation and changes in depth and velocity of water. Pollutants include chemical elements and compounds such as barium, manganese, nitrogen, phosphorus, silver, copper, sulfates and ammonia. The sources include many of the same lakes listed above, as well as municipal point source, combined sewer overflows, site grading for land development, surface mining and impacts from abandoned mines. Polychlorinated biphenyls, dissolved oxygen levels, sedimentation and siltation, pH values, fecal coli form, total dissolved and suspended solids levels affect both bodies of water as well as rivers and streams in the region and also originate from the sources listed above.
