Water Quality Monitoring
Siloam Springs Kayak Park
At IRWP, we focus on three main challenges facing the Illinois River Watershed:
Impairments,
Phosphorous concentrations, and
Species of conservation concern.
While these challenges may seem disparate, they are interconnected in that management for one will often provide benefit to the others.
To explore these challenges further, you can review the management plan for the Illinois River Watershed, delve into recent studies from IRWP, and access relevant data sources.
Please use the links provided below to learn more information.
Bluegill fish are a common native fresh-water fish to the Illinois River Watershed. You can even catch some at our park’s lake in Cave Springs.
Banded sculpin are very good at blending in with their surroundings, and require higher water quality than most fish to survive.
Volunteer Water Monitoring training in Oklahoma by Blue Thumb.
A fish survey and collection being performed.
Studies of the Illinois River Watershed
Recent Ecological Assessments and IRWP’s Streambank Erosion Inventory Study
Ecological Assessment of the Illinois River Watershed
2022
What's living in the river? In this study, we did "Bug Kicking" or macroinvertebrate collection from several sites across the Upper Illinois River Watershed. Local EAST students assisted in the macroinvertebrate collection and counting.
Volunteers identify macroinvertebrates.
Streambank Erosion Inventory Study
2020
Since 2017, IRWP has undertaken a "streambank erosion inventory" to understand the extent of streambank erosion along impaired reaches of the Illinois River and its tributaries. Using the BEHI modeling method, the study estimated erosion rates and quantities of sediment and phosphorus loading from 923 stream segments. Some key findings include:
Across the 45 mile study area, the upper watershed is experiencing an average erosion rate of 2.88 feet per year.
Erosion is projected to contribute 102,822 tons of sediment and 154,233 lbs of phosphorus annually into the watershed.
This represents approximately 54% of Total Phosphorus loading in the Upper Watershed.
To put the phosphorus loading number into perspective, the four largest wastewater treatment facilities in the watershed cumulatively load just over 24,000 pounds of phosphorus per year. This result indicates that streambank erosion presents one our greatest challenges in lowering phosphorus concentrations in the watershed.
East high school students assist with data collection at a site on Clear Creek. Steep cut banks and gravel bars indicate high rates of streambank erosion.
Ecological Assessment of the Upper Illinois River Watershed
2019
In order to obtain a better ecological understanding of the Upper Illinois River Watershed, IRWP, with assistance from EAST (Education Accelerated by Service and Technology) programs at local Primary to Junior High schools, assessed ecological conditions at small geographic intervals along defined priority subwatersheds. In order to best identify areas of interest, or areas that score poorly in macroinvertebrate diversity, and subsequent best management practice recommendations for the watershed of those areas.
A stonefly, which is an indicator of good water quality since they are intolerant to many pollutants.
Annie Sales, our Green Infrastructure Program Manager, helping perform a fish survey.
“Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land.”
Additional Water Quality Monitoring Resources
Ozark Cavefish from Springfield News-Leader.
IRWP has multiple sites where volunteers perform water quality monitoring around the Illinois River Watershed. Our volunteer needs are met, but you can still join an existing team. Volunteer monitors must attending at least 1 training session and teams will monitor 3 times per year (April, August, and November).
For any questions, email the program manager Suzanne Murphy at suzanne@irwp.org