Sediment Budget and Trends in Sediment Delivery for the Last 30 Years in the Illinois River Basin by Misganaw Demissie, Ph.D., P.E., Director and Laura Keefer Illinois State Water Survey Prairie Research Institute University of Illinois Champaign, IL
Outline Background Sedimentation
Issues in the Illinois River Sediment Budget
Location of Illinois River Basin
Background
The Illinois River is one of the major tributaries of the Mississippi River.
The Illinois River valley (that includes the main river, backwater lakes, side channels, and floodplain) is a significant ecological resource in the nation.
Many bottomland lakes along the river valley have lost much of their capacity to sediment accumulation.
Background (concluded)
Erosion and sedimentation has long been recognized as the principal causes for most of the environmental and ecological problems in the Illinois River valley.
At the present there are many initiatives including the Illinois Rivers 2020, Illinois River Conservation Enhancement Program (CREP), and several others that are addressing the erosion and sedimentation problem in the Illinois River watershed.
The sediment budget analysis is one of the critical information used for identifying and prioritizing projects in the basin.
Bank Erosion along the Right Side (Looking Downstream) of Richland Creek (This erosion site has subsequently been stabilized with bioengineering techniques.)
Partridge Creek Delta
Sedimentation Problem in a Backwater Lakes
Backwater Sedimentation
Sedimentation Pattern in Peoria Lake
Changes in Water Depths between 1903 and 1985
Sediment Rating Curve for Mackinaw River at Congerville 05567510 Mackinaw River at Congerville 5
WY 1983 - 1986
4
log Qs
3
2
1
0
-1
0
1
2
3
log Qw
4
5
Annual Sediment Yield Equations for Tributary Streams in the Illinois River Valley 100,000,000
2
3
4
Tributary Streams
5
Des Plaines (109) Iroquois (232) Iroquois (233) Kankakee (124) Kankakee (125) Vermilion (122) Indian Creek (126) Spoon (241) Slug Run (240) Sangamon (246) La Moine (245) Big Creek (238) Big Creek (239) Mackinaw (236) Grindstone Creek (244) Grindstone Creek (444) Fox (117)
10,000,000
Annual Sediment Yield (tons)
1,000,000
100,000
10,000
1,000
3
100
10 10
100
1,000
10,000
100,000
Annual Discharge (cfs)
1,000,000
10,000,000
100,000,000
Equation number
Water Year 2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
Sediment (106 tons)
Sediment Inflow, Outflow, and Deposition
50 Total Inflow Outflow from Illinois River at Valley City Deposition
40
30
20
10
0
-10
Sediment Budget of the Illinois River Valley 1981-2000
1981-2010
Sediment Input: 12.1 million tons per year
Sediment Input: 12.8 million tons per year
Sediment Deposition within the Illinois River Valley: 6.7 million tons per year
Sediment Deposition within the Illinois River Valley: 7.6 million tons per year
Sediment Outflow at Valley City: 5.4 million tons per year
Sediment Outflow at Valley City: 5.3 million tons per year
DesPlaines River
0
300
tons x 10 6 1 2
BRANDON ROAD POOL
LOCKPORT POOL
280
Kankakee River
DRESDEN POOL
Mazon River
260
MARSEILLES POOL
Fox River
Sediment Budget of the Illinois River 1981-2000
240
STARVED ROCK POOL
Vermilion River
220 Big Bureau Creek
WATER DISCHARGE
200
PEORIA POOL
RIVER MILE 180
Mackinaw River
160
140 Spoon River LA GRANGE POOL
LaMoine River
120 Sangamon River
100
80
Valley City
60
Illinois State Water Survey
Sediment Budget of the Illinois River
Long Term Sediment Trends in the Illinois River Basin Illinois Benchmark Sediment Network: Current Stations
ISWS Benchmark Sediment Monitoring Program (BSMP)
1980 - ISWS established the Illinois Benchmark Sediment Monitoring Network (BSMN) consisting of 50 monitoring stations throughout Illinois.
Currently there are 15 active monitoring stations ●
Goal: Develop comprehensive, long-term database of suspended sediment transport to provide a means for investigating and quantifying long-term trends that may be occurring in Illinois watersheds.
ISWS# 122: Vermilion River near Leonore, IL
ISWS #124: Kankakee River near Wilmington, IL
ISWS# 249: Sangamon River at Monticello, IL
ISWS #245: La Moine River at Ripley, IL
ISWS #229 Spoon River at London Mills, IL
Trends in Streamflow and Precipitation: Illinois River
Potential Future Sediment Budget Scenarios
Thank You! http://www.isws.illinois.edu/
