The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Department of the Interior, was
established by an act of Congress in 1879 to classify the public lands and
examine the geologic structure, mineral resources, and products of the
national domain. Since 1879, the research and fact-finding rule of the
USGS has grown and has been modified to meet the changing needs of the
Nation. The USGS, however, has remained the Nation's largest earth science
agency without regulatory responsibilities. The current mission of the
USGS is to provide geologic, topographic, and hydrologic information that
contributes to the wise management of the Nation's natural resources and
promotes the safety and well-being of the public. The Water Discipline
(WD) is one of four main disciplines within the USGS (the others are the
Geography, Geology, and Biology Disciplines). The WD collects and provides
information about the Nation's water resources, both surface water
(rivers, lakes and streams) and ground water. The data collected and the
interpretive analyses performed by the WD are used by other agencies and
organizations for such purposes as
- mitigating public hazards associated with floods and droughts;
- defining the hydrologic and hydraulic characteristics needed for the
design and operation of engineering projects (such as dams, levees,
pumping stations);
- defining the hydrologic and hydraulic characteristics for placement,
design, and construction of water wells; and
- addressing water-quality and environmental issues.
The Water Discipline operates the USGS Illinois Water Science Center in Urbana, a
satellite office in De Kalb, and a satellite office in Mt. Vernon. These offices
collect and analyze hydrologic data, as well as conduct interpretive
studies concerning a wide range of water-resource issues in Illinois. The
other USGS disciplines (Geography, Geology, and Biology), are also at work
in Illinois performing studies of coastal erosion; determining the risk
from earthquakes, landslides, and other natural hazards; making and
updating maps; and performing biological assessments-although, no offices
of these divisions are physically located in the State.
In Illinois, the USGS collects streamflow data on a regular basis at over
170 sites. At each site, a variety of data are collected, such as gage
height, discharge, temperature, sediment concentration, and nutrient load.
Ground-water data also are collected at numerous sites to assess
ground-water movement and quality. These data are used by other agencies
(Federal, State, and local) and organizations to assess and implement
mitigation efforts during droughts and floods, make day-to-day operational
decisions on water-control structures, and protect the State's
drinking-water supply. During floods, the National Weather Service and the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers use these data to issue flood forecasts for
Illinois and adjacent States. Many local agencies, such as sanitary
districts, cities, and counties, use USGS data to make operational
decisions, and for the long-term design of dams, reservoirs,
sewage-treatment plants, and other structures. For many communities facing
water-supply problems and litigation concerning water-use and
water-quality issues, streamflow data are very important in determining
downstream impacts.
In addition to collecting streamflow data, the USGS has conducted numerous
interpretive studies to define and characterize hydrologic and hydraulic
problems in Illinois. The following are examples of these types of
studies:
- Dissemination of real-time streamflow, stage, ground-water, and
water-quality data,
- Investigations of channel scour at bridges throughout the State,
- Modeling of the water-quality effects downstream from
wastewater-treatment plants on Salt Creek in northeastern Illinois,
- Modeling of gage heights and flows of the Fox River in northeastern
Illinois,
- Monitoring flows in sanitary and storm sewers in the Chicago area to
provide information in the design of the Deep Tunnel and Reservoir
Project (TARP),
- Use of GIS to characterize aquifers and availability of ground water
resources,
- GIS applications for analysis of time-and-travel of stream
contaminants,
- Use of Internet map server for displaying and querying data from the
U.S. Geological Survey and other Federal, State, and local agencies,
- Use of GIS to analyze water-quality data and interpretations as part
of national assessments,
- Investigation of the hydraulic characteristics of the Cache River
near the Heron Pond in southern Illinois in support of State
remediation efforts to save the pond,
- Preparation of an operational rainfall-runoff model in support of
flood-control efforts and determination of stormwater flow in Du Page
County,
- Investigation of the long-term sedimentation rates in the Kankakee
River Basin,
- Determination of flood-frequency relations for rivers and streams
throughout the State of Illinois,
- Investigations of the geologic and hydrologic characteristics of the
subsurface at hazardous waste sites and heavily industrialized areas,
- Use of GIS to determine the effects of land-cover changes on
hydrologic and hydraulic properties,
- Remote sensing using satellite imagery for land-use/land-cover
delineation,
- Monitoring the amount of water diverted from Lake Michigan by the
State of Illinois,
- Water-quality assessment of the Illinois River Basin,
- Compiling water-use information for the proper management of
available supplies by other agencies and organizations.
USGS data-collection activities and interpretive studies are funded from
three principal sources:
- Federal Program-Direct Federal funding by Congress is used to
support research, data collection, and high-priority topical programs
(Collection of Basic Records program and the National Water-Quality
Assessment Program are examples).
- Federal-State Cooperative Program-Limited Federal funds are
appropriated by Congress and used to match as much as 50% of the funds
furnished by State and other local tax-supported agencies. Sometimes
the State or local agency provides more than half of the funds.
- Other Federal Agencies Program-Funds are transferred to the USGS as
reimbursement for work performed at the request of another Federal
Agency.
Questions or comments can be directed to:
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Illinois Water Science Center
1201 W. University Avenue, Suite 100
Urbana, IL 61801
Telephone: Doug Yeskis, Director, at (217) 328-9706
Email: Doug Yeskis
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