Illinois Water Well (ILWATER) Internet Map Service

Terms of Use

The Illinois Water and Related Well Data Web mapping project enables on-line access to a large database of over 275,000 Illinois water and related well records. This database has been in development for many years by the Illinois State Geological Survey. Traditionally, these well records have only been available during regular business hours at the Geological Records Unit in Champaign, Illinois.

Notes for Interactive Mapping

      Your browser must have Frames and JavaScript enabled.
      The Web interface is best viewed using Internet Explorer.
      It is not possible to bookmark map views. Instead, bookmark this access page.
      Disable all POPUP BLOCKER software to access well records.

Instructions for accessing Illinois Water and Related Well Data, a screen shot of the Interactive Mapping Web Interface, and descriptions of the navigational tools of the Interactive Mapping Web Interface are detailed below. Read the Illinois DNR digital data License Agreement before you proceed.

Map manipulation tools are offered on the left side of the interface. The currently selected tool will be outlined in red, as the "Select Within" tool is outlined in the screen shot shown below. Data layer visibility and activation control is located on the right side of the interface. The visitor must set desired "Active" layer combinations and then implement "Refresh Map" in order to create a custom map view.

Step 1: Enlarge an appropriate area.

The "Zoom In" tool is the default tool upon launch of the Interactive Mapping Interface.

Step 2: Set to "Visible" any data layers you wish to enable.

Geologically relevant data layers are listed in order by Depth of Aquifer. By default, the "Major Sand and Gravel Aquifers" data layer is set to "Visible." Many combinations of data layers can be set to "Visible."

Step 3: Click the "Refresh Map" button.

The "Refresh Map" button is listed below all data layers and will complete alterations to the selection of "Visible" layers. Data layers "Water and Related Wells," "Interstates," "US Highways," "State Routes," "Sections," "Townships," "Counties," "Lakes," "Municipalities," and "Major Sand and Gravel Aquifers" are set to "Visible" in the screen shot shown below.

Step 4: Access Data

To use the "Select Within" rectangle tool, first set the "Active" layer to the desired data layer by clicking the corresponding radio button. The "Water and Related Wells" data layer is set as "Active" in the screen shot shown below.

Navigational Tools of the ILWATER Interactive Mapping Web Interface
	Overview Map	Turn the Overview Map displayed in the upper left corner of the map frame on or off.
	Zoom In	Enlarge the map image by clicking on a spot or dragging a rectangle around the area of interest.
	Zoom Out	Reduce the map image by clicking on a spot or dragging a rectangle around the area of interest.
	Pan Map View	Drag the map image so that the area of interest is shifted within the view.
	Previous Extent	Return the map view to the previous zoom level and location.
	Zoom to Full Extent	Zoom the map view out to the the fullest extent of all data layers, in this case, the boundary of the state of Illinois.
	Select Within	Graphically select multiple records by dragging a rectangle around the area of interest. Features in the rectangle will be selected and highlighted in light blue. A table of information pertaining to the active layer will appear. The user MUST specify the "active layer" to the desired data layer county.
	Hyperlink	Graphically select a water well data record for viewing from the "Water and Related Wells" data layer. A separate file-viewing window appears to display the well record. There is no need to specify an "active layer."
	Identify	Identify a selected feature. A table of information for the selective feature and within the active layer will appear.
	Measure	Click on the map to create line segments. Distance (in miles) for each line segment and the total of all segments will be displayed.
	Set Measure Units	Specify the "Map Units" and "Display Units: to be used with the "Measure" Tool. "Map Units" can be set to feet, meters, or degrees. "Display Units" can be set to feet, miles, meters, or kilometers.
	Clear Selection	Unselect all previously selected features.
	Print Map View	The user is prompted to submit a map title. The user types and submits the title, a new window opens that contains a formatted title, map image, and legend suitable for printing. Use the browser "Print" button to print the map.
	Legend or Layers	Toggle between the layer list and the map legend. The layer list enables the user to set the active data layer and also set the display of individual data layers to be on or off. The legend is a graphical representation of the symbology of all visible map layers.