Next Generation Water Observing System: Illinois River Basin
Science Center Objects
The Next Generation Water Observing System provides high-fidelity, real-time data on water quantity, quality, and use to support modern water prediction and decision-support systems that are necessary for informing water operations on a daily basis and decision-making during water emergencies. The Illinois River Basin provides an opportunity to implement the NGWOS in a system challenged by an overabundance of nutrients—primarily nitrogen and phosphorus—and associated harmful algal blooms.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is planning to intensively study ten Integrated Water Science (IWS) basins—medium-sized watersheds (10,000-20,000 square miles) and underlying aquifers—throughout the United States over the coming decade to improve understanding of water availability in a wide range of environmental, hydrologic, and landscape settings. Each IWS basin will be representative of a larger region, and high-density monitoring and cutting-edge research will be used to better understand and model factors affecting water availability (quantity, quality, and use) in the basins, the larger regions, and the Nation.
The USGS will be installing new monitoring equipment and enhancing existing streamgages in the Illinois River Basin beginning in 2022, subject to availability of funding.
The USGS has selected the Illinois River Basin as the third IWS basin; the first two IWS basins are the Delaware River Basin and the Upper Colorado River Basin. The Illinois River Basin consists of extensive urban and agricultural land uses that can help improve understanding of how nutrient sources, in combination with climate and land-use change, may limit water availability. The USGS Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) will provide the high temporal and spatial resolution data on streamflow, evapotranspiration, snowpack, soil moisture, water quality, groundwater/surface-water connections, stream velocity distribution, sediment transport, and water use that are necessary to advance this understanding.
Over the course of 2021, the USGS will begin broad internal and external stakeholder engagement to help develop a science and monitoring plan for the Illinois River Basin, a plan that will guide USGS IWS activities in the basin over the coming years, dependent upon appropriations.
"The National Weather Service has a long history of collaboration and partnership with the USGS, and we look forward to exploring the full utility and operational benefit of the new observational capabilities made available through the Next Generation Water Observing System."
- Tom Graziano, Director of the National Weather Service, Office of Water Prediction
Water Resources Challenges in the Illinois River Basin
The Illinois River Basin has intense urban population in its upper reaches and very low population and intense agriculture and irrigation in the remaining area. Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) occurrences are commonplace, and the basin is estimated to be one of the largest geographic sources of nutrients to the Gulf of Mexico. Water quantity is an important issue within the Illinois River Basin as well. While the region is experiencing increased precipitation, current land practices of accelerating drainage combined with a growing demand for water could limit the quantity of water available for human and biota uses.
“The integrated water science [in the Illinois River Basin] can help us understand why Illinois continues to face increasing phosphorus runoff, even with the implementation of conservation practices across the state.”
- Chris Wieberg, Chair of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association (UMRBA) Water Quality Executive Committee
NGWOS Characteristics
- State-of-the-art measurements
- Dense array of sensors at selected sites
- Increased spatial and temporal data coverage of all primary components of the hydrologic cycle
- New monitoring technology testing and implementation
- Improved operational efficiency
- Modernized and timely data storage and delivery
USGS Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS)
Substantial advances in water science, together with emerging breakthroughs in technical and computational capabilities, have led the USGS to develop a Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS). The USGS NGWOS will provide real-time data on water quantity and quality in more affordable and rapid ways than previously possible, and in more locations.
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Date published: December 7, 2020Status: ActiveIntegrated Water Science (IWS) Basins
The U.S. Geological Survey is integrating its water science programs to better address the Nation’s greatest water resource challenges. At the heart of this effort are plans to intensively study at least 10 Integrated Water Science (IWS) basins — medium-sized watersheds (10,000-20,000 square miles) and underlying aquifers — over the next decade. The IWS basins will represent a wide range of...
Attribution: Water Resources -
Date published: December 7, 2020Status: ActiveNext Generation Water Observing System: Upper Colorado River Basin
The Next Generation Water Observing System provides high-fidelity, real-time data on water quantity, quality, and use to support modern water prediction and decision-support systems that are necessary for informing water operations on a daily basis and decision-making during water emergencies. The headwaters of the Colorado and Gunnison River Basin provide an opportunity to implement the NGWOS...
Contacts: Chad R Wagner, David P MauAttribution: Water Resources -
Date published: December 7, 2020Status: ActiveNext Generation Water Observing System: Delaware River Basin
The USGS Next Generation Water Observing System will provide high-fidelity, real-time data on water quantity and quality necessary to support modern water prediction and decision support systems for water emergencies and daily water operations. The Delaware River Basin pilot provides an opportunity to develop the NextGen observing system in a nationally important, complex interstate river...
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Date published: November 3, 2020Status: ActiveIntegrated Water Availability Assessments (IWAAs)
The USGS Integrated Water Availability Assessments (IWAAs) are a multi-extent, stakeholder driven, near real-time census and seasonal prediction of water availability for both human and ecological uses at regional and national extents.
Attribution: Water Resources
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Year Published: 2019Water priorities for the nation—The U.S. Geological Survey next generation water observing system
The challenges of providing safe and sustainable water supplies for human and ecological uses and protecting lives and property during water emergencies are well recognized. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) plays an essential role in meeting these challenges through its observational networks and renowned water science and research activities (...
Eberts, Sandra M.; Wagner, Chad R.; Woodside, Michael D.View CitationEberts, S.M., Wagner, C.R., and Woodside, M.D., 2019, Water priorities for the Nation—The U.S. Geological Survey Next Generation Water Observing System: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2019–3046, 2 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20193046.
Water priorities for the Nation—U.S. Geological Survey Integrated Water Availability Assessments
The United States faces growing challenges to its water supply, infrastructure, and aquatic ecosystems because of population growth, climate change, floods and droughts, and aging water delivery systems. To help address these challenges, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources Mission Area has established new strategic priorities that...
Miller, Mark P.; Clark, Brian R.; Eberts, Sandra M.; Lambert, Patrick M.; Toccalino, Patricia-
Date published: November 3, 2020USGS Program Tackles Complex Water Questions
The U.S. Geological Survey has chosen the Illinois River Basin as the next watershed to be studied by its scientists as part of a large-scale effort to better understand the nation’s water systems.