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

WY 1983 - 1986

-1

0

1

2

3

4

5

log

Qs

0 1 2 3 4 5

log Qw

05567510 Mackinaw River at Congerville

Sediment Rating Curve for Mackinaw River at Congerville

Annual Sediment Yield Equations for Tributary Streams in the Illinois River Valley

10 100 1,000 10,000 100,000 1,000,000 10,000,000 100,000,000

Annual Discharge (cfs)

10

100

1,000

10,000

100,000

1,000,000

10,000,000

100,000,000

Annu

al S

edim

ent Y

ield

(ton

s)

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)

2 3 4 5

3 Equation number

Tributary Streams

Sediment Inflow, Outflow, and Deposition 19

81

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Water Year

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

Sed

imen

t (10

6 to

ns)

Total Inflow Outflow from Illinois River at Valley CityDeposition

Sediment Input: 12.8 million tons

per year

Sediment Deposition within the Illinois

River Valley: 7.6 million tons

per year

Sediment Outflow

at Valley City: 5.3 million

tons per year

Sediment Budget of the Illinois River Valley

Sediment Input: 12.1 million tons

per year

Sediment Deposition within the Illinois

River Valley: 6.7 million tons

per year

Sediment Outflow

at Valley City: 5.4 million

tons per year

1981-2000 1981-2010

Sediment Budget of the

Illinois River 1981-2000

300

280

260

240

220

200

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

BRANDONROADPOOL

LOCKPORTPOOL

DRESDENPOOL

MARSEILLESPOOL

STARVED ROCKPOOL

PEORIAPOOL

LA GRANGEPOOL

Mazon River

Big Bureau Creek

Valley City

Spoon River

LaMoineRiver

SangamonRiver

Vermilion River

Kankakee River

Mackinaw River

Fox River

DesPlainesRiver

0 1 2tons x 106

RIVERMILE

Illinois State Water Survey

WATER DISCHARGE

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 #124: Kankakee River near Wilmington, IL

ISWS# 122: Vermilion River near Leonore, IL

ISWS #245: La Moine River at Ripley, IL

ISWS# 249: Sangamon River at Monticello, 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/