New Report Describes Environmental Setting of the Upper Illinois River Basin and Implications for Water Quality

Geologic, climatic, biologic and hydrologic data compiled from Federal, State, and local sources was used to describe the environmental setting of the upper Illinois River Basin and to identify possible implications for water quality are presented in a recently published report by the U.S. Geological Survey. The upper Illinois River Basin, which includes parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, is a study unit of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment program. Possible influences of the environmental setting of the basin in water quality include depletion of dissolved oxygen because of high concentrations of organic matter in wastewater, increased flooding because of suburbanization, elevated arsenic concentrations in ground water because of weathering of shale bedrock, and decreasing ground-water levels because of heavy pumping of water from the bedrock aquifers.

The report titled, Environmental setting of the upper Illinois River Basin and implications for water quality, by Terri L. Arnold, Daniel J. Sullivan, Mitchell A. Harris, Faith A. Fitzpatrick, Barbara C. Scudder, Peter M. Ruhl, Dorothea W. Hanchar, and Jana S. Stewart is published as U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 98-4268. Copies are available for inspection at the U.S. Geological Survey, 221 N. Broadway Avenue, Urbana, Illinois. Paper copies can be purchased at cost from the U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services Section, Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225. Orders must include check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of Interior--USGS and must specify report number WRIR 98-4268.