Category:

Priority Planning Areas

Regional water quantity planning, as directed by the Governor’s Executive Order 2006-01, is underway in two priority planning areas: east central Illinois and northeastern Illinois. These priority planning areas (map) include the top three prioritized aquifer systems and two of the top three prioritized watersheds. Aquifers and watersheds in the State were identified and prioritized on the basis of limited water supply availability and substantial population and economic growth; and on the potential benefit from and relative urgency for water supply planning. This identification and prioritization was completed by the Illinois State Water Survey, with the assistance of the Illinois State Water Plan Task Force, and reported in the ISWS publication Prioritizing Illinois Aquifers and Watersheds for Water Supply Planning (pdf ~2.6mb).

The Executive Order, to be carried out by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in coordination with the ISWS, calls for a locally based regional water supply planning committee in each of the two priority planning areas. The report Charge to Regional Water Supply Planning Groups (pdf ~30kb) describes roles of the DNR, ISWS and planning committees.

Background

East Central Illinois

Northeastern Illinois