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Environmental Conditions of Illinois
Water Resources
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- The percentage of lakes in Good or Fair condition will remain constant from 1995 to the
year 2000.
- The percentage of Lake Michigan open shoreline miles in Good condition remains constant
from 1995 to the year 2000.
- The percentage of lake acres needing additional nonpoint source corrective actions to
meet Clean Water Act goals and objectives will remain constant through the year 2000
relative to 1996 levels.
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| Inland lakes are a vital component of the economic and social well-being of Illinois.
Some 90 million visitor days of general lake recreation generates an estimated $1.78
billion annually to the state’s economy. Similar to the way rivers and streams have
been evaluated, Illinois lakes have been judged to be in Good, Fair, or Poor condition
based upon whether they satisfy the standards necessary for fish consumption, swimming,
boating, and drinking water as well as an ability to support fish and wildlife. As shown
in the Inland Lakes Figure, 90.3 percent of Illinois' lakes were rated Good or Fair in
1996, compared to 72.2 percent in 1972. |
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The Percent of Lake Acres Impacted by Nonpoint Sources Figure indicates the percentage
of lake acres that have use impairments due to nonpoint source impacts. This percentage
remained relatively constant between 1994 and 1996 and is expected to remain constant
through the year 2000. |
| The quality of Lake Michigan is assessed separately from Illinois’ inland lakes.
The Great Lake forms the northeastern portion of Illinois’ border and serves as a
center for recreation for many Illinois residents. As indicated by Illinois' Lake Michigan
Water Quality Conditions, the quality of Lake Michigan has improved dramatically over the
past 20 years. All 63 of the Lake Michigan shoreline miles within Illinois are now
considered to be in "Good" condition. |
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Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program
Since 1981, the Illinois EPA has supported citizen volunteerism through
the Agency’s Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program, and has likewise worked with members
of the Illinois Lake Management Association since its inception in 1985. In 1996, 318
volunteers did monitoring at 156 lakes around the state. The cooperation and grass-roots
support generated as a result of these relationships was invaluable towards the creation
and funding of the Agency’s new Conservation 2000-Illinois Clean Lakes Program. This
program represents one of only a handful of long-term, state-supported inland lake
management programs in the United States. |
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