News Releases - 2002

Illinois Water Quality Report Now Available On-line and In Print:
"Good" Quality Streams Increase

Springfield, Ill. -- The Illinois Water Quality Report 2002, a comprehensive report on the overall condition of the state's surface and groundwater resources, is now available on the website of the Illinois EPA at www. epa.state.il.us/water/water-quality/index.html.

The 2002 report shows that 64.5 percent of the state's streams assessed were rated as "good," compared with 62.5 percent in the previous report in 2000. Those ranked as "fair" declined from 36.1 percent to 34.1 percent, and those classified as "poor" remained stable at 1.4 percent of the total assessed miles.

The biennial report, required under the federal Clean Water Act, is also available in paper bound report format.

"This report not only shows continued progress in the quality of our waterways in Illinois as we celebrate the Year of Clean Water and the 30th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, but offers more user-friendly interactive information," said Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano.

The 2002 web version introduces a user-friendly interactive geographic information system mapping tool that will allow viewers to locate, create, and print maps of both large and small areas within Illinois. Users can identify various map layers, (streams, inland lakes, roads, highways, county and municipal boundaries) by clicking on boxes next to the layer's name, and when completed, the map and its associated water resource assessment information can be printed for future reference.

Assessments in the Illinois Water Quality Report are based on chemical, physical, biological, habitat and toxicity data collected by IEPA biologists and scientists. Individual assessments are available for 15,933 miles of streams, 150,707 acres of inland lakes, 63 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, as well as the state's principal groundwater aquifers, and community water supply wells.

Commonly referred to as the 305 (b) report, for the section of the CWA in which the reporting requirement is found, the report documents water resources in terms of the degree to which the waters can support various uses that have been adopted by Agency pollution control programs and the Illinois Pollution Control Board. They include aquatic life, swimming, drinking water, recreation, second contract such as boating, and indigenous aquatic life and fish consumption.

Hard copies of the report, and information on how to use the new web-based mapping tool, can be obtained by contacting the Agency's surface water section at 217-782-3362, or the groundwater section at 217-785-4787.