Evaluating the effectiveness of the Illinois River Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program in reducing sediment delivery

The ecology of the Illinois River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, was severely degraded for several decades due to sedimentation and water-quality problems. A joint federal/state program known as the Illinois River Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) was initiated in 1998 to restore the river. One of the major goals of the program is to reduce sediment delivery to the river by 20 percent. To assess the program's progress toward meeting that goal, the State of Illinois is developing a scientific process that includes data collection, modelling and evaluation. The baseline condition for sediment delivery was prepared based on available data collected in 1981-2000. Using that information as a baseline, it will be possible to assess and compare sediment delivery and sedimentation in the Illinois River valley for different periods after CREP implementation.