ILLINOIS WATER AND CLIMATE SUMMARY

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1 ILLINOIS WATER AND CLIMATE SUMMARY December 2009 Illinois State Water Survey 2204 Griffith Drive, Champaign, IL Tel (217) Fax (217) December 2009 Overview (Bob Scott) Temperatures in Illinois during December were below average, while precipitation was above average. Soil moisture within the top 40 inches of soil was above the long-term statewide average. Mean streamflows were well above median values. Shallow groundwater levels were above long-term average depths. Temperatures across Illinois (Figure 1) for December were below average (a -1.0-degree departure). Crop Reporting District (CRD) temperatures ranged from 1.4 degrees below average (southwest CRD) to 0.5 degrees below average (east CRD). Precipitation amounts for Illinois in December were above average (Figure 1). The statewide average of 4.11 inches represented a 1.42-inch surplus or 153 percent of average for the month. The east CRD received the least amount of rainfall, 3.34 inches (130 percent of average), while the southwest CRD recorded the greatest rainfall total with 4.95 inches (144 percent of average). Soil moisture conditions in the 0- to 40-inch (0- to 100-centimeter) layer in Illinois at the end of December were generally above normal (Figure 1). Statewide, moisture in the soil averaged nearly 1 inch above normal. Mean provisional streamflow statewide was well above the median flow in December, 500 percent of median (Figure 1). Rivers throughout Illinois recorded monthly mean discharges from above normal to much above normal for December. River stages reached or exceeded local flood stages on the Mississippi River at Grafton and Chester, on the Ohio River at Cairo, and at most Illinois River gage locations in December. Water surface levels at the end of December were below the full pool/target operating level at three of 28 reporting reservoirs. Rend Lake was 5.4 feet above spillway level, Lake Shelbyville was 21.5 feet above winter target level, and Carlyle Lake was 8.7 feet above winter target level. Lake Michigan s mean level remains below the long-term average. Statewide, shallow groundwater levels were above normal with an average departure of +3.9 feet. Combined with the change in normal monthly groundwater levels from the end of November to the end of December, a 0.3-foot decrease in departures from last month was observed (Figure 1). Levels averaged 0.5 feet higher than November levels and were approximately 1.6 feet above December levels of last year. Figure 1. Statewide departures from normal Note: The WARM Network maps and extended network descriptions appear in the January and July issues. Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program Illinois State Water Survey Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Contact Bob Scott: (217) , rwscott1@illinois.edu

2 Weather/Climate Information (Jim Angel and Bob Scott) Temperatures across Illinois for December were below average (Figure 2 and Table 1). The warmest temperature reported in Illinois for the month was 59 F in Alton, Bentley, Mt. Carroll, Prairie City, and Smithland on December 2. The coldest temperature for the month was -5 F in both Elizabeth and Mt. Carroll on December 11. Precipitation for December was above average statewide (Figure 2 and Table 1). Du Quoin reported the highest one-day precipitation of 2.23 inches on December 24. Centralia had the highest monthly total of 6.45 inches. Based on preliminary, objectively-analyzed data, this was the 13th wettest December, the second wettest October December (three months), the third wettest July December (six months), and the second wettest January December (12 months) since Snowfall for December was widespread across Illinois (Figure 2). No measureable snow was reported in far southern Illinois. One to 12 inches were reported across central Illinois and 8 to 21 inches were reported across northern Illinois. Belvidere reported the largest monthly snowfall total in the state, 22.3 inches. Severe weather was not reported in Illinois during December. Illinois Climate Network (ICN) Data. Average daily wind speeds across Illinois for December (Figure 3) ranged from 5.2 mph at Dixon Springs to 12.3 mph at Bondville. Bondville and Stelle reported the highest wind gusts for the month, 52 and 51 mph, respectively, on December 9. The prevailing wind direction for the month was southwesterly to west-southwesterly across the state. Wind speeds in excess of 8 mph during the month varied from 169 hours at Dixon Springs to 539 hours at Bondville and Monmouth. (December has 744 hours.) Average air temperatures in December ranged from 23 F at Freeport to 35 F at Carbondale and Dixon Springs. Solar radiation totals in December decreased to near seasonal minimums, ranging from 122 Mega-Joules per meter squared (MJ/m 2 ) at Freeport to near 183 MJ/m 2 at Carbondale, Rend Lake, and Dixon Springs. Similarly, potential evapotranspiration observations decreased and varied from 0.5 inches at Freeport to 1.3 inches at Carbondale. Soil temperatures in Illinois decreased during December and ranged from 34 F at Springfield and Monmouth to 39 F at Dixon Springs and Belleville (4-inch level) and from 35 F at Monmouth and Kilbourne to nearly 45 F at Rend Lake (8-inch level). Figure 2. Illinois temperature and precipitation during December

3 Crop Reporting District Table 1. Illinois Precipitation (inches) and Temperature (ºF) by Crop Reporting District Dec 09 Amount Last Month Last 3 Months Last 6 Months Last 12 Months % Temp Oct 09- % Temp Jul 09- % Temp Jan 09- % Avg Dev Dec 09 Avg Dev Dec 09 Avg Dev Dec 09 Avg Northwest Northeast West Central East West-southwest East-southeast Southwest Southeast State Average Note: Data are provisional. Complete, quality-controlled data are available about six months after a given month. Temp Dev Extended climate outlooks issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Climate Prediction Center for January call for a slight chance of below normal temperatures in southern Illinois, and a slight chance of below precipitation in eastern and southern Illinois. Outlooks for January March call for a slight chance of above normal temperatures in northwestern Illinois and a slight chance of below normal precipitation in eastern and southern Illinois. Soil Moisture Information (Bob Scott) Precipitation during December was above average across Illinois. Regardless, frozen top soils kept nearsurface soil moisture near normal levels (Figure 4). In the 0- to 6-inch layer, values ranged from 89 percent of normal at Carbondale to 111 percent at Bondville. Conditions in the 6- to 20-inch layer were more variable and ranged from 83 percent at East Peoria to 161 percent at Olney. Soils in deeper layers were generally wet in eastern and northwestern Illinois and drier in central and southwestern Illinois. Values ranged from 62 percent (East Peoria) to 186 percent (Olney) in the 20- to 40-inch layer and from 68 percent (Freeport) to 181 percent (Dixon Springs) in the 40- to 72-inch layer. Overall, soil moisture in Illinois at the end of December continued to be above normal (Figure 1). Compared to conditions at the end of November, soil moisture in Illinois at the end of December changed only slightly at all sites (Table 2). Soil moisture in the 0- to 6-inch layer increased by 26 percent at Ina (Rend Lake), but only by 5 percent or less elsewhere. Changes in the 6- to 20-inch layer included an increase of 13 percent at Freeport, but by 5 percent or less elsewhere in the state. Freeport s soil moisture increased by 42 percent in the 20- to 40-inch layer; however, changes elsewhere were less than 4 percent. 3

4 Figure 3. December monthly averages and totals as collected by the Illinois Climate Network 4

5 Figure 4. January 1 observed percent-of-normal soil moisture based on mean 5

6 Location Table 2. Soil Moisture in Various Layers on January 1, 2009 Jan (inches) Change from Dec 1 (%) Jan (inches) Change from Dec 1 (%) Jan (inches) Change from Dec 1 (%) Freeport (NW) DeKalb (NE) Monmouth (W) East Peoria (C) Stelle (E) Champaign (E) Bondville (E) Perry (WSW) Springfield (WSW) Brownstown (ESE) Olney (ESE) Belleville (SW) Carbondale (SW) Ina (SE) Fairfield (SE) Dixon Springs (SE) Surface Water Information (Bill Saylor and Vern Knapp) River and stream discharge and stage data are obtained from gaging stations operated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The USGS gaging station network is supported, in part, by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Water Resources, the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), and the USACE. Provisional discharge data are obtained from the USGS. Table 3 lists the provisional peak stage for the current month compared to flood stage at selected streamgaging stations located on the Illinois, Mississippi, and Ohio Rivers. The peak stage is determined from the daily morning readings posted by the National Weather Service and/or the USACE. The Illinois River crested above local flood stages at most gaging stations downstream of the Fox River (Ottawa) in December. The Mississippi River reached local flood stages at Grafton and at Chester. The Ohio River exceeded local flood stage at Cairo at the end of the month. Provisional monthly mean flows for 26 streamgaging stations located throughout Illinois are shown in Table 4. Mean values posted by the USGS are listed if available; otherwise, daily mean discharge data posted by the USGS are used to estimate the mean flow for the month. Long-term mean flows for each month are published by the USGS. The month s median flow for each station listed in Table 4 was determined by ranking the December mean flow for each year of record, and selecting the middle value, 50 percent exceedence probability. The statewide percent of historical mean flow and percent of historical median flow are calculated by dividing the sum of the average flows this month at stations in Table 4 by the sum of the historical mean and median flows calculated for the month, respectively, at the same stations. This method is intended to weight individual observations proportionately in the aggregate comparison. (The Illinois River and Rock River stations are excluded from the statewide calculation because other rivers listed in Table 4 contribute to their flow.) Mean provisional flow statewide was well above the median value for December (500 percent of the median) and above the long-term mean for the month (approximately 300 percent of the mean). Monthly mean streamflow conditions throughout Illinois, as represented by Table 4 stations, ranged from above normal to much above normal for December. (Note that the percent exceedence calculation in Table 4 does not take into account December 2008 monthly mean streamflows, which remain provisional; monthly mean streamflow values at some northern Illinois streamgages in December 2008 exceeded those shown in Table 4 in December 2009.) Some river flows and gage operations in northern Illinois were affected by ice during parts of the month. Streamflow records may be significantly revised in the future by USGS during data review. 6

7 River Station River Illinois mile* Table 3. Peak Stages for Major Rivers during December 2009 Flood stage (feet)* Peak stage (feet)** Date Morris La Salle Peoria Havana Beardstown Hardin Mississippi Dubuque Keokuk Quincy Grafton St. Louis Chester Thebes Ohio Cairo Notes: * River mile and flood stage from River Stages in Illinois: Flood and Damage Data, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Water Resources, August 2004 (and Addendum, February 2007). ** Peak stage based on daily a.m. readings, not instantaneous peak. Stage data obtained from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Note: The USGS monthly long-term mean streamflow values for the Kankakee River at the Momence streamgage were misreported in Table 4 of the October 2009 and November 2009 issues of the Illinois Water and Climate Summary. The correct long-term monthly mean streamflow values published for the Kankakee River at Momence for the months of October and November, during the period of record through Water Year 2008, are 1208 cfs and 1564 cfs, respectively. (Source: USGS Water Data Report - Illinois, Water Year 2008.) Water-Supply Lakes and Major Reservoirs. Table 5 lists reservoirs in Illinois, their normal pool or target water surface elevation, and other data related to observed variations in water surface elevations. Reservoir levels are obtained from a network of cooperating reservoir operators who are contacted each month by ISWS staff for the current water levels. Reservoir levels are reported in terms of their difference from normal pool (or target level). The average of the month-end readings for the period of record is reported in terms of the difference from normal pool or target level (column 6 of Table 5), and the number of years of record for each reservoir also is given (column 7). Most reservoirs serve as public water supplies, with the exceptions noted in the last column. Compared to end-of-november water levels at 27 reservoirs, reported end-of-december water levels were lower at nine reservoirs, higher at seven reservoirs, and the same as at the end of last month at 11 reservoirs. For the 28 reservoirs with observations reported at the end of November, water levels at three reservoirs were below normal pool, nine reservoirs were at normal pool or spillway level, and 16 reservoirs were above normal pool or spillway level. Note that some observers do not measure or report lake levels higher than full pool (spillway level) during overflow conditions. Major Reservoirs. Compared to water levels at the end of November, at the end of December Lake Shelbyville was 2.2 feet higher, Carlyle Lake was 1.0 foot higher, and Rend Lake was 2.5 feet higher. At the end of December, Lake Shelbyville was 21.5 feet above January 1 target level, Carlyle Lake was 8.7 feet above winter target level, and Rend Lake was 5.4 feet above spillway level. (Lake Shelbyville target level decreased 5.7 feet from December to January.) Great Lakes. Current month mean and end-of-month values are provisional and are relative to International Great Lakes Datum The December mean level for Lake Michigan was feet, compared to a mean level of feet in December The long-term average lake level for December is feet, based on data. Historically, the lowest mean level for Lake Michigan in December occurred in 1964 at feet, and the highest level occurred in 1986 at feet. The month-end level of Lake Michigan was feet. 7

8 Table 4. Provisional Mean Flows, December 2009 Drainage Years 2009 Long-term flows Percent Days of area of mean flow Mean* Median chance of data this Station (sq mi) record (cfs) (cfs) (cfs) Flow condition exceedence month Rock River at Rockton much above normal 7 31 Rock River near Joslin , much above normal 4 30 Pecatonica River at Freeport N/A much above normal N/A N/A Green River near Geneseo much above normal 1 31 Edwards River near New Boston much above normal 4 31 Kankakee River at Momence ~ above normal Iroquois River near Chebanse ~ above normal Fox River at Dayton > much above normal 4 28 Vermilion River at Pontiac above normal Spoon River at Seville much above normal 3 31 LaMoine River at Ripley much above normal 2 31 Bear Creek near Marceline much above normal 8 31 Mackinaw River near Congerville much above normal 5 31 Salt Creek near Greenview much above normal 4 31 Sangamon River at Monticello much above normal South Fork Sangamon near Rochester much above normal 5 31 Illinois River at Valley City 26, ,180 18,200 14,962 much above normal 4 31 Macoupin Creek near Kane much above normal 4 31 Vermilion River near Danville above normal Kaskaskia River at Vandalia much above normal Shoal Creek near Breese much above normal 4 31 Embarras River at Ste. Marie much above normal 6 31 Skillet Fork at Wayne City much above normal 5 31 Little Wabash below Clay City much above normal 4 31 Big Muddy at Plumfield above normal Cache River at Forman above normal Notes: Source streamflow data are obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey. N/A = not available. Much below normal flow = % chance of exceedence. Below normal flow = 70-90% chance of exceedence. Normal flow = 30-70% chance of exceedence. Above normal flow = 10-30% chance of exceedence. Much above normal flow = 0-10% chance of exceedence. *As reported in U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources Data, Illinois, Water Year (Note: December 2008 values not included in analysis.) 8

9 Table 5. Reservoir Levels in Illinois, December 2009 Current level Average November Normal pool difference from Monthly difference from Years reported or target normal or target change normal or target of pumpage Reservoir County level (feet) (feet) (feet) (feet) record (million gallons) Altamont Effingham Bloomington McLean No pumpage Canton Fulton Carlinville Macoupin Carlyle (1) Clinton N/A Coulterville Randolph N/A N/A N/A Decatur (1,3) Macon Evergreen (4) Woodford Glenn Shoals (2) Montgomery N/A N/A w/hillsboro Greenfield Greene Highland Madison Hillsboro (2) Montgomery N/A N/A Jacksonville (2) Morgan N/A N/A w/mauvaise Terre Kinkaid Jackson Lake of Egypt Williamson N/A N/A Mattoon Coles w/paradise Mauvaise Terre (2) Morgan N/A N/A no meter Mt. Olive (new) Macoupin w/mt. Olive (old) Mt. Olive (old) Macoupin Nashville (3) Washington N/A N/A Pana Christian N/A Paradise Coles Paris (east) Edgar Paris (west) Edgar w/paris (east) Pinckneyville Perry N/A N/A N/A Pittsfield Pike Raccoon (1) Marion N/A N/A Rend Franklin N/A Salem (3) Marion Shelbyville (1) Shelby Not PWS Sparta (3) Randolph Spring (4) McDonough N/A N/A N/A Springfield (1,3) Sangamon Taylorville Christian Vermilion (4) Vermilion Virginia Cass Not PWS Notes: Normal pool and target level datum is NGVD Current levels reported represent water surface levels at the end of the month, not the monthly average. Average difference from normal or target level is the arithmetic average of reported month-end values for the period of record indicated. Years of record = total number of monthly readings included in month-end average. Total period of record may be longer. Not PWS = not a public water supply. N/A = not available. (1) Target operating level may vary. Seasonal target levels this month represent January 1 values. (2) Instrumentation not available to measure height of water elevation above spillway. (3) Natural inflow can be supplemented by other sources. (4) Normal pool elevations have changed during period of record reported. 9

10 Groundwater Information (Ken Hlinka) Comparison to Average Levels. Shallow groundwater levels in 15 observation wells, which are remote from pumping centers, were above average for the month. December levels were 3.9 feet above normal and ranged from 0.0 feet to 9.3 feet above normal levels (Table 6). Comparison to Previous Month. Shallow groundwater levels were above those of last month. Levels averaged 0.5 feet above and ranged from 0.9 feet below to 2.0 feet above levels of last month. Comparison to Same Month, Previous Year. Shallow groundwater levels in December were above levels measured one year ago. Levels averaged 1.6 feet above and ranged from 1.2 feet to 4.1 feet higher this month than in December Table 6. Month-End Shallow Groundwater Level Data Sites, December 2009 Number Well name County Well depth (feet) This month s reading (depth to water, feet) 15-year avg. level (feet) Deviation from Period of record avg. (feet) Previous month (feet) Previous year (feet) 1 Galena JoDaviess Mt. Morris Ogle Crystal Lake McHenry Cambridge Henry N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 5 Fermi Lab DuPage Good Hope McDonough N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 7 Snicarte Mason Coffman Pike Greenfield Greene Janesville Cumberland St. Peter Fayette SWS #2 St. Clair Boyleston Wayne Sparta Randolph SE College Saline Dixon Springs Pope Bondville Champaign Notes: * Data not used in analysis N/A - Data not available. Averages Addendum (Nancy Westcott) Imperial Valley Precipitation. Precipitation for December 2009 was heavy. Monthly gage totals were greatest in the western portion of the network, and precipitation was lightest in the northeastern portion of the network. Individual gage amounts ranged from 4.25 inches at Site #2 to 2.05 inches at Site #6. The , 30-year average precipitation amounts for November at Havana and Mason City are 2.63 and 2.41 inches, respectively. The December 2009 network average of 3.30 inches is about 195 percent of the 17-year ( ) IVWA December network average of 1.70 inches. Cook County Precipitation. December 2009 total precipitation amounts were heavy. The greatest precipitation was found in the eastern part of the county, and the lightest precipitation was in the western and southern portions of the network. Precipitation values ranged from 4.21 inches at Site #2 (Winnetka) to 2.49 inches at Site #25 (Chicago Heights). The December 2009 network average of 3.22 inches is about 159 percent of the 20- year ( ) December network average of 2.02 inches. 10

11 a. Imperial Valley b. Cook County Figure 5. Long-term raingage network precipitation totals (inches) for December 2009 Data sources for information in this publication include the following: CPC - Climate Predication Center, ISWS - Illinois State Water Survey, MRCC - Midwestern Regional Climate Center, NCDC - National Climate Data Center, NWS - National Weather Service, USACE - U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, USGS - U.S. Geological Survey, WARM - Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program, 11

Illinois in Drought. June 19, 2012, Updated June 21, 2012

Illinois in Drought. June 19, 2012, Updated June 21, 2012 June 19,, Updated June 21, Illinois in Drought The ISWS now considers central and southern Illinois to be fully in drought based on several impacts including the early season onset of reservoir drawdown