Stormwater Management & Watershed Plans
- Reduce flooding and mitigate flood damage
- Improve water quality
- Promote best practices for land development
- Develop organizational and regulatory framework
- Conduct public education and outreach

The geographic boundaries of the watersheds are associated with the primary creek system within the larger drainage area. This strategy was chosen since it involves multiple municipalities and townships that are linked together by the creek and each watershed has shared impacts. Planners have completed plans for Upper Silver Creek, Indian Creek, and Canteen Creek watersheds, and they’re nearly finished with a plan for the American Bottom watershed, which is also known as Judy’s Branch. After the American Bottom plan is completed, the team will begin planning for the Wood River Creek and Piasa Creek watersheds.
To date, the efforts have helped raise over $1 million in grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The $500k Upper Silver Creek grant and $450k Silver Lake grant are being expended to address issues in their respective watersheds. Another $200k will go to fund the Wood River Creek and Piasa Creek watersheds. In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has partnered in the efforts by providing in-kind support by completing comprehensive studies of the natural drainage system within each watershed.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
The goal of this program is to improve water quality in the Indian-Cahokia Creek watershed by helping in the voluntary implementation of highly effective Best Management Practices (BMPs). Property owners in the watershed can make a measurable positive impact on water quality and stormwater runoff, which will help reduce downstream water quality problems, flood damage, and other issues. HeartLands Conservancy received a grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), in partnership with the Madison County Building & Zoning Department. The grant funds are dedicated to helping to construct high-quality BMP projects. HeartLands Conservancy is looking for landowners and local government entities to sign up. The BMPs installed should, to the extent possible, filter runoff to remove sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants as well as reduce runoff volume and velocity.
Indian-Cahokia Creek Watershed Landowners BMP Application
tinyurl.com/IndianCreekBMP
PROJECT TYPES FUNDED:
This financial assistance program will fund the following types of BMP projects:
- Grassed waterways
- Bioswales
- Ponds
- Wetland restoration
- Shoreline stabilization
- Stream channel stabilization
- Streambank stabilization
- Water and Sediment Control Basins (WASCOBs)
- Cover and/or green manure crops
- Sediment Basin
More information about these practices can be found at http://tinyurl.com/jhwx5p9.
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Wood River Watershed Plan |
Piasa Creek Watershed Plan |
Executive Summary -Wood River Watershed Plan
Update: 2/7/2022
Executive Summary - Piasa Creek Watershed Plan
Update: 2/7/2022
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Canteen-Cahokia Creek Watershed Plan |
Indian-Cahokia Creek Watershed Plan |
Upper Silver Creek Watershed Plan |
Executive Summary - Canteen-Cahokia Creek Watershed Plan
Update: 3/2/2020
Executive Summary - Indian-Cahokia Creek Watershed Plan
Update: 3/2/2020
Article
Illinois EPA awards nearly $954,000 to HeartLands Conservancy for water quality protection within the Canteen Creek-Cahokia Creek Watershed
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director John J. Kim announced HeartLands Conservancy will receive nearly $954,000 in grant funding to provide technical and financial assistance to rural and urban landowners to voluntarily implement the locally developed Canteen Creek-Cahokia Creek Watershed Plan.
View Full Article Here
HeartLands Conservancy Recent Projects:
New spillway designed for Dunlap lake to help slow and spread the movement of stormwater, and help to stabilize the holding capacity of Dunlap lake during heavy rain events.
Dunlap Lake Spillway in Action
For more information, please contact;
Marc Hohlt
Stormwater Coordinator
618-296-4665
157 N. Main Street, Suite 254
Edwardsville, IL. 62025
mdhohlt@madisoncountyil.gov