Goal 3 - How does CREP measure success toward this goal?

The IDNR works alongside the Illinois Natural History Survey to maintain a basin-wide monitoring and assessment program for wadable streams in the Illinois and Kaskaskia Rivers. Baseline data on aquatic insects, freshwater mussels, and fish have been collected at several reaches to characterize conditions throughout the watershed. Special attention is paid to reaches that have been identified as biologically significant, containing a high diversity of species or certain species that are particularly sensitive to environmental disturbance. Continuous monitoring of animal assemblages and their habitat allows our scientists and policy makers to track long-term trends in these sensitive ecosystems.”

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Figure 2: Locations of wadable stream sites in the Kaskaskia River Basin sampled from 2013-2018 to monitor and assess aquatic life. Survey events vary by shape and color each year 

2018= Orange, diamond

2017= yellow, cross

2016= green, small circle

2015= red, triangle

2014= blue, large circle

2013= purple, square). 

The basin is broken down to four United States Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrological Unit Code 8 (HUC8) scale sub-basins (Upper, Middle, Shoal, and Lower).