Why Watersheds?

It may not look like it as you drive over the Illinois River, but Peoria Lakes is, on average, eighteen inches deep outside the barge channel. Fifteen feet of sediment has buried a once-thriving river bed. Sediment makes boating difficult and robs fish of their native habitat. Even if we don’t live near the river, we all impact the water that eventually reaches the river.

Everyone lives in a watershed. The water from the homes of everyone who lives in your watershed all goes to the same system of streams and eventually to the same lake, river, or ocean. Each watershed has unique soils, wildlife, development, and a unique history and future. Knowing what watershed you live in, or your watershed address, is the beginning of knowing how you are connected with the streams and rivers around you.

What's my "Watershed Address"?

This map shows the watershed address of part of Central Illinois. Click a location to go to that watershed’s page.