March 9, 2004

Water Quality Research Provides Science-based Information to Help Guide Policy

Water quality is an issue that affects everyone, regardless of where you live--and it continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing our society. There are concerns that excess nutrients and sediment are causing impairment of our rivers, streams, and lakes. In July 2003, the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR) launched a targeted, three-year research effort through its Strategic Research Initiative (SRI) Program to address these concerns and provide science-based information to help guide regulatory policy-making.

"We need unbiased standards, based on the best available science, to compare water resources and determine when water quality is impaired," said George Czapar, University of Illinois Extension educator and project leader. "We have to prioritize our efforts to do the most good with limited financial resources. These standards consider run-off and drainage from farm fields, but they also include discharges from factories and sewage treatment plants. As a result, they directly affect both farm and urban residents."

While water quality covers a wide range of issues, the C-FAR water quality strategic research initiative (WQ-SRI) focuses on two primary goals: (1) to help develop the scientific basis for nutrient standards in the surface waters of Illinois, and (2) to assist in the appropriate development and implementation of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount to the pollutant's sources. It is the sum of the allowable loads of a single pollutant from all contributing point and nonpoint sources.

The WQ-SRI research team is comprised of scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Extension, Illinois State University, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois State Water Survey, and Illinois Natural History Survey. Researchers work in close collaboration with regulatory agencies in Illinois. An advisory team from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) and Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) provided input into identifying the state's research needs.

Since water quality standards need to consider all sources of nutrients, WQ-SRI scientists are collaborating and receiving support from municipalities throughout the state, including the Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC). "There is currently a lack of adequate scientific information on the effects of nutrients on Illinois rivers and streams," said Richard Lanyon, MWRDGC Director of Research and Development. "We believe that the research projects C-FAR is funding will provide valuable information to the scientific and regulatory community on this issue."

The SRI is organized into four research teams, each with a different focus. Project components include a detailed analysis of existing IEPA data, intensive sampling at fixed locations, and state-wide temporal sampling at 150 to 200 sites. The four project components are:

• The effects of phosphorus mediated through algal biomass in Illinois streams
• Spatial and temporal relationships between biotic integrity of Illinois streams, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients
• Seasonal dynamics of nutrients, algae and dissolved oxygen in agriculturally dominated headwater streams: the link between land-use and water quality
• The impact of sediments on the potential bioavailability of phosphorus in Illinois streams

"Another benefit of having four research teams working together is that scientists can readily share information and select water sampling methodologies and laboratory procedures that are most effective," said Czapar.

Jo Lynn Traub, Water Division director for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) said, "We are fortunate to have such an important effort underway in the region. The C-FAR effort is making a major contribution to the work of developing scientifically defensible water quality criteria for the surface waters in Region 5."

"This is an extremely important initiative within our research portfolio," said Alan Puzey, chairman of the C-FAR Board of Directors. "It was clear from the direction of our Natural Resources working group that our investment in this area would have a major impact in our state."

C-FAR research funding is provided by the State of Illinois. C-FAR gratefully acknowledges the State of Illinois for this financial investment in the future of Illinois.

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