Prairie Research Institute Illinois State Water Survey

Put ISWS’ long-term, statewide data to work for your project. Use our interactive mapping tools and downloadable datasets to analyze local climate patterns, evaluate flood and drought risks, track groundwater resources, monitor water quality, and more.

Climate & Weather

Access weather, soil, and solar data from 19 Illinois Climate Network (ICN) stations across Illinois. Part of our Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program, ICN provides current and long-term data on numerous parameters, including air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, precipitation, and soil temperature and moisture.

Users can also:

Learn more about our climate and weather research.

Surface Water

Access ISWS’ watershed and lake maps and streamflow data, which includes magnitudes, monthly statistics, and 7-day 10-year low flow frequencies.

Flooding

Visualize your community’s flood risk with resources from our Coordinated Hazard Assessment and Mapping Program (CHAMP).

Learn more about how our research helps communities minimize flood risk.

Drought

Monitor and mitigate drought impacts across Illinois using our data and tools.

Learn more about our work on drought.

Wells & Groundwater

Use our interactive tools to access water well records, visualize Illinois’ major aquifer systems and their features, and monitor groundwater levels statewide. Browse our well and groundwater resources.

Water Quality

Tap into our water quality databases for Illinois’ waterways and groundwater sources.

Sediment Monitoring Network

Established in 1981, ISWS’ Sediment Monitoring Network provides a long-term database of suspended sediment transport in Illinois waterways, which can be used to:

  • assess trends in sediment transport,
  • estimate sediment loads for unmonitored streams,
  • evaluate the effectiveness of watershed management programs, and
  • identify watersheds with high rates of soil erosion and sediment delivery.

Learn more about the Sediment Monitoring Network or visit the suspended sediment database

Illinois River Water Quality Database

This water quality database, accessible via the Illinois Rivers Decision Support System, aggregates Illinois River data from select ISWS projects.

Explore the Illinois River water quality database.

Groundwater Quality Database

ISWS maintains a groundwater quality database for samples collected from wells in Illinois. It pulls together data from multiple sources, including:

  • Illinois Environmental Protection Agency ambient water quality data, from public water supply wells dating back to the 1970s
  • ISWS Public Service Laboratory (PSL) data, primarily from domestic wells
  • ISWS research project data

The database contains more than 60,000 samples, some dating back to the 1890s. Users can search by location, facility, well, well depth, aquifer, sample date, sample number, and water quality parameters.

Water Use

Explore and download Illinois water use data with our suite of interactive mapping tools. From analyzing community water sources and public facility withdrawals to tracking center pivot irrigation trends, these resources provide critical insights into the state’s water demand.

Vertical Datum Conversion Factors

Download our Vertical Datum Conversion Factors map, which displays countywide values for converting elevations from the National Geodetic Vertical Datum 1929 (NGVD 29) to the North American Vertical Datum 1988 (NAVD 88).