Groundwater Protection Program McHenry County, Illinois

							Groundwater Protection Program
    McHenry County, Illinois

      Cassandra McKinney
     Water Resource Manager
If all the worlds water were fit into a gallon
 jug, the fresh water available for us to use
  would equal only about one tablespoon.
          Goals of the
 Groundwater Protection Program:
• To preserve and protect the quantity and quality of
  groundwater.

• To ensure sustainable yields of potable water for
  current and future generations.

• To facilitate stakeholder engagement in
  groundwater issues and related decision-making
  processes.

• To build a strong base of support for groundwater
  protection by encouraging communication and
  dialogue among stakeholders.
Integrated Water Resources
  7 Step Planning Process
    Identify Problems and Opportunities

         Create a Planning Team

        Inventories and Forecasting

       Formulating Alternative Plans

        Evaluating Alternative Plans

         Ranking Alternative Plans

           Plan Implementation
  National Pollution
Discharge Elimination
  System (NPDES)

• Most Americans probably believe that
  groundwater is safely beyond the reach of
  contamination.

• McHenry County is one of the most susceptible
  counties in Illinois to Groundwater Pollution and
  our daily activities can impact the water we
  drink.
                 NPDES

• How does NPDES impact the quality of our
 Groundwater?

          Wynnyth Adair, P.E.
          Drainage Engineer
McHenry County Division of Transportation
            Work Program
       Methodology and Timeline
• Complete Timeline is available on the Task Force
  Website.
  – Anticipated Completion - Spring of 2009

• Winter Break for December and January
   – Subcommittees to continue meeting

• Subcommittee Final Reports
   – Will be presented in February

• 2008 Calendar
   – Available on the Task Force Website
       Subcommittee Updates

• Hazardous Materials and
  Household Hazardous
  Waste Recycling

• Pavement De-icing

• Education
CMAP: Regional Water Supply
  Planning Group Update




             For More Information:
http://cmap.illinois.gov/watersupply/default.aspx
   Planning Assistance to States
             Request
• $300,000 Earmark from Congressman
  Manzullo
• Requirements:
  – Work with the US Army Corps of Engineers
  – Our project(s) are limited by what the Corps
    can assist us with.
  – Written request for planning assistance was
    submitted by October 1st.
Requested assistance to complete:

 1. Survey of monitoring wells in McHenry County

                  ….And/Or….

       2. Chloride Study of the County

                   …And/Or…

      3. Map High Quality Recharge Areas.
           Geologic Mapping

• Meeting with ISGS and ISWS next week

• Will Discuss:
  – Expanding the geologic mapping of McHenry Co.
  – Groundwater Flow models
  – Putting information into a GIS layer
       Benefits of Geologic
            Mapping

• Delineation of critical groundwater recharge areas

• Improve groundwater flow models and reduce their
  uncertainty

• Increased understanding of ground and surface
  water interactions

• Support of regional and sub regional water supply
  management decisions
                            Other….
• Update website weekly
   – New page exclusively for Task Force Members
   – http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/common/countyDpt/WaterRes/taskforce.asp


• Call for Articles…

• Water Use Calculator

• ISAWWA Conference
   – Presenting in March
Upcoming Events


       “What is your Water IQ?”
             November 17th
            12:30 - 4:00 PM
         McHenry County College
           Conference Center
         Upcoming Events

• Meeting with the Regional Superintendent
        of Schools on November 15th

    • Meeting with all McHenry County
        Superintendents of Schools
            on February 8th
 “We abuse land because
     we regard it as a
 commodity belonging to
us. When we see land as a
 community to which we
 belong, we may begin to
    use it with love and
          respect.”
Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac




             Questions?
       Next Meeting




Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 2PM
         Happy Holidays!