What We Do
Prairie Du Pont Project
Project Updates
Draft materials and technical reports are ready for committee review. More items will be added to the review folder as they are completed.
Click here to see draft items for review
The Best Management Practices (BMP) Demonstration Projects Committee has completed their process for ranking potential demonstration projects.
Click here to see the ranked list
Looking for maps and GIS data files from recent meetings? (NEW Critical Area maps!)
Click here to get the maps and data
Questions/Preguntas | Contact/Contacto
Laura L. Lyon, Vice President of Program Strategy & Impact
(618) 566-4451 ext. 22 laura.lyon@heartlandsconservancy.org
Project Background
HeartLands Conservancy has partnered with Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) to embark on a watershed planning process for the Prairie du Pont and St. Clair County portion of Judy’s Branch watersheds. These watersheds cover a 96,250-acre area in St. Clair and Monroe counties!
Watershed planning is a way to strategically identify and address water quality, sanitary sewer, and flooding issues, creating a long-term vision for the improvement of drainage. The planning process will bring together technical analysis and public input to create a roadmap for healthier watersheds. When complete, these plans will make informed recommendations on how to decrease flood damage, repair sanitary sewers, improve water quality, reduce soil erosion, and restore fish and wildlife habitat.
Best management practices (BMPs) are installations that will act as pilot demonstrations to help reduce flooding and sewage issues in known problem areas. These projects can include sewer system repairs, pump station maintenance, sediment capture, and bioswales. The purpose of installing these BMPs is to immediately help improve the health of the watershed and also provide a guide for future projects to be installed.
Past Meetings
September 19 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM | Open House #3
Review final plan maps and recommendations.
PPT Presentation | Load Reduction & BMP Examples | Store & Absorb Priorities | Slow & Spread Priorities | Reduce & Build Better Priorities | Drain & Flow Priorities| Proposed Oversight
Kappa House, 5101 Lake Drive, Cahokia Heights, IL 62203
August 22 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM | Watershed Planning Committee (Canceled Due to No Attendance)
Review of final plan elements; discussion of advisory committee to carry plan forward.
PPT Presentation
Meeting Notes | Handouts | DRAFT Goals and Recommendations Boards | Recordings
Kappa House, 5101 Lake Drive, Cahokia Heights, IL 62203
August 22| 1:30 – 3:30 PM | Technical Advisory Committee
Review final plan elements.
PPT Presentation
Meeting Notes | Handouts | Draft Goals and Recommendations Boards | Recordings
Kappa House, 5101 Lake Drive, Cahokia Heights, IL 62203
April 25 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM | Watershed Planning Committee
Review preliminary recommendations and draft plan.
Agenda | PPT Presentation
DRAFT Recommendations (BMPs) | DRAFT Goals, Actions, Strategies
Meeting Notes | Recordings
Clyde C Jordan Senior Center, 6755 State St, East St Louis, IL 62203
March 7 | 1:30 – 3:30 PM | Technical Advisory Committee
Review technical appendices, preliminary recommendations, and BMP project updates.
Agenda | PPT Presentation
Link to folder of draft items for review
STEPL Handout
WPC Draft Goals | Critical Area maps
Meeting Notes | Recordings (incomplete due to technical issues)
Kappa House, 5101 Lake Drive, Cahokia Heights, IL 62203
October 25 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM | Open House #2
Provide updates on the Draft Watershed Plan. Partner organizations and agency representatives will share information about their efforts in the watershed.
Updated Flyer | Social Media Graphic | Press Release
Kappa House, 5101 Lake Drive, Cahokia Heights, IL 62203
Thank you to everyone who attended the Open House on October 25. In addition to the watershed plan project team, the following organizations also shared information with the community:
- City of Cahokia Heights
- FEMA – Region 5
- Hurst-Rosche
- Illinois American Water
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources
- Illinois River Watch
- Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Geological Survey
October 13 | 1:30 – 3:30 PM | Technical Advisory Committee
Provide updates on the Draft Watershed Plan.
Meeting Agenda | PPT Presentation
Meeting Notes | Recordings
Kappa House, 5101 Lake Drive, Cahokia Heights, IL 62203
September 27 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM | BMP Demonstration Projects Committee
Finalize ranking of potential demonstration projects.
Meeting Agenda | PPT Presentation
Project Descriptions (Binder) | Binder Cover Page
Ranking Sheet with Instructions (to be completed by Committee Members)
Updated Spreadsheet of Projects
Meeting Notes | Recordings
Kappa House, 5101 Lake Drive, Cahokia Heights, IL 62203
July 21 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM | Watershed Planning Committee
Provide updates on demonstration project rankings. Review elements of draft plan.
Meeting Agenda
PPT Presentation | Handout for Virtual Participants
Water Sampling Volunteer Info Sheet
Meeting Notes | Recordings
Clyde C Jordan Senior Center | 6755 State St, East St Louis, IL 62203
July 14 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM | BMP Demonstration Projects Committee
Rank potential demonstration projects.
Agenda | PPT Presentation | BMP Descriptions Handout
List of all Project Suggestions received by July 7 | Map of Suggested Projects
HANDOUT – Project Ranking Worksheet July 14
Meeting Notes | Recordings
June 16 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM | Open House #1
Share information and gather input from the community.
Kappa House, 5101 Lake Drive, Cahokia Heights, IL 62203
June 16 | 1:30 – 3:30 PM | Technical Advisory Committee
Review watershed plan materials developed to date; gather suggestions for potential projects.
Meeting Agenda
PPT Presentation | Printable Project Suggestion Form | Project Suggestion Form Link
Update from USACE
Maps and GIS Data
Meeting Notes | Recordings
June 9 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM | BMP Demonstration Projects Committee
Establish project ranking criteria and identify potential demonstration projects.
Meeting Agenda
PPT Presentation | Meeting Notes | Recordings
May 19 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM | Watershed Planning Committee
First meeting of the Watershed Planning Committee to discuss the committee’s role in the watershed plan, relationship to other committees and timeline for completion of demonstration projects and watershed plan.
Meeting Agenda
PPT Presentation | Meeting Notes | Recordings
May 5 | 6:00 – 7:30 PM | BMP Demonstration Projects Committee
First meeting of the BMP Demonstration Projects Committee to discuss the committee’s role in the watershed plan, relationship to other committees and timeline for completion of demonstration projects and watershed plan.
Meeting Agenda
PPT Presentation | Meeting Notes | Recordings
April 21 | 1:30 – 3:00 PM | Technical Advisory Committee
First meeting of the Technical Committee to discuss the committee’s role in the watershed plan, relationship to the other committees and timeline for completion of demonstration projects and watershed plan.
Meeting Agenda
PPT Presentation | Meeting Notes | Recordings