Water
East Fork silver creek WATERSHED
Madison and Bond Counties| 62,923 Acres
Drains to: Silver Creek
Communities: Alhambra, Grantfork, Highland, Marine, New Douglas, Old Ripley, St. Jacob
Townships and Districts: Alhambra, Burgess, Helvetia, Jarvis, Leef, Marine, New Douglas, Old Ripley, Saline, Shoal Creek, St. Jacob
Impairments: Dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, alteration in streamside or littoral vegetative covers, other regime flow alterations, changes in stream depth and velocity patterns, and loss of instream cover
Watershed Plan: 30% Completion by December 2024
About This Watershed
The East Fork Silver Creek watershed contains Highland Silver Lake which is a 550-acre lake that supplies water to more than 5,000 customers in the City of Highland, the Village of St. Jacob, the Village of Grantfork, the Village of Pierron, and unincorporated areas in Madison and Bond counties. People use the lake for boating, fishing, and other recreational activities. The lake receives large amounts of sediment and other pollutants as a result of soil erosion upstream.
Funding Opportunities
The Highland Silver Lake watershed Illinois EPA 319 Nonpoint Source Grant opportunity ended in Fall 2021. Thank you to the City of Highland and the many landowners who participated in the program.