Water
LOWER SILVER CREEK WATERSHED
Madison and St. Clair Counties | 126,000 Acres
Drains to: Kaskaskia River
Communities: Belleville, Fairview Heights, Freeburg, Lebanon, Mascoutah, O’Fallon, Rentchler, Scott Air Force Base, Shiloh, Summerfield
Townships and Districts: Belleville, Caseyville, Engelmann, Freeburg, Jarvis, Lebanon, Mascoutah, New Athens, O’Fallon, Shiloh Valley, St. Clair, St. Jacob, Sugar Creek
Impairments: Phosphorous, sediment, nitrogen, dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, flooding, habitat degradation, wetlands loss, reduced infiltration to groundwater
Watershed Plan Completed: 2018 – IEPA Approval 2018
About This Watershed
The Lower Silver Creek watershed is located 20 miles east and south of St. Louis, Missouri. The majority of the watershed lies within St. Clair County, Illinois, and small portions lie within Madison and Clinton counties. Silver Creek flows south from the project area to join the Kaskaskia River, which ultimately drains into the Mississippi River. Most of the watershed’s 77,500 residents live in unincorporated areas where farming is the primary land use. Agricultural land makes up 63% of the watershed, with most of that land in row crop farming.
Funding Opportunities
HeartLands Conservancy and Scott Air Force Base have received a Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) grant from the Department of Defense. The grant can be used to acquire land or conservation easements in the floodplains of the Lower and Upper SIlver Creek watershed to store extra stormwater. The intent is to reduce stormwater flow into Scott Air Force base. The grant is available to match funds 50/50 through 2025.
For more information, contact Mary Vandevord.
(618) 566-4451 ex 20 | mary.vandevord@heartlandsconservancy.org