Water

UPPER SILVER CREEK WATERSHED

Madison, Macoupin, and Montgomery Counties | 120,000 Acres

Drains to: Kaskaskia River

Communities: Alhambra, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Hamel, Livingston, Troy, Marine, Mount Olive, New Douglas, St. Jacob, Staunton, Troy, Williamson, Worden

Townships and Districts: Alhambra, Cahokia, Edwardsville, Hamel, Jarvis, Leef, Marine, Mount Olive/Staunton, New Douglas, Olive, Omphghent, Pin Oak, St. Jacob, Walshville

Impairments: Sediment, phosphorous, fecal coliform

Watershed Plan Completed: 2015 – IEPA Approval 2015

About This Watershed

The Upper Silver Creek Watershed is located 20 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Silver Creek flows south from the project area to join the Kaskaskia River, which ultimately drains into the Mississippi River. Wendell Branch, Mill Creek, and Lake Fork are major tributaries to Silver Creek in the watershed project area. The majority of the watershed’s population lives in unincorporated areas where farming is the primary land use. Agricultural land makes up 75% of the watershed, with most of that land in row crop farming.

HeartLands Conservancy completed a 319 nonpoint source grant to implement over 20 practices in the watershed in 2018.

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 Β |Β mary.vandevord@heartlandsconservancy.org