Water
WOOD RIVER WATERSHED
Madison, Macoupin and Jersey counties | 78,500 Acres
Drains to: Mississippi River
Communities: Alton, Bethalto, Brighton, Godfrey, East Alton, Rosewood Heights
Townships and Districts: Alton, Brighton, Bunker Hill, Fort Russel, Foster, Godfrey, Hillyard, Moro, Piasa, Shipman, Wood River
Impairments: dissolved oxygen and fecal coliform, alteration in steam-side or littoral vegetative covers, changes in steam depth and velocity patterns, loss of instream cover, aquatic algae, aquatic plants, sedimentation/siltation
Watershed Plan Completed: 2020 – IEPA Approval 2020
About This Watershed
The Wood River watershed is an area in southwestern Illinois that drains to East Fork Wood River, West Fork Wood River, and Wood River before flowing into the Mississippi River. Flooding is a problem throughout the watershed, both where creeks rise up out of their banks and in urban areas (i.e., “flash flooding”).
Funding Opportunities
HeartLands Conservancy received grant funding from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to help private and public landowners address erosion, sediment runoff, and soil loss in portions of the Wood River watershed region.
Through this voluntary program, eligible landowners can receive reimbursement for 50% of engineering design and construction costs for qualified water quality improvement projects completed during the grant period.
Eligible projects may include grassed waterways, ponds, water and sediment control basins, cover crops, shoreline stabilization, stream channel stabilization, and streambank stabilization.
For more information: Wood River Press Release 08.04.2026
To express interest and find out if you are eligible, please complete this form.