General Overview
The Office of Water Resources administers
regulatory programs over construction in the floodways of rivers, lakes,
and streams; construction in the shorewaters of Lake Michigan; construction
and operation of dams; construction and other activities in public bodies of water; diversion
of water from Lake Michigan; and withdrawal of water from Lake Shelbyville,
Carlyle Lake, and Rend Lake. The Office is the lead state agency for water
resources planning, navigation, floodplain management, the National Flood
Insurance Program, and interstate organizations on water resources. Interagency
duties include the state water plan, drought response, flood emergency
situation reports, and the comprehensive review of Illinois water use law.
The Office of Water Resources consists
of five divisions: Water Resource Planning, Project Implementation, Water
Resource Management, Program Development, and Administrative Services.
Office personnel operate the William G. Stratton lock and dam on the Fox
River, the Sinnissippi Dam on the Rock River, and other state-owned dams
or water control facilities. The office sponsors water resources research
and operates stream gauging stations, flood gauges, precipitation gauges,
and lake water stage recorders in cooperation with federal, state, and local
cooperators.
The Division of Water
Resource Management, Regulatory Programs
The Division of Water Resource Management
is responsible for regulating activities within or adjacent to Illinois
rivers, lakes and streams; allocating and monitoring water use from Lake
Michigan; coordinating the National Flood Insurance Program; and administering
the nonstructural flood mitigation program.
These responsibilities are carried
out through four program sections:
NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS REGULATORY
PROGRAMS
The Northeastern Illinois Regulatory
Programs Section is responsible for floodplain management activities in
the metropolitan Chicago counties of Cook, Dupage, Kane, Lake, McHenry
and Will. Permits
are issued for construction of dams, construction in
the floodway of streams and activities in and along public bodies of water.
The section administers a program through which local governments are delegated
authority to approve construction projects under the state's floodway construction
rules. The section assists the Statewide Programs Section in the coordination
of the National Flood Insurance Program.
DOWNSTATE REGULATORY PROGRAMS
The Downstate Regulatory Programs Section
is responsible for floodplain management activities in the remaining counties.
Permits
(see Permit Programs) are issued
for construction of dams, construction in the floodway of streams and activities
in and along public bodies of water. The section assists the Statewide
Programs Section in the coordination of the National Flood Insurance Program.
STATEWIDE PROGRAMS
The Statewide Programs Section is responsible
for non-permit programs that are applicable in all areas of the state.
The section is responsible for the nonstructural mitigation program which
purchases and removes structures which are repeatedly flooded. The section
leads coordination activities for the National Flood Insurance Program.
The section coordinates the development of regulatory floodplain mapping
and approval of stream discharges used for regulatory programs. The section
provides coordination of state assistance to regional stormwater management
programs.
LAKE MICHIGAN PROGRAMS
The Lake Michigan Programs Section
is responsible for the management of the state's interests in Lake Michigan.
Permits (see
Permit Programs) are issued
for activities in and adjacent to Lake Michigan. The section also administers
the allocation of water
from Lake Michigan. The
section monitors technical studies and data collection activities related
to the lake level and bank erosion and sediment movement in the lake. The
section represents the state of Illinois on interstate and international
organizations related to Lake Michigan.
The Division provides these services
through offices in Chicago, Bartlett and Springfield. Contact the Division
as indicated below.
Division of Water Resources Planning Programs
In addition to its normal functions, the
Division of Water Resource Planning gathers water resource data prior to,
during and following a flood or other disaster. This data is assembled
and disseminated to various state and local agencies. Representatives of
the Division act as the Technical Liaison to the Illinois Emergency Management
Agency (IEMA) and provide daily briefings on flood conditions of monitored
streams throughout the state and its boundary waters. In cooperation with
the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a summary sheet of
river stage information is provided.
The primary capital activity of the Office
is in the area of urban flood damage reduction. The Office assists units
of local government with urban flood damage reduction projects through
planning, design, construction, and financial assistance. The urban flood
damage reduction program also features the acquisition of flood prone homes
and businesses.
Urban Flood Control Assistance Programs
The Office of Water Resources (OWR) receives
many requests for assistance to solve urban flooding and other related
water resources problems, each of which leads to some category of study
or action. Requests for assistance are received either in writing
or verbally from a variety of sources, including local citizens and officials
from local, State, and Federal levels of government where an investigation
is made on each request, and the most efficient and cost effective approach
to each solution is selected. The solution to a flood problem can
generally be addressed by a private individual or some governmental entity.
If the solution is within OWR’s authority and capability, a course of action
is taken based on the following parameters:
1) magnitude of the problem,
2) responsibilities of the various parties
involved,
3) feasibility of the solution, and
4) most expeditious solution to the problem.
Technical Advice and Referral
OWR reviews each request for assistance
to determine if OWR has authority to respond in specific areas. An
initial determination may be made that a particular flood problem is beyond
the scope of OWR programs (not an urban problem) and it may be referred
to a more appropriate agency (Corps of Engineers, Natural Resources Conservation
Service, etc.). For instance, if the problem is related to some type
of erosion process, it is generally considered the responsibility of the
property owner. In such a case, technical advice is provided to the
owner to resolve the problem, and where applicable, assistance is requested
from the Natural Resources Conservation
Service.
If the problem involves property or improvements
constructed by other state agencies, the problem is referred to those agencies.
However, OWR is frequently requested to provide technical assistance to
those agencies to solve the problem or produce a multipurpose project to
meet both agencies needs.
If the problem is generated as a result
of construction activity by a private individual, the solution may be referred
to the OWR’s Permit Section for enforcement action. An OWR permit
is required for work on Illinois streams if a mapped floodway exists at
the project site or if the drainage area at the proposed work is greater
than 1 sq. mi. in urban/urbanizing areas, or 10 sq. mi. in rural areas.
Study Process
When a request for assistance is received
relative to a severe flood problem, it may be addressed through a study
process which begins with an initial feasibility determination based on
preliminary estimates of flood damages and potential solutions. This
preliminary investigation may be in the form of a Reconnaissance Study
in which pertinent, available flood data is collected through field activities
including the operation of a modernized water resources data collection network and
the acquisition of field survey data to determine whether a
Strategic Planning Study is warranted. A Strategic Planning
Study can take twelve months or longer to complete and provides an accurate
prediction of flood damages and alternative solutions to the flood problem,
including average annual benefits and costs associated with each alternative.
OWR authority generally requires a favorable Benefit/Cost Ratio (B/C ratio
equal or greater than 1.0) to proceed to a Project Planning Study and
implementation as a total State project. Strategic Planning Studies are
performed inhouse, by consultants, or by cost sharing/coordination with other
governmental
agencies or entities.
Project Planning Studies are performed
in the next phase of the study process. This phase is initiated if
the local entity requesting assistance has agreed to be a local sponsor
for a selected alternative. (see Criteria for State Participation below)
Project Planning Studies are more detailed engineering design studies and
are only performed for projects scheduled to be implemented as OWR projects.
Environmental reviews and approvals as well as necessary permits are usually
secured in this phase of the planning process.
Following the Project Planning Study phase, plans, specifications, permits
and appropriation of funds, are the final steps required to bring projects
to the implementation/construction phase.
Criteria For State Participation In Flood Control Projects:
OWR involvement in a project may be dependent upon the circumstances
surrounding the problem, but can generally be defined by the following criteria:
1) Flood damages exist which are related to overbank flooding.
2) Justification must be shown
for State Water Resources funds used for a project. (Benefits greater than costs)
3) Each project must have a Local Sponsor(s) (generally a unit of local government).
4) Project Implementation requires an executed local
sponsorship agreement. Under this agreement, the local sponsor(s)
is responsible for:
Joining and remaining in good
standing in the National Flood Insurance Program
Acquiring all necessary land rights for
construction, operation, and maintenance of the project;
Any utility alterations required for the
project
Payment of any construction costs above
the amount of Water Resources’ participation;
Operation and maintenance of the project
upon completion.
5) Project planning, environmental
coordination, design, preparation of plans and specifications, and overseeing
of construction can be done by either the local sponsor(s) or Water Resources
if time and personnel are available. Water Resources pays contract
bills as the work is completed. Reimbursement is not allowable.
Small Projects
This program provides direct assistance
to rural and smaller urban communities statewide to reduce stormwater related
flood damages by alleviating localized, significant drainage and flood
problems.
In some cases a solution to a flood problem
is readily at hand and a preliminary investigation indicates the potential
for a feasible and inexpensive project exists. In such a case, the
actual cost of implementing the improvement does not warrant the expense
associated with the formal study process (Reconnaissance Study, Strategic
Planning Study, Project Planning Study, etc.). Therefore, the project is
implemented with minimum studies and the time interval between the request for
assistance and actual implementation can be reduced. However, necessary
permits and environmental clearances must still be obtained. The
program relies on cooperative utilization of local resources and is limited
to $100,000 of Water Resources funds at a single locality.
Self Help Program
If a community has sufficient manpower
and equipment to construct a flood control improvement but lacks engineering
capability, OWR design assistance can be provided as manpower allows.
This generally is in the form of design changes to existing flood control
projects to allow for better utilization, or channel modifications within
the problem area. Assistance can also be provided to assist local
officials with the necessary expertise to acquire rights-of-way.
Stream Maintenance
OWR assistance can involve project design
and construction, with the help of prison labor. OWR can also furnish
the chain saws and hand tools required by the prison workers. Subsequent
maintenance of the project is the responsibility of the community, which
could directly request the assistance of the Department of Corrections
in that regard.
This program allows OWR to construct small
flood control projects which have no State capital cost component other
than manpower and equipment. The benefitting community is required
to provide all capital costs associated with the project. OWR provides a one
time service to construct or improve an existing facility, thus providing
a community with a project within their capabilities to maintain, and one
which functions more efficiently and accrues benefits.
Due to current manpower restrictions, OWR
participation in Stream Maintenance activities is very limited.
Stream Preservation
OWR is the lead agency for the development
and coordination of watershed-wide stream preservation programs for floodwater
management plans in Northeastern Illinois, and assumed responsibility for the
development of a stream preservation program as a part of the non-structural
program of the Chicago Metropolitan River Basin Plans directed at preserving
the existing flow capacity of designated stream channels. Stream preservation
refers to the management of a stream’s conveyance capacity and
can include natural channels and environmental enhancements. It consists
of periodic reconnaissance, maintenance, removal of trash and debris, vegetation
management, and periodic removal of sediment deposits by local units of
government.
OWR works with local communities through
Memoranda of Understanding which outline a cooperative approach to stream
channels in a community. A handbook has been prepared which describes
the program.
As in the Stream Maintenance program, prison
workers can be used for the clearing and snagging of streams. The
initial stream preservation project work could possibly be arranged for
the communities by OWR, with the communities making their own arrangements
with Corrections for future stream preservation assistance.
It includes the following goals and objectives:
•
Keep debris, sediment, and restrictive vegetation out of rivers and streams.
•
Convey floodwater safely through each community.
•
Assure that flood control structural measures will perform as planned by
maintaining unobstructed inflows and outflows.
•
Provide for annual inspection and maintenance of the key rivers and streams
in each watershed.
•
Encourage each community to assume responsibility for maintenance of the
stream portion within its jurisdiction.
•
Provide assistance and advice to communities and other regional agencies
when needed.
•
Encourage environmental awareness of the general public.
The program has been implemented and coordinated through various watershed steering committees and in various
Chicago Metro area watersheds.
Local Flood Mitigation Program
OWR provides technical assistance to encourage
communities to initiate a variety of flood hazard mitigation activities.
This assistance includes site visits to determine the feasibility of a
flood control project, manuals and training programs on flood damage prevention
and reduction measures, and direct advice on designing, funding and implementing
these measures at the local level.
Some flood damage reduction measures, such
as a flood warning and flood fighting plan or a floodplain regulations
ordinance, can be funded and implemented completely by the community.
Others, particularly those that involve acquisition of real estate, can
be very expensive and beyond a community’s financial ability.
When funded by the General Assembly, OWR
can assist a community by implementing certain flood damage reduction projects
that are proposed by a local mitigation plan, such as: acquisition of real
estate, clearing of publicly owned flood prone property and the restoration
of the land to a safe and manageable open space area, elevating or floodproofing
of public structures, the purchase of equipment such as a flood warning
siren, or the preparation of plans and specifications for eligible projects.
Flood Control Planning
The Flood Control Act of 1945, 615 ILCS 15, gives the Office of Water Resources (OWR) legal authority
to participate in the improvement of the rivers of the State for the purpose
of regulating and controlling flood and low-water flows. Criteria followed
by the Office relating to flood control planning include:
Assurance that the most severely damaged areas receive priority consideration
and assistance from State and Federal sources.
•
State water resource projects be designed to maximize economic efficiency
at minimal environmental impact.
•
State expenditures result in the maximum benefits for the least possible
cost.
•
Local interest and investment of funds be required as evidence of involvement
in any project.
OWR, through its regular
flood control program and in cooperation with local governmental sponsors, has
provided over 5350 acre-feet of floodwater storage in eleven reservoirs,
as well as improved channels at numerous locations throughout the Chicago
Metropolitan Area.
OWR participates in Federal
programs within the legal authority of State Statutes. OWR is an active
sponsor, along with other regional and local agencies, of floodwater management
plans developed with NRCS,
MWRD,
and the U.S. Corps of Engineers assistance. Sponsor
responsibilities include land acquisition needed for the structural measures
and implementation of various non-structural programs and project operations
and maintenance.
Contacting us:
Our Contact Information Page.
