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icy road during winter
Read article: What’s the difference between snow, sleet, and freezing rain?
What’s the difference between snow, sleet, and freezing rain?
Winter precipitation is on its way. Rain, snow, sleet, and freezing rain are all potential types of precipitation. Rain is liquid water, while the...
Flooded road
Read article: Stormwater woes, and how rain gardens can help
Stormwater woes, and how rain gardens can help
A local problem with widespread implications What is a watershed? No matter where you live, you are in a watershed. All of Illinois, minus that...
garden hose hanging on a spigot
Read article: Summer tip: Now is the time to prevent a fused garden hose in the Autumn
Summer tip: Now is the time to prevent a fused garden hose in the Autumn
A tale as old as time I’ve been there. It is late fall and there is a hard freeze about to hit. A wise gardener once warned leaving a hose connected...
a wilted tree branch
Read article: How to protect landscape plantings during drought
How to protect landscape plantings during drought
The summer of 2012 saw my first year as an Extension horticulture educator; it also was one of the driest years on record. Illinois saw massive...
Person holding a glass filled with water
Read article: When was the last time your well was inspected
When was the last time your well was inspected
A properly constructed and maintained water well can provide many years of trouble free service, but a well can deteriorate or become damaged...
person drinking water
Read article: Stay hydrated this winter
Stay hydrated this winter
Keeping our bodies hydrated is important for our overall health and wellness....
Read article: More late fall chores to keep you busy
More late fall chores to keep you busy
By now, most of the outdoor...
a microburst storm in the sky
Read article: What is a Microburst?
What is a Microburst?
As I write this, folks just a few miles away are sawing up downed trees and clearing debris from severe wind damage that occurred during a round of...

News Releases

Study forecasts tile drainage and crop rotation changes for nitrogen loss
URBANA, Ill. – Midwestern agriculture contributes the vast majority of nitrogen in the Gulf of Mexico, causing an oxygen-starved hypoxic zone and challenging coastal economies. State and federal policies have tried for decades to provide solutions and incentives, but the hypoxic zone keeps...
All in the planning: State policies working to fix Gulf nutrient pollution
URBANA, Ill. – Tackling nutrient pollution in the Gulf of Mexico is a big job, requiring coordination between dozens of states whose waters flow into the Mississippi. Although a 2011 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency memo set a framework for each state to reduce its nutrient load, it was up...
Gully erosion prediction tools can lead to better land management
URBANA, Ill. – ­Soil erosion is a significant problem for agricultural production, impacting soil quality and causing pollutants to enter waterways. Among all stages of soil erosion, gully erosion is the most severe phase, where large channels are carved through the field. Once gullies develop,...
Illinois report says native fish overlooked as invaders in U.S. waters
URBANA, Ill. – Rivers split across mountaintops and other geographic barriers may flow only a few miles from one another, but to the aquatic creatures in those waters, the separation could represent millions of years of evolutionary time. So, when an angler or a curious child moves a fish from...

Staff