Illinois farmers discuss how cover crops fit into their systems, what they have learned along the way, and how these practices support soil health, nutrient management, erosion control, and farm profitability under very different soils and climate conditions.
Water Quality Videos
What’s in your water? Learn about common water pollutants, how your daily actions, indoor and outdoor, impact water quality, and how water is treated before returning to rivers and lakes. Simple tips to prevent pollution start with you.
This webinar was recorded on May 8, 2025. Find more...
Do you know where your drinking water comes from? Illinois is a diverse state when it comes to water resources, and where your water comes from depends on how much is available, the quality of a water source, and its contamination risk. Explore sources of drinking water in Illinois, get an...
From floodwaters to water pollution, Illinois Extension is here with information
Join University of Illinois Extension and C. Eliana Brown of Illinois Extension and Illinois-Indiana Sea...
Rain gardens and native plants incorporated into home and business landscapes can help to reduce localized flooding, improve local water quality, provide habitat for wildlife, and much more. Learn how to consider natural options to handle rain runoff and walk through the recent renovation of the...
The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy is a multi-agency partnership that works to keep our waterways and everything downstream healthy. Explore the three new best practices that have recently been added to the list of recommended practices: water and sediment control basins, saturated...
Explore how watershed-based planning is a collaborative, stakeholder-supported approach to improving and protecting water resources. Learn how Illinois conservation professionals are working with local stakeholders to preserve our natural resources.
More tile drainage is installed in Illinois and the Midwest every year in agricultural fields. Tile drainage allows farmers to optimize spring planting. It has also been shown to contribute nitrogen and phosphorus in waterways. Explore these edge-of-field conservation practices farmers...
What is the spread of zebra mussels in the Great Lakes and their impact on the ecology of the lakes?
Invasive quagga mussels are so entwined and influential in Lake Michigan’s food web that they are an essential first line of study. Scientists on the R/V Lake Guardian in 2015 measured the density and biomass of quaggas all across the lake using traditional sampling methods like PONAR grab...