Illinois National Guard soldiers move sandbags through flood waters at East Cape Girardeau, Illinois, on June 12, 2019, as they construct a sandbag levee to control flooding in the community. (Barbara Wilson / Illinois National Guard)

Illinois officials are about to release a draft of the first comprehensive overhaul of the State Water Plan in 40 years, with climate change and flood mitigation among the critical issues the document is set to address.

Members of the water plan task force will unveil the preliminary report and provide a brief overview of its contents at a series of public forums scheduled for the coming week. They’ll also explain the process for providing feedback on the draft.

People can attend the sessions either in-person or virtually (click here for information on how to access the meetings online):

— Aug. 24, 1-3 p.m., Yorkville Public Library, Community Room, 902 Game Farm Road, Yorkville (map)

— Aug. 25, 6-8 p.m., John A. Logan College, Room 104, 700 Logan College Drive, Carterville (map)

— Aug. 29, 10 a.m. to noon, Illinois Department of Agriculture Administrative Building, auditorium, 801 E. Sangamon Ave., Springfield (map)

The state’s water plan was first created in 1967 and it underwent significant revisions in 1984. The current task force — including representatives from Illinois EPA and the state's departments of public health, natural resources, agriculture and transportation, among others — first met in March 2019 to begin the process of a thorough review and update.

In addition to climate change and flooding, the task force identified water quality, conservation, erosion and protection of aquatic habitat as some of the other topics to consider. 

Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 |  [email protected]