The Lake Bloomington watershed project is addressing nutrient runoff in Illinois by identifying high-risk areas for nutrient loss and implementing farmer-driven solutions. By targeting these “hot spots,” researchers are working with local watershed groups to promote conservation practices like cover crops, which can significantly reduce nutrient runoff and improve water quality. 

Over the winter, Dr. Shalamar Armstrong’s team developed an 8-10 year water quality baseline for the Lake Bloomington watershed and calibrated a SWAT model to identify nitrate “hot spots.” The project has also planned ground truth sampling in both streams and on-farm locations to ensure data accuracy. Additionally, a conservation tour within the watershed educated local farmers about the importance of nutrient conservation practices, from the farm to the water treatment plant. 

In the coming months, the project will focus on identifying farmers in the high-risk hot spots and securing funding to encourage cover crop adoption and other conservation practices. The impact of these practices will be closely monitored, with efforts to measure water quality improvements in streams. To further engage the farming community, field days will be held to share information about nutrient conservation at both the field and watershed level. 

This Illinois Soybean Checkoff-funded project highlights the importance of local collaboration to tackle nutrient loss. To learn more about this project and others aimed at improving water quality, visit the Field Advisor Research Hub.  

The top figure represented the stream flow dynamics in the Lake Bloomington watershed for 13 years from 2010-2023. The bottom figure represents the stream water nitrate concentrations over the same period (2010-2023). (Credit – S. Armstrong)