A second lake in Jacksonville has been added to a University of Illinois study on physical depths for bodies of water.
Last August, Jacksonville city Council approved a surface water supply “safe yield” survey for Lake Jacksonville. Last Monday, aldermen approved a resolution adding Lake Mauvaisterre to the survey.
City officials can use data from the survey to make future decisions on things like water usage restriction in the event of a drought.
Originally, the plan was for the survey to be conducted last fall, according to engineer Jamie Headen of Benton and Associates engineering firm, which is coordinating the effort.
“Some of the delay has been because the contract had been held up at the state level with the budget situation, and getting it through the U of I and getting that out into the city. There’s still a little bit of a delay, but it’s mainly on the contractual side,” says Headen.
“This work’s probably going to be done beginning this spring. Most of the field data will be taken into the spring and summer, and they’ll probably have reports to the city in the late summer, early fall.”
Lake Jacksonville is a secondary water source for the city. Lake Mauvaisterre and a well network in Scott County near the Illinois River are the primary sources.