Observed Soil Moisture Data

Observed soil moisture data are collected at 19 sites in Illinois by the Illinois State Water Survey’s Water and Atmospheric Monitoring program. The soil moisture is measured at 5 cm (2 inches), 10 cm (4 inches), 20 cm (8 inches), and 50 cm (20 inches). All amounts are reported as the fraction of water by volume of the soil. For example, a value of 0.35 means that 35% of the soil is occupied by water.

Silty clay loam soils, common in Illinois, are considered saturated at values of 0.45 to 0.50. Field capacity is in the neighborhood of 0.35. Values below about 0.20 would be at the permanent wilting point. As the name implies, that is the level where plants wilt and do not recover. Plant roots are unable to recover any water below this level because it is tightly bound to the soil particles.

See link to most recent soil moisture data:  http://www.isws.illinois.edu/warm/soiltemp.asp

Drought

It is offical: we are in a drought. The rainfall total map, below, shows that much of northern Illinois has received only 2-4 inches of rain in the last 60 days.

Northern Illinois

                                                                                                                                                             Here in Gurnee we are at 2 inches for the last 60 days.

Gurnee

8-14 Day Outlook for Rain

Water Shortage

The dry weather has been great for golf rounds but we are running out of water in our irrigation reservoir. This week we began transferring water from ponds on the golf course through the irrigation system backwards to the reservoir. Eventually we may need to buy water from the village, but if we can hold out, until the rain replenishes our supply, the water savings will be applied to better use.

trash pump #1 connected to pond feed

trash pump #2 to pond feed

getting dry but hanging in there

starting to aerify fairways and hand water to conserve water