Watershed Based Management of the Kankakee River

Rivers and streams reflect the impacts and effects of human activities and natural perturbations that take place on the watershed. The response time for the river to react for the changes taking place within its watershed boundaries can vary anywhere from days to decades or longer. Removal of bank vegetation will accelerate the bank erosion, an immediate impact on the river. However, impacts of land use changes on the watershed may or may not be noticeable within the river for many years, if any. This paper will concentrate on a case study of the Kankakee River having a drainage area of 13,377 square km and covering parts of two Midwestern states. The drainage area of the river is split in half between the states of Illinois and Indiana. The river essentially flows on a flat terrain with very little topographical features. Most of the basin is used for agriculture. Some of the geologic, hydrologic, and hydraulic features of the basin that are playing a major role in the formulation and implementation of management decisions will form the basis of this paper.