The 1980-1981 drought in Illinois causes, dimensions, and impact

Changnon, Stanley A., Jr.; Achtemeier, Gary L.; Hilberg, Steven D.; Knapp, H. Vernon; Olson, Robert D.; Roberts, Wyndham J.; Vinzani, Peter G.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/77805 Copy

Description

Title

The 1980-1981 drought in Illinois causes, dimensions, and impact

Author(s)

• Changnon, Stanley A., Jr.
• Achtemeier, Gary L.
• Hilberg, Steven D.
• Knapp, H. Vernon
• Olson, Robert D.
• Roberts, Wyndham J.
• Vinzani, Peter G.

Issue Date

1982

Keyword(s)

• Air circulation
• air masses
• climatic data
• climatology
• Droughts
• evapotranspiration
• fronts (atmospheric)
• groundwater
• Illinois
• long waves
• meteorology
• planned weather modification
• precipitation (atmospheric)
• streamflow
• sultriness
• water levels
• water shortage

Abstract

Hydrologic, meteorological, and climatological aspects of the 1980-1981 drought in Illinois are addressed. The drought is evaluated in terms of precipitation, streamflow, lakes and reservoirs, and groundwater resources of the state. The meteorological conditions that produced the drought also are addressed. Impacts and problems resulting from the drought are discussed along with various actions taken to ameliorate the problems. Although the primary goal of the study was to quantify the drought, primarily in a physical sense, an important secondary goal was to assess the impacts and the actions employed, to derive information needed in future planning and handling of Illinois droughts. The report thus ends with a set of recommendations for coping with future droughts. The 1980-1981 drought was not one of the extreme droughts of record; however, it is important in that it was the most severe drought since those of the early 1950’s. As such, it reflects some new types of impacts on the state’s water resources due to technological, hydrological, and institutional changes since the 1950’s.

Publisher

Illinois State Water Survey

Series/Report Name or Number

Report of Investigation (Illinois State Water Survey) RI-102

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/77805

Copyright and License Information

Copyright, University of Illinois Board of Trustees. All rights reserved. This document is a product of the Illinois State Water Survey, and has been selected and made available by the Illinois State Water Survey and the University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is intended for research and educational use, and proper attribution is requested.

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