Women in Wetlands Section Webinar: Answering Regulatory Questions through Scientific Monitoring

Описание: Speaker: Jessica Monson

The benefits of roadways are paired with environmental consequences. Adjacent wetlands and riverine environments are exposed to contamination from associated roadway pollutants. Where snowy winters occur, roadway pollution is intensified by de-icing measures. In Illinois, state agencies and legislative authorities are obligated by both federal and state regulations (NEPA, Federal CWA 401/404, IWPA) to mitigate roadway impacts to surrounding environments. The Illinois State Geological Survey Wetlands Geology Section is funded to monitor and report on hydrology and water quality in wetlands and other related environments, including assessing the water-quality benefits of Best Management Practices (BMPs) such as roadside bioswales. This presentation will examine our work through a unique lens, the I-90 Chloride Migration Project, which ultimately aims to improve BMP design by assessing the influence of a coarse-grained glacial outwash setting on the migration of chloride from road-salt application as it enters groundwater and surface water from the roadway. The insights from this research are applicable across the Great Lakes Region and into colder climes where similar regulations apply.

This webinar took place on June 6, 2023.