ABSTRACT
The Court Creek watershed located in Knox County, Illinois and draining a 251-km2 (97-mi2) rural basin into the Spoon River is part of Illinois Pilot Watershed and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Programs (PWP and CREP). Under these government incentive programs, the watershed has a local citizen based group called the Court Creek Pilot Watershed Planning Committee (CCPWPC) for watershed restoration planning and management. The watershed was modeled using the Illinois State Water Survey’s (ISWS) Dynamic Watershed Simulation Model (DWSM) and rainfall driven surface and subsurface runoff; propagation of flood waves, soil erosion, and entrainment and transport of sediment from single rainfall events were simulated. The model was calibrated and validated using historical storm water stream flow and sediment discharge records. The calibrated and validated model was then used to identify high, moderate, and low runoff and soil erosion/sediment potential areas within the watershed and rank them along with the stream channels. These rankings have been useful to the CCPWPC to prioritize areas within the watershed for restoration projects and utilization of CREP funds where they may reap the greatest benefits. Few water and sediment management scenarios using detention basins or reservoirs were analyzed in controlling high water and sediment discharges.
