Click the links below to see survey results for Kankakee County: 

Kankakee County 2018 Transect Survey

Kankakee County 2017 Transect Survey

Kankakee County 2015 Transect Survey

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Every other year, the Illinois Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts, completes a Soil Erosion and Cropland Tillage Transect Survey. Tillage data is gathered for corn and soybeans, and the county’s T levels are assessed. “T” represents the tolerable soil level loss, or the amount of soil that can be replaced naturally by the decomposition of crop residue. In addition to T levels and tillage data, the survey compiles some information on cover crop use. The biennial transect survey aims to gather more information about the implementation of conservation farming practices, and to assess the condition of the county.

 

Agricultural runoff is a significant source of phosphorous and nitrate-nitrogen loading into Illinois waterways. Nutrient runoff is carried by the Kankakee and Iroquois Rivers to the Missississpi, and down to the Gulf of Mexico. Nutrient concentration in the Gulf of Mexico is so high that it causes algal blooms, and subsequent dead zones called "hypoxic zones", devoid of life. To combat this issue and promote soil health and water quality, Illinois' Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS) was created. The NLRS aims to direct efforts to reduce nutrients from point and non-point sources. The goal is for Illinois to reduce its phosphorous load by 25% and its nitrate-nitrogen load by 15% by 2025. The eventual target is a 45% reduction in the loss of these nutrients to the Mississippi River. 

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Some conservation practices that help reduce nutrient runoff include cover crops, filter strips and buffers, conservation tillage (no-till, strip-till, etc.) and habitat projects, such as pollinator habitat and constructed wetlands . 

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Illinois' Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy Fact Sheet

Illinois' Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy 

NLRS Biennial Report, 2015-2017

HUC8 non-point source nitrate-nitrogen yield map

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