The Illinois State Water Survey’s Sediment Monitoring Network collects weekly suspended sediment samples at a selected set of Illinois rivers and streams.  Approximately every six weeks, calibration cross section samples or particle size data are collected at each location by Water Survey personnel, who then transport all samples to the ISWS Sediment Laboratory in Champaign for analysis.  Using the instantaneous date, time, and water stage information, water discharge data (collected at the same sites via USGS streamgages) and the suspended sediment concentration are used to calculate the instantaneous sediment load (in tons per day).

Since the inception of the program, over 25,000 suspended sediment samples have been analyzed for the program monitoring sites creating a substantial database of sediment transport for Illinois waterways.