Locations of Change in Aquatic Vegetation Cover along the Illinois Waterway from 2019 - 2021

Over the summer of 2020, the Illinois Waterway (IWW) was closed to complete maintenance on lock chambers along the Illinois River. This closure restricted vessel traffic along the river and potentially changed habitat characteristics for aquatic vegetation establishment and growth. To assess if patterns of vegetation establishment and growth changed during the closure, peak biomass imagery from 2019 (pre closure) and 2021 (post closure) were compared for a vegetation response. This assessment found locations where aquatic vegetation increased and locations where aquatic vegetation decreased.