ISGS - April 2011 Activity Highlights

Large sand boil view west with smaller boil right of the pictures by the building.

IEMA Requests Help with Large Sand Boil

On April 30, 2011, geologist Robert Bauer was requested by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) to investigate conditions in Cairo related to very large sand boil development associated with the highest flood stage on record since the Ohio River floodwall was constructed. Concerns centered around a sand boil 30 × 40 feet across and sandbagged 12 feet high that was located more than 500 feet from the floodwall and another smaller sand boil more than 1,200 feet from the floodwall in the same area. Bauer documented conditions and the history of sand blows in this area with historical input from representatives of the Corp of Engineers, the county highway engineer, and the water treatment facility. Additionally, he documented other problems of piping and street collapse, as well as leaks along the floodwall and water coming out of storm sewers. His report on findings was phoned into the State Emergency Operations Center and provided in a 12-page report the next day. (Contact: Robert Bauer)

McHenry County Official Visits ISGS

On April 7-8, 2011, Cassandra McKinney, Water Resources Manager for the McHenry County Division of Water Resources, visited the Illinois State Geological Survey to receive the 2010 ISGS Advocate Award. Jason Thomason hosted McKinney and set up meetings with staff to discuss the three-dimensional geologic mapping work that the ISGS is doing for the County and to give McKinney a tour of the ISGS Earth Systems Visualization Laboratory. On April 8, McKinney gave an open presentation, "Groundwater Protection: Sustainability in the Face of Development." (Contact: Don McKay)

Highlights Archive

Updated 08/01/2012 SLD