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The borders of Illinois were established when Illinois became a state in 1818. The western border was delineated using the Mississippi River, and the Ohio River was used as the southern border. The eastern border was formed by the Ohio and Wabash rivers as well as the line along the current longitude line of 87°31', connecting the Wabash River to Lake Michigan. As initially proposed, the northern border of Illinois would have been 51 miles to the south of the current latitude line of 42°30'30". This 5,440,000-acre addition to Illinois assured that the territory met the required minimum of 40,000 people to qualify as a state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the hundred year effort of the city of Chicago, Illinois to provide safe drinking water, which led to the establishment of the Illinois and Michigan canal, the investment to water treatment systems and the preservation of section of the Illinois and Michigan Canal at Lockport.

The article discusses the barges accident that damaged the Marseilles Lock and Dam during 2013 flood on the Illinois River. Topics mentioned include the documenting of the damages to the dam structure, the construction of the Illinois waterway system and the Marseilles lock and dam system designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as a unit in maintaining the shipping channel and other types of water traffic.

The article focuses on drought conditions in the Mississippi River Channel at Thebes, Illinois as a result of slow soaking rain systems and evening thunder-storms. Topics discussed include a new challenge for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to control the Mississippi River, lack of rain throughout 2012 that severe summertime seasonal drought over the central Great Plains and USACE's successful effort to dredge other parts of the Mississippi River to keep the shipping channel open.

The article focuses on the failure of the Len Small levee during the Ohio River Flood of 2011 in Illinois. It discusses the architectural features of the extensive systems of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and private levees that confine the Mississippi River and protect the low-lying agricultural lands, rural towns, and public conservation areas from flooding. The Small Len levee built on the southern Illinois border near Cairo protects private and public lands from 20-year floods.

The article focuses on the effects of the flooding in Cairo, Illinois, which was caused by the swelling of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers in 2011. It says that Cairo is situated at the confluence of the two rivers, wherein the Fort Defiance State Park was under water in the April 2011 flooding, as well as the Illinois farmlands. Furthermore, the decision of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to blow up the New Madrid Floodway helped to lessen the impact of the flood.

The article presents information on the Sny Island Levee Drainage District of Illinois, which runs parallel to the Mississippi River. It is stated that the Illinois Supreme Court has used the drainage district as a model for developing other drainage districts. Topics like the Sny River Channel, settling basins, and concerning observations, are discussed.

The article discusses the impacts of the 2008 spring rains and flooding on the agricultural fields in Illinois, Missouri and Indiana. It notes that the flooding and erosion events that occurred in the three regions have resulted to delayed corn and soybean planting, crop loss, and damaged levees and agricultural lands. It recommends that separating watersheds with high-slope gradients and well-drained soils is important to reduce the effects of floods.