•July 22, 2015•

Soil conditions throughout Illinois remain wet as most of the state experienced higher than normal rainfall in the first two weeks of July, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.
Rainfall across the Illinois Climate Network averaged 3.36 inches the first two weeks of July, only 0.03 inches below the long-term average for July. Three of the network’s stations – Dixon Springs (Pope County), Monmouth (Warren County), and Stelle (Ford County) – measured totals over five inches.
Soil moisture levels remain high with a state average of 0.37 water fraction by volume (wfv) at depths of two inches July 14, 48 percent higher than the long-term average. Levels are at or above field capacity at most sites measured as levels at two inches ranged from 0.41 wfv in the east central region to 0.35 wfv in west central Illinois.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.