Land use

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MADISON COUNTY 2020 LAND USE AND RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT PLAN

PART I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 1

Plan Goals ........................................................................................................................... 4

Plan Recommendations ...................................................................................................... 5

American Bottoms Corridor Plan ..................................................................................... 5

Bluffs Corridor Plan ......................................................................................................... 7

Rural/Agricultural Corridor Plan ...................................................................................... 9

County-wide Recommendations..................................................................................... 11

Summary ........................................................................................................................... 14

PART II 2020 LAND USE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN

Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 15

2020 Land Use Plan .......................................................................................................... 17

2020 Madison County Land Use Strategy ........................................................................ 21

Urban Corridor ............................................................................................................... 22

Bluffs Corridor................................................................................................................ 27

Rural/Agricultural Corridor ............................................................................................ 31

County-wide Plan Recommendation and Implementation ............................................... 35

Long Range Transportation Plan ...................................................................................... 42

PART III BACKGROUND FOR PLANNING

PLANNING FRAMEWORK

Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 47

Planning in Madison County ............................................................................................ 49

Future Perspective ............................................................................................................ 53

Plan Goals ......................................................................................................................... 57

PLANNING ISSUES

Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 59

Agriculture ........................................................................................................................ 61

Residential Development.................................................................................................. 67

Commercial, Office .......................................................................................................... 71

Industry ............................................................................................................................. 75

Open Space/Recreation..................................................................................................... 79

Water and Sewer Resources.............................................................................................. 84

Flood Plain and Storm Water Management ...................................................................... 94

Transportation ................................................................................................................. 105

EXISTING CONDITIONS & INVENTORY

Purpose ........................................................................................................................... 109

Geographic Setting ......................................................................................................... 111

Settlement History .......................................................................................................... 112

Physiography .................................................................................................................. 117

Climate ........................................................................................................................... 118

Hydrology ....................................................................................................................... 120

Soils ................................................................................................................................ 124

Mineral Resources/Undermining .................................................................................... 125

Vegetation and Wildlife .................................................................................................. 126

Demographic Profile....................................................................................................... 127

Projected Population ....................................................................................................... 131

Existing Land Use .......................................................................................................... 135

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Federal/State Roadway Improvements FY 2000-2020....................................... 40

Figure 2 County/Local Roadway Improvements FY 2000-2020 ...................................... 41

Figure 3 Projected Transportation Revenue ..................................................................... 45

Figure 4 County Highway Project Totals .......................................................................... 46

Figure 5 2020 Land Resource Management Plan Inputs .................................................. 52

Figure 6 Planning Process ................................................................................................ 53

Figure 7 Planning Corridors ............................................................................................. 55

Figure 8 1998 Market Value of Agricultural Products Sold ............................................. 62

Figure 9 Madison County Farms ...................................................................................... 63

Figure 10 Household Size................................................................................................. 67

Figure 11 Units Per Residential Structure ........................................................................ 68

Figure 12 Industrial Establishments, 1970-1994 .............................................................. 75

Figure 13 Current Non-Attainment Areas ........................................................................ 77

Figure 14 Geographic Setting ......................................................................................... 111

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Figure 15 Population Change 1950-1990 ....................................................................... 117

Figure 16 Hydrologic Cycle............................................................................................ 118

Figure 17 Bedrock Topography ...................................................................................... 119

Figure 18 Generalized Bedrock Geology ....................................................................... 120

Figure 19 Estimated Potential Yields of Wells in Bedrock Aquifers .............................. 122

Figure 20 Estimated Potential Yields of Principal Sand and Gravel Aquifers ............... 123

Figure 21 Population Change in Madison County, 1930-1998 ...................................... 127

Figure 22 Madison County Share of Southwestern Illinois Population ......................... 128

Figure 23 Madison County Age-Sex Distribution 1980-1990 ........................................ 128

Figure 24 Madison County Township, Population, 1970-1998 ...................................... 129

Figure 25 Madison County Municipal Population, 1970-1998 ...................................... 130

Figure 26 Population Trend, 1900-1996 ......................................................................... 132

Figure 27 Current Fitting/Extrapolation Projections, 1996-2020 ................................... 133

Figure 28 Cohort Population Projection Model, 1970-2020 .......................................... 134

Figure 29 Madison County Land Coverage Acreage ...................................................... 137

LIST OF PLATES

1 2020 Land Use and Resource Management Plan

2 Existing Land Cover

3 Long Range Transportation Plan

4 Greenways

5 Enterprise Zones and Special Features

6 Water Distribution System

7 Sewer Distribution System

8 Storm Water Management Inventory

9 Undermined Areas

10 General Soil Map, Madison County, Illinois

PART I

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PURPOSE

The purpose of the 2020 Land Use Plan is to provide a public policy basis for making decisions

regarding growth and development in the County.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The 2020 Plan provides a general reference

and framework for land use allocations in

Madison County. It outlines how development

should occur in a manner consistent with the

stated County goals, objectives, and policies.

It is intended that the 2020 plan will address

the land use needs for a population of 299,509

which is the projected population for Madison

County for the year 2020.

Madison County has prepared the 2020 Land

Use Plan to be used as a guide for the future

development of the County. The purpose of

the Executive Summary is to present the Plan’s

findings and recommendations in a summary

format. Additional Plan detail can be obtained

by referencing the Plan document in Part II.

Part III of the Plan provides an extensive

analysis and description of existing conditions,

issues, and the framework for planning. Parts

I and II were developed based on the

information contained in Part III.

For the purpose of comprehensive planning,

Madison County is comprised of three distinct

land use areas: American Bottoms Corridor,

Bluffs Corridor, and the Rural/Agricultural

Corridor. Different strategies and types of

development are appropriate for each area and

where appropriate, serve to reinforce historical

land use patterns. These areas are described

as follows:

American Bottoms Corridor

The American Bottoms Corridor is comprised

of the municipal and undeveloped areas in the

western third of Madison County and home to

approximately 65,328 residents. In 1990, the

American Bottoms Corridor encompassed 18

percent of the County’s total acres. At the

western edge of the American Bottoms

Corridor is the Mississippi River, which flows

along the entire western length of the County.

The municipalities along the Mississippi River

have historically served as magnets for

industrial and business uses. The largest

municipalities in the County, Alton and Granite

City, are located in the American Bottoms

Corridor. The American Bottoms Corridor

contains the largest concentration of

employment and industrial development in

Madison County, with substantial

infrastructure investment, especially in

transportation.

Land uses include mature residential

neighborhoods, traditional downtowns,

industrial areas, and arterial commercial

developments. Of the three corridors, this

region has the least amount of unincorporated

land. The urban density is made possible by

the sewer and water infrastructure of the river

communities and the land use diversity is a

result of historic development patterns in the

American Bottoms. This area is the County’s

center for many of its employment and

recreational opportunities such as Horseshoe

Lake, the Gateway International Raceway and

its adjoining development, Granite City Steel,

Shell Oil Refinery, and much more, including

the 2700-acre Gateway Commerce Center

Industrial Commercial Park.

Bluffs Corridor

The Bluffs Corridor includes the central region

of Madison County. On the western edge is

the American Bottoms Corridor, to the east is

the expanse of the Rural/Agricultural Corridor.

The Bluffs Corridor area has a unique

development character — a blend of suburban

and semi-rural residential development

communities, open space, and farmland. It is

a transition area from the more industrially

developed urban region to the west and the

farms and villages to the east. Approximately

121,019 people live in the Bluffs Corridor,

which encompasses 22 percent of the County’s

land but 47 percent of its population. This

area offers a pleasant lifestyle with open space,

scenic vistas, convenient transportation routes

and proximity to shopping and other amenities.

The desirability of the area is evidenced by

countryside residential developments and the

growing communities of Edwardsville, Glen

Carbon, Maryville, Collinsville, Troy,

Bethalto, Godfrey, East Alton and Wood River.

The Bluffs Corridor of Madison County is

rapidly changing. It is the area where the

county has experienced its greatest population

increase over the past twenty years. There has

been a shift of population from some of the

older urbanized communities in the American

Bottoms Corridor to communities in the Bluffs

Corridor.

Rural/Agricultural Corridor

The Rural/Agricultural Corridor encompasses

the eastern portion of Madison County. The

Rural/Agricultural Corridor borders the

County’s Bluffs Corridor area on the west and

extends east to the Madison County line.

The Rural/Agricultural Corridor comprises 60

percent of the County’s 474,043 acres and is

home to about 64,564 people. Agricultural

uses are predominant with row crops and

animal production. Moving east across the

Rural/Agricultural Corridor the terrain changes

from gently rolling land with scattered wooded

areas to flat, fertile farmland. The wide

farmland vistas give much of this area its rural

character, and also offer residents and travelers

a sense of quiet and tradition.

The communities in this area were established

to provide support businesses and services to

the growing number of farmers coming to the

area. Some were located along railroad routes,

providing easy transportation for manufactured

goods and exporting agricultural products.

The communities eventually grew to include

opportunities for social activities, housing, and

employment, with each community

developing a unique community identity. The

Rural/Agricultural Corridor, will experience

the fewest changes over the next 20 years

PLAN GOALS

Guidance for the Plan was established through

the development of the following goals. The

Plan pursues these goals by presenting

objective policies and implementation actions

designed to guide future development of the

County. Objectives and policies are presented

in each “Planning Issue” discussion in the Plan

report.

1. Agriculture Preservation. Prevent the

premature conversion of agricultural lands

for other development related land uses in

the Rural Agricultural Corridor and

selected locations within the American

Bottoms Urban and Bluffs Corridors.

2. Employment. Strengthen and expand

Madison County’s position as an

economically diversified County.

3. Environmental Considerations.

Plan and guide development that

results in an attractive and healthful

total environment, both natural and

man-made.

4. Housing. Ensure that housing of all

sizes, types, and prices are available

to County residents.

5. Managed/Sensible Growth. Adopt

an approach to development that

promotes economic development

while preserving open space,

minimizing the need for costly new

infrastructure and improving the

viability of communities.

6. Natural Resources. Incorporate the

concepts of conservation and wise use

of the soil, air, water resources and the

natural environment of Madison

County into all development decisions.

7. Open Space and Recreation. Protect,

maintain and enhance the visual

character and recreational

opportunities of Madison County.

8. Transportation. Provide safe,

efficient transportation systems that

serve to guide future development and

that are compatible with existing land

use.

2020 Plan And Recommendations

The following represents a summary of the

Plan and recommendations found in Part II.

AMERICAN BOTTOMS CORRIDOR

PLAN

The majority of new industrial development

in Madison County will occur within the

American Bottoms Corridor because of the

substantial existing infrastructure and

available tracts of land suitable for large-scale

development. The 2020 Plan emphasizes and

supports these development activities. Open

space protection, enhancement, and

acquisition within the American Bottoms

Corridor remain important. Large open spaces,

such as Horseshoe Lake Recreational Area,

should be protected and enhanced. Acquisition

of linkages from the Horseshoe Lake State

Recreation Area to the Cahokia Mounds State

Historic Site can further the implementation

of the Southwestern Illinois Greenway Plan

and protect important wildlife habitat.

Countywide planning efforts should continue

to support the downtowns of the American

Bottoms Corridor municipalities. Strong,

viable downtowns provide multiple benefits

of reducing non-managed growth and the

premature conversion of Agricultural lands to

other uses.

Strong residential neighborhoods are necessary

in the municipalities in the American Bottoms

Corridor. The infilling and maintenance of

residential areas within municipalities is

recommended to preserve these communities

as desirable places to live. Maintaining

residential areas will reduce the relocation of

people to newer developing areas by offering

quality housing in stable neighborhoods. This

also helps reduce the premature conversion of

agricultural lands outside of the community.

The 2020 Plan proposes infill development

within municipal boundaries that takes

advantage of the substantial infrastructure

investments already made. In supporting the

municipalities in the American Bottoms

Corridor, the 2020 Plan serves to help contain

suburban non-managed growth.

Land Use Proposals

The land use proposals utilize the 2020 Plan’s

land use strategy elements and also incorporate

municipal land use plan proposals, as well as

the Southwestern Illinois Greenway Plan and

the Madison County Long-Range

Transportation Plan.

Commercial/Industrial

Corridor areas which are emphasized for

growth reflect the existence of three Enterprise

Zones: 1. The Southwestern Madison County

Enterprise Zone; 2. The Gateway Commerce

Center Enterprise Zone; and 3. The Riverbend

Enterprise Zone. It is anticipated that the

enterprise zones and industrial parks will

attract the majority of industrial/commercial

development within the planning period.

Residential

In accordance with the land use strategy

elements, most development is proposed

adjacent to existing municipalities where it can

be served by existing infrastructure. The Plan

does not propose any medium or high-density

residential sites in unincorporated areas that

are not in municipal plans. Those residential

developments should be located within

municipalities or within the planning

jurisdiction areas of municipalities where a

comprehensive plan and official map have

been adopted by the municipality and where

adequate infrastructure and social and

economic services exist to support the

population.

Open Space/Greenways, and Recreation,

Transportation

The land uses proposed in this category reflect

the bicycle and pedestrian trails proposals of

the Madison County Long-Range

Transportation Plan plus the recommendations

of the Southwestern Illinois Greenway Plan

as shown separately. Areas of wetlands should

be retained in order to provide for surface

drainage in the future.

Summary Of American Bottoms Corridor

Recommendations

• Form planning partnerships with

existing municipalities to coordinate

planning, zoning and subdivision

regulations, especially in the area

within 1-1/2 miles of municipal

boundaries.

• Form development partnerships with

existing municipalities to promote the

development of the American Bottoms

Corridor including its three Enterprise

Zones.

• Emphasize industrial growth and

development within this corridor, and

zone the area accordingly, with buffers

for other uses.

• Change the zoning classification of all

property presently zoned as

manufacturing, but being used for

agriculture, to agricultural zoning.

Provided, however, that the change is

consistent with the proposed

classification on the 2020 Land Use

Plan Map.

• Strongly encourage, through the use of

planning partnerships, the municipal

adoption of storm water standards that

are consistent with County standards.

• Establish a comprehensive storm water

management system in the American

Bottoms that includes major facility

improvements such as channel

upgrades, sedimentation basins, and

wetlands development.

• Do not approve subdivision

development of six (6) or more lots

unless it is served by a municipal waste

water system or a common sewage

collection system with an IEPA

approved on-site treatment plant that

serves the entire subdivision.

• Restrict the installation of new

individual private sewage disposal

systems that discharge effluent on the

ground surface.

• Protect wetlands by avoiding the

destruction of wetlands, forming a

“wetlands bank” to develop new

wetlands, and uniformly adopting a

wetlands ordinance.

• Link Horseshoe Lake Recreation Area

and the Cahokia Mounds State Historic

Site.

• Establish an agricultural preservation

goal for this corridor to preserve the

ability to produce specialty Madison

County crops such as horseradish,

sweet corn and related crops.

• Direct sewer system improvements to

urbanized residential areas presently

un-sewered including the State Park

Place, Cloverleaf and Eagle Park

neighborhoods.

• Implement the recommendations of the

Long-Range Transportation Plan and

the Southwestern Illinois Greenway

Plan.

BLUFFS CORRIDOR PLAN

The 2020 Plan recognizes that it is crucial for

the municipalities and the County to manage

growth in the Bluffs Corridor while protecting

the environment. Much of the Bluffs Corridor

will develop under the influence of the

municipalities. This area will be the County’s

litmus test — where the County and

municipalities either surrender to conventional

suburban sprawl or make a stand for managed

growth. The elements of the Bluffs Corridor

strategy call for preservation of open space in

new development, coordination of

transportation and land use, community

character enhancement, balanced land use, and

water resource management. Open space set

aside is a high priority in the Bluffs Corridor

to provide “breathing space”, environmental

protection, recreational areas, visual beauty,

educational opportunities, and other

community benefits. A key to enhancement

and protection of water quality in the Bluffs

Corridor is minimizing the amount of

impervious surface in new developments. This

can be done without sacrificing quality

development and must be done to reduce

hillside drainage affecting the American

Bottoms.

The enhancement of community character in

the Bluffs Corridor can be achieved through

development design techniques such as prairie

traditional, open space design and Planned

Unit Developments. Madison County and the

municipalities must wisely manage the Bluffs

Corridor. The edges of this area provide visual

evidence of land use and density changes

between this area and the American Bottoms

Corridor to the west and the Rural/Agricultural

Corridor to the east. It will be essential that

the eastern edge of the Bluffs Corridor remain

well defined to provide adequate agricultural

land use preservation.

Land Use Proposals

The land use proposals for the Bluffs Corridor

reflect the elements of the land use strategy,

the historic land use of this area, municipal

land use plans, the Madison County Long-

Range Transportation Plan and the

Southwestern Illinois Greenway Plan.

Accordingly this Corridor reflects a significant

conversion of agricultural and non-agricultural

land to residential uses. Supportive and

appropriate commercial and industrial

expansion is proposed principally in proximity

of the interstate highway system or principal

highways.

Residential

The municipalities within the Bluffs Corridor

are projecting aggressive residential growth in

the areas within one and one-half miles of

municipal boundaries. In addition, the

extension of new Highway IL-255 into Wood

River, Foster, and Godfrey Townships will

create new housing pressures in these areas

that have attractive topography and will have

its accessibility to the metropolitan area greatly

enhanced by the completion of the highway.

Commercial

The majority of commercial development in

this Corridor is currently within municipalities

and the majority of future growth should be

located within municipalities and the I-55/70-

Corridor. Lands adjacent to that portion of I-

55/70 between I-70 East and U.S. Route 40

are expected to continue to develop

commercially. It is anticipated that with the

extension of IL-255 into the northern portion

of the County, planned commercial

developments will occur near and around the

municipalities of Bethalto and Godfrey.

Industrial

Industrial proposals in this Corridor primarily

reflect proposals of the municipal land use

plans. There are limited industrial land uses

within this Corridor with existing uses

primarily within municipalities. Proposals for

increased industrial land uses are in proximity

to I-55/70 from Troy to Edwardsville.

Open Space/Greenways, and Recreation,

Transportation

The land use proposals within this land use

category reflect the bike trail proposals in the

Madison County Long-Range Transportation

Plan, plus the recommendations of the

Southwestern Illinois Greenway Plan and

municipal plans where appropriate.

Agriculture

Agriculture will remain a very large land use

for the planning period but its future within

this Corridor will be one of conversion to other

uses. It is within this Corridor that critical

decisions will have to be made concerning

agricultural preservation.

Summary Of Bluffs Corridor

Recommendations

• Form planning partnerships with

municipalities to coordinate planning,

zoning and subdivision regulations,

especially in the area within 1-1/2

miles of municipal boundaries.

• Adopt a Storm Water, Soil Erosion and

Sedimentation Control Ordinance and

work to have all Bluff communities

adopt the same standards.

• Apply open space designs standards in

the residential zoning districts in order

to promote open space.

• Work with communities to create

“green buffers” between Bluff

communities to maintain community

identities, and to contain suburban

non-managed growth.

• Select a minor watershed (sub

watershed) within this corridor as the

first watershed demonstration project.

• Recommend that areas within 1 1/2

miles of municipal boundaries be

amended into existing municipal plans

and then zone them in cooperation with

the municipality. If the areas are not

included in a current adopted

municipal plan the County should zone

the areas to a restricted holding zone.

• Require all subdivision development

of six (6) lots or more to connect to a

public wastewater system or a common

sewage collection system with an IEPA

approved on-site treatment plant that

serves the entire subdivision.

• Restrict the installation of new

individual private sewage disposal

systems that discharge effluent on the

ground surface.

• Protect wetlands by avoiding the

destruction of wetlands, forming a

“wetlands bank” to develop new

wetlands, and uniformly adopting a

wetlands ordinance.

• Strengthen the historic development

pattern at this corridor by emphasizing

its residential and suburban character

with planning, zoning, and Planning

Partnership agreements.

• Do not zone for any densities above

single-family residential unless the

zone district is consistent with a

municipal plan.

• Direct sewer system improvements to

urbanized residential areas presently

not served by a public or community

sewage treatment system.

• Prepare and adopt interstate

interchange plans before the land

around the interchanges is developed,

including plans for land around

proposed interchanges from the IL-255

extension and future interchanges

including one at I-270 and Old Troy

Road.

RURAL/AGRICULTURAL CORRIDOR

PLAN

The Rural/Agricultural Corridor will change

the least between now and the year 2020 in

comparison to the American Bottoms Corridor

and Bluffs Corridor areas. This is appropriate

because the eastern half of Madison County

contains most of the farmland in Madison

County. The 2020 Plan does provide

opportunities in this Corridor to accommodate

urban development to the year 2020. Further,

the County supports logical planned growth

for the communities. In most of this area, the

County should discourage growth that is not

served by infrastructure, including public

water and sewer systems. Development

should be steered towards existing

communities and subdivisions, thus avoiding

the “pop-up subdivisions” that suddenly

appear in the countryside. Part of this planning

strategy is to identify and encourage protection

of the four existing land use patterns in the

Rural/Agricultural Corridor:

• Farming, including agricultural

infrastructure, agricultural industry,

and farmsteads.

• Towns and villages which support and

enhance agriculture.

• Countryside residential, where limited

single-family development will be

encouraged on non-prime farmland or

adjacent to existing residential uses.

• Individual and farm family residential

development where appropriate, such

as new residences for farm family

members engaged in agriculture and

sites not suitable for agricultural

production.

The 2020 Land Use Strategy reinforces the

premise that agriculture in Madison County

should not simply be considered a holding

zone waiting for market pressures to dictate

development. Unplanned development

eventually pushes out farming as well as

subsidiary industries, equipment sales,

greenhouses and nurseries and sod farms. The

2020 Plan recognizes that the towns and

villages of the Rural/Agricultural Corridor are

still centers of local services and social

activities.

Land Use Proposals

The land use proposals for this Corridor reflect

the Corridor’s historical use as an intensive

agricultural area supported by towns and

villages. This Corridor is primarily

agricultural and is expected to remain

throughout the planning period. Conversions

of agricultural land will occur, but if guided to

areas designated, the impact on the agricultural

economy will be minor. Scattered individual

residential growth and residential subdivisions

that appear to “pop up” in farm fields are

specifically discouraged.

Residential

Residential growth is projected primarily in

areas designated by municipal plans. Most of

the smaller municipalities in this Corridor have

adequate vacant land within their borders to

accommodate growth. Therefore, little or no

residential development areas are shown

outside those municipal boundaries. Existing

settlements are shown and rural residential

development that is not within or adjacent to

a municipality should be encouraged to locate

in these settlements. When large lot

developments, referred to as “Country

Subdivisions”, are proposed, they should be

permitted on land not suitable for agriculture

relating to productivity, topography,

vegetation, man-made barriers, etc.

Commercial

The majority of commercial development in

this Corridor is located within municipalities,

with the exception of some agri-business

activities, cross-roads commercial activities

and commercial developments extending

along highways that serve the municipalities

and at interstate interchanges.

Industrial

The primary industry in this Corridor is

agriculture. Industrial developments do exist

in the area of Highland, but there is little

industrial activity in the villages within this

Corridor. The possibility of industrial

development exists at Shafer Metro-East

Airport west of Highland and at selected major

intersections and interchanges. No extensive

industrial areas are projected for this Corridor

within the planning period.

Open Space/Greenways and Recreation

Transportation

The dominance of agricultural lands in this

Corridor results in a low corridor priority for

open space during the planning period. The

trails and greenways proposals of the Madison

County Long-Range Transportation Plan and

the Southwestern Illinois Greenway Plan are

recommended for consideration as

opportunities arise.

Summary Of Rural/Agricultural Corridor

Recommendations

• Support the growth of municipalities

in this corridor as the preferred areas

to receive development.

• Prepare Interchange Area Plans for all

interchanges projected to receive

commercial development.

• Establish a goal for the permanent

retention of land within this corridor

to remain in agricultural production.

• Adopt a Storm Water, Soil Erosion and

Sedimentation Control Ordinance and

work to have all Rural/Agricultural

communities adopt the same standards.

• Require all subdivision development

of six (6) lots or more to connect to a

public wastewater system or a common

sewage collection system with an IEPA

approved on-site treatment plant that

serves the entire subdivision.

• Restrict the installation of new

individual private sewage disposal

systems that discharge effluent on the

ground surface.

• Adopt large lot zoning, with a

minimum of 40 acres in agricultural

zones to limit sprawl subdivisions.

Create a new “Country Subdivision”

agricultural zoning classification that

permits the development of single

family dwellings on large lots not

suitable for agriculture such as wooded

areas and adjacent to steep

topographical land features.

• Protect wetlands by avoiding the

destruction of wetlands, forming a

“wetlands bank” to develop new

wetlands, and uniformly adopting a

wetlands ordinance.

COUNTYWIDE PLAN

RECOMMENDATIONS

The 2020 Land Use Plan is focused on the

County’s efforts and needs to manage the land

and resources within its borders to maintain

and improve the quality of life for all County

residents. The management of any asset for

any purpose involves choices. Those choices

involve costs, methods, timing and results

desired. The recommendations for

implementing the Plan involve those same

variables. The County should also consider

the choices and application of specific tools

to use in its management efforts. The Plan

identifies and recommends the application of

both methods and planning tools the County

should consider in that management effort.

County-Municipal Cooperation

An important recommendation in the Plan is

for County-Municipal cooperation in the form

of planning partnership areas. Areas of

cooperation include, but are not limited to:

1. The mile and one-half area around

municipalities where the County and

municipality have statutory planning

and enforcement rights.

2. Watershed planning.

3. Transportation planning.

4. Greenways, trails and large recreation

facilities.

To initiate a process for cooperation with

municipalities, the County will select a limited

objective in one or more of the four preceding

areas, select a geographic area where an

opportunity or problem exists and work with

a municipality(s) involved to form a planning

partnership or joint-study task force.

Planning Capability

It is recommended that Madison County

develop an “in-house” planning capability.

The County will continue to urbanize and

development issues will increase in

complexity.

Development Regulations Review

It is recommended that the County begin an

in-depth review and revision of the regulations

now in use, specifically the County Zoning and

Subdivision Regulations.

Storm Water/Watersheds

It is recommended the County adopt standards

equal to or greater than those contained in “A

Model Ordinance Providing For the Control

of Storm Water Drainage and Detention, Soil

Erosion and Sedimentation Control”

(SIMAPC 1997), in addition to a storm water

impact fee.

It is recommended the County initiate a

watershed planning program utilizing the

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

“Watershed Program” in concept with a

planning partnership that contains all “bluffs”

municipalities.

The St. Louis District of the Corps of

Engineers is preparing proposed measures to

provide interior flood control and ecosystem

restoration for East St. Louis and vicinity,

Madison and St. Clair Counties, Illinois. The

interior drainage system currently does not

have sufficient capacity to handle local and

upland runoff from rainfall events greater than

5-year storms, and sediment from upland

tributaries not only reduces the channel

capacity of the drainage system but also causes

environmental degradation. The purpose of

the reevaluation study is to investigate

measures that blend flood control with

ecosystem restoration. The County should

evaluate the findings of the study and supports

its measures that it deems beneficial.

The County should also work with other units

of local government in developing a strategy

in upgrading storm water drainage facilities

in the bottoms that have become overtaxed

from increased runoff and sedimentation from

the bluff areas. A mechanism should also be

developed to assign maintenance

responsibility of drainage facilities.

Sanitary Sewers And Public Water Supply

It is recommended that a coordinated effort

between the County, municipalities and

Facility Planning Areas (FPA’s) take place to

promote the extension of facilities to areas

presently not serviced by public water and

sewer. In addition, FPA’s should be

encouraged to upgrade facilities to service new

growth proposed in the 2020 Land Use Plan.

Residential Development Locations

The creation of residential zoning districts

consistent with municipal land use plans that

places residential districts next to municipal

boundaries where infrastructure is available is

specifically recommended.

In rural areas, the creation of agricultural

districts with very large lot requirements up

to 40 acres is one concept that is

recommended.

It is recognized, however, that there are

demands and pressures for large lot residential

development in rural areas. Creating a new

“Country Subdivision” zoning classification

for large lot development would allow for

limited rural development in locations that are

not considered prime. These subdivisions

should be developed to a high standard and

include adequate public facilities to serve its

residents. Included is a requirement for public

water, street construction and design meeting

the minimum standards in the County’s

Subdivision Control Ordinance, and adequate

sewage disposal. Any subdivision of six lots

or greater should be served by a common

sewage collection system with secondary

effluent treatment approved by the Illinois

Environmental Protection Agency.

The creation of density and other incentives,

such as simplified Planned Unit Development

procedures, in conjunction with open space

design or other design features is

recommended.

County and municipal development

regulations must make development more

economically attractive and rewarding if most

new development is to actually locate adjacent

to municipalities and their existing

infrastructure.

It is recommended the County initiate a

discussion concerning a future land percentage

that would be maintained in agriculture

production. This recommendation

presupposes that a balanced future, land use

pattern is desired and necessary for a high

quality of life for County residents.

Commercial Development

The commercial land use proposals of the Plan

primarily reflect existing land use patterns,

municipal plan proposals and optimal location

consideration in relation to interstate and major

highways. The implementation of these land

use proposals can best be encouraged through

appropriate zoning and subdivision

regulations.

Provisions within the current County Zoning

Ordinance should be reviewed to encourage

more planned commercial and office parks

through the use of planned districts and

signage incentives, flexible multi-use parking

standards and related uses.

Agriculture

Plan proposals for the retention of agricultural

lands to support a strong agricultural economy,

to prevent the premature conversion of

agricultural land, and to allow appropriate

residential and agricultural business uses are

supported.

It is recommended that the County implement

actions to reduce non-managed growth in

agricultural areas, including very large lot

zoning, and the implementation of planning

partnerships that result in land use and

development regulation agreements with

municipalities. Agricultural preservation

methods identified in the agricultural planning

issue discussion.

Limited residential development will occur in

agricultural areas but should occur on non-

prime agricultural lands and to respond to the

housing needs of those engaged in agriculture

are also encouraged.

Industrial

Madison County long ago realized the

advantages the County has for industrial

development.

New industrial development should be guided

to the areas designated on the Land Use Plan,

through the use of zoning, infrastructure

extensions, wetlands banking, incentives and

Planning Partnership Agenda.

Environmentally sensitive areas such as

flood plains and wetlands should be avoided

for this type of development.

Within the enterprise zones appropriate

zoning should continue to be reviewed and

rezoning should occur for lands so

designated on the Plan.

The County is encouraged to consider

“economic development” as an important

component of its Planning Partnership Agenda.

Open Space/Recreation/Greenways

Madison County, due to the efforts of Madison

County Transit (MCT), Southern Illinois

University - Edwardsville (SIU-E), City of

Edwardsville, Village of Glen Carbon, and the

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

(IDNR), is the leader in providing recreational

transportation options in the region. Through

the creation of a bicycle transit network, the

County is preserving open space and

greenways, i.e. linear open space preserved for

recreation, resource management or aesthetic

benefits. A network of about 100-miles of

bikeways, interconnected with transit stops

and areas of interest is currently under

development.

In July 1999, legislation was approved by the

Missouri and Illinois General Assemblies that

authorized, subject to voter approval, the

creation of separate metropolitan park and

recreation districts whose purpose would be

to improve water quality, increase park safety,

and provide community trails. The two

districts would be linked together by an inter-

governmental agreement to ensure the

coordination of planning and development of

the overall system of parks and trails which

could extend to St. Louis City and all eleven

counties in the region, five in Illinois and six

in Missouri.

Transportation

Madison County in cooperation with the

Madison County Transit District

commissioned a separate Long-Range

Transportation Plan that extensively addresses

all forms of transportation within the County.

Some of the high-lights of the Plan include

support for the construction of a new

Mississippi River bridge; support for the future

extension of MetroLink within Madison

County; and the completion of major road

projects funded through Illinois First including

the IL-255 extension and the widening of

Illinois Routes 157 and 159. As a result, the

Transportation Plan discusses proposals and

recommends implementation actions that are

detailed and beyond the scope of this Plan.

SUMMARY

The recommendation and implementation

actions of this Plan are substantive and

intended to assist the County take the next

steps in land management and quality of life

discussions. As such, the proposals are

intended as a beginning that will encourage

discussion and activities to maintain and

enhance the quality of Madison County’s

future. Parts’ II and III of the Plan document

contain a more detailed presentation of

concepts, strategy, background information

and recommendations.

PART II

2020 LAND RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT PLAN

PROPOSED LAND USE DESCRIPTIONS

LAND USE STRATEGY

PROPOSED LAND USE

IMPLEMENTATION/RECOMMENDATIONS

PURPOSE

The purpose of the 2020 Land Resource Management Plan is to provide a public policy basis for

making decisions regarding growth and development in the County.

2020 LAND USE PLAN

The purpose of the 2020 Land Use and

Resource Management Plan is to provide a

public policy basis for making decisions

regarding growth and development in the

County. The number, size, and complexity of

land use proposals on which the County Board

has been asked to render decisions are

increasing and will continue. There is every

indication that the growth of this activity will

continue into the 21st century unless there are

changes in major national economic trends.

The 2020 Plan provides public officials with

guidance in making decisions on development

proposals and countywide coordination of

growth.

The 2020 Plan provides a general reference

and framework for land use allocations in

Madison County. It outlines how development

should occur in a manner consistent with the

stated County goals, objectives, and policies.

Because the 2020 Plan addresses issues on a

countywide scale, there are localized areas and

issues that require more detailed analysis.

Detailed analysis of specific areas may lead

to a land use different than that indicated on

the 2020 Future Land Use Map. Any localized

departures from the land use map should be

reviewed in the context of the goals,

objectives, and policies of the 2020 Plan.

The 2020 Plan is a living statement of public

policy. The 2020 Plan should be reviewed

every five years, with citizen input, in light of

changing demographics, changes in state or

federal policies, major infrastructure

improvements, major shifts in the regional

employment base, public policy decisions, and

economic and employment activities. At that

time the 2020 Plan will be revised as

appropriate and as directed by the elected

officials of Madison County.

The 2020 Land Use Map is Plate 1.

Descriptions of the Land Use. The 2020 Land

Use Map reflects existing land use,

development trends and the goals, objectives

and policies expressed in this Plan. The 2020

land uses designated on the map will more than

meet the land use needs of a population of

299,509 which is the projected population for

Madison County for the year 2020.

Existing Open Space/

Recreation/Conservation

Open space as used in this context includes

recreation and conservation areas. This

category reflects existing ownership of larger

properties, generally over ten acres in size, by

public and private bodies. These existing areas

provide a framework for the provision of

additional open space, recreation and

conservation areas through linkages and

expansions.

The open space areas relate directly to the

various functions of open space previously

discussed in the plan. They range in size and

function from small playgrounds, providing

active recreational opportunities, to several

hundred-acre areas, offering wildlife habitats,

natural area protection, and passive

recreational pursuits.

Also included are private and institutional land

holdings. Although these areas may or may

not be generally accessible to the public, they

do provide a number of recreational and open

space functions and the plan recommends

connecting them to other open space areas

when feasible.

These lands include trails and greenways,

major state recreation facilities, large parks —

areas that provide visual open space and

community separation, preserve important

woodlands and wetlands, protect critical

wildlife habitats, and also provide important

scientific, cultural and educational

opportunities to the citizens of Madison

County.

Examples of some of the existing facilities

included are Horseshoe Lake State Recreation

Area, Lewis and Clark Historic Site, Cahokia

Mounds State Historic Site, Belk Park and

Southern Illinois University Campus at

Edwardsville.

This category includes areas recommended for

both public and private open space uses. The

provision of additional open space is

considered an important part of the County’s

planning program. The areas indicated could

become either major additions to existing

public open space or serve as linear

connections trails or storm water corridors

between larger areas of open space. Areas

along and adjacent to some of the existing open

space lands are indicated as being included in

the countywide open space system.

The remaining wetlands in the County are an

important element of the open space system.

Often wetlands have been looked upon as

unsightly and having no value unless drained.

In more recent years, it has been recognized

that wetlands provide important wildlife

habitat, water recharge and pollution cleansing

functions. These functions will become

increasingly important as populations increase

and development occurs. Therefore, it is

recommended that the most of the County’s

wetlands that remain be protected.

The Plan recognizes there are limitations to

the ability of public agencies to acquire all of

the areas that might be suitable for open space

uses. It is recommended that those lands be

preserved as homeowner association lands, as

conservation easements, or if appropriate, as

private open space. The areas indicated as

important open space linkages, especially in

the rural areas, often have development

limitations, such as flooding or poor soils, so

these lands can often be preserved if

development occurs. For those portions of the

eastern townships which will remain

predominantly in agricultural use to the year

2020, the recommended open space may not

be implemented until development becomes

more appropriate.

The 2020 Future Land Use Map indicates areas

for potential future open space in the form of

large tracts, linear greenways, and recreational

areas. While the areas indicated are an increase

in the County’s existing open space it is not

intended to limit the locations or amount of

open space that could be achieved by the year

2020. This proposed open space armature can

easily be expanded as additional natural,

recreational or water resource management

sites and connecting greenways become

available.

Agriculture

The agricultural category applies to extensive

areas on the 2020 Plan. These areas contain

productive farmland. Also, some of the land

in the agricultural category is used for

farmsteads, very low density residential uses

and agricultural-related business and industry.

A major strategy of the County’s objectives,

policies, and Land Use Plan Map is to prevent

the premature conversion of farmland to non-

agricultural uses. However, the plan

recognizes that some of the land in these areas

is not well-suited for agriculture because of

soil productivity, topography, vegetation, man-

made barriers, etc., and therefore, could be

more suitable for other purposes. The plan

also recognizes that many farmers and

agricultural land owners may wish to create a

lot or erect a dwelling unit for a child,

dependent, or relative on a portion of their land

which is indicated as agricultural.

With respect to these types of situations and

where clear and convincing evidence is

provided, Madison County policy is that

individual residential land uses are appropriate

after it has been determined that the property

is adequately suited for the intended use; that

the soils are suitable for wastewater disposal;

that the use will not impair the drainage of

surface or sub-surface water; that access will

not create dangerous traffic conditions or

congestion; that the use will not be injurious

to the use and enjoyment of other property or

diminish property values in the area; and that

the use will not interfere with normal

agricultural practices on adjoining lands.

This category also provides for agribusiness,

farm support services, and other related uses

that are dependent upon, or closely allied to,

modern agricultural practices. Madison

County recognizes that prime farmland can be

best utilized as agricultural land when it is

supported by a full range of agribusiness and

farm services in the immediate area. Any

proposed uses of this nature would be

evaluated by the same criteria listed in the

preceding paragraph.

Low Density Residential

These areas are often adjacent to existing low

density residential areas or may already have

a limited degree of scattered development.

These areas generally contain three or less

dwellings per acre.

The plan recommends that the character,

wildlife base, and natural features of these

areas be preserved by establishing low density

criteria for future developments. The density

of development should be determined by the

area’s physical characteristics and, where

applicable, the suitability of the soils to

accommodate individual wastewater disposal

systems.

Rural residential areas adjacent to small

communities are included in this category to

encourage an infill strategy between and

adjacent to existing rural residential

development generally where prime

agricultural lands will not be taken out of

production

Densities of new proposed subdivisions in the

areas planned for rural residential development

should be based on prevailing standards and

regulations, surrounding densities, soil

suitability for septic systems, preservation of

natural features, and the character of the area.

Open space design requirements are

recommended for these areas.

Urban Residential

The Urban Residential category refers to

densities of development equal to or greater

than four dwellings units per acre that

specifically should receive the provision of

municipal-type facilities and services.

Urban residential designations on the 2020

Plan Map in large part reflect the proposed or

adopted land use plans of municipalities or the

character of residential areas adjacent to

municipalities. This category also includes

areas adjacent to existing development or

settlements that have public water and sewer

systems. Specific areas for multiple family

(commonly called high density residential) are

not excluded from this category, but are not

shown separately. The majority of multiple

family developments should only occur where

public infrastructure is accessible and that

occurs primarily in municipalities. Multi-

family developments not within municipalities

or designated within the planning jurisdiction

of municipalities should be discouraged. Once

annexation and extension of utilities have

occurred, the municipalities can provide

diverse housing opportunities in well-designed

neighborhoods.

Commercial

This general land use is divided into two

areas, Highway Commercial, and General

Commercial Development. Many areas

designated for commercial development are

based primarily on municipal plans. The

County recognizes the importance of

balancing future residential and population

growth with the generation of additional

employment opportunities. Most of the

areas recommended for commercial land

uses are along major county or municipal

highways and streets and are close to

concentrations of population. Control of

access points and requirement of aesthetic

design criteria will be critical concerns in

order to prevent inefficient traffic patterns

and unsightly strip commercial

development. The County’s management of

these land uses will need to be carefully

coordinated with the municipalities. It is

anticipated that much of this kind of

development will occur only as the

properties are annexed and provided with

municipal services.

Highway Commercial

This is a limited land use category specifically

used to identify commercial activities that

serve the market provided by the transportation

corridor, not just the surrounding population.

In most instances there is a mix of markets

but the primary market is that of the

transportation corridor. Interstate interchange

areas are a prime example of this land use.

General Commercial Development

This land use category is used to denote a

variety of commercial development

possibilities. Depending on the specific

location, they may include urban arteries,

individual businesses, professional office

parks, malls, agri-business uses or areas that

are primarily commercial but may contain

some warehousing or other uses.

Industrial, Light Industrial, Warehousing

(Includes related office facilities and similar

large facilities)

The development of land uses in this category

generally should occur on large parcels as

industrial parks or light industrial centers.

Some industrial land uses are “heavy” in

nature, others secondary manufacturing,

warehousing, distribution, and light industrial

uses. Once again, it is recommended that most

of these uses be permitted only when they are

in developments that are coordinated with

transportation facilities and where water and

sewer systems are available, since these land

uses generally require a high level of utility

service and generate considerable traffic

volumes.

Development of these types of land uses will

ensure the traditional employment base of

Madison County and provide an adequate tax

base for the general public. These land uses

may also be developed as businesses utilizing

high technology.

Institutional

This land use category includes governmental

uses and institutional holdings such as

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

This category also represents the incorporated

municipalities in Madison County. These

communities contain infrastructure, higher

densities, mixed land uses and commercial and

employment centers. They provide a number

of services to their residents including fire and

police protection and public water and sewer

service.

2020 MADISON COUNTY LAND USE

STRATEGY

The 2020 Plan will maintain Madison

County’s unique sense of place — a blend of

river towns, bluffs communities and rural

villages, cultural amenities, and farm fields.

As the County moves into the 21st century,

the combination of employment opportunities,

quality neighborhoods, and natural beauty will

continue to attract new residents and business

interests. The Conceptual Land Use Strategy

serves as the foundation for the 2020 Plan,

calling for a balance between natural resource

protection and community development. The

Conceptual Land Use Strategy identified three

distinct land use areas and emphasizes a need

for open space protection, water resource

management, balanced community

development, coordination of transportation

improvements with land use management,

protection of agriculture, and a cooperative

planning process with the municipalities.

Designed to achieve balanced growth in

Madison County, the 2020 Plan is the

alternative to uncoordinated development

which results in suburban sprawl. The success

of the Plan rests on the land use strategy of

three distinct land use areas based on the

County’s historical land use pattern. These

are, from west to east: the American Bottoms

Corridor, the Bluffs Corridor, and the Rural/

Agricultural Corridor. The American Bottoms

Corridor includes the municipal and developed

land uses along the Mississippi River. The

Bluffs Corridor includes central bluff areas of

the County adjacent to the American Bottoms

with a mixture of residential, farmland, and

growing communities. The Rural/Agricultural

Corridor is the remaining eastern portion of

the County characterized by productive farms,

small villages and the City of Highland. Each

land use strategy area is unique and requires a

distinct approach to land resource

management.

The three corridor areas delineated by the Land

Use Strategy require individualized

approaches to land use management. The

planning approach for each area is defined by

elements relating to open space, transportation,

community character, land use, water

resources, and related subjects. These

elements provide a blueprint for the County

and municipalities to guide resource

management within the corridors described in

this section.

AMERICAN BOTTOMS CORRIDOR

The American Bottoms Corridor is comprised

of the municipal and undeveloped areas in the

western third of Madison County. The

American Bottoms Corridor covers the area

from the Mississippi River east to the bluff

line, providing a visible transition to the Bluff

Corridor. Home to almost 65,328 residents,

the American Bottoms Corridor encompasses

18 percent of the County’s total acres.

At the western edge of the American Bottoms

Corridor is the Mississippi River which flows

along its entire length. The municipalities

along the Mississippi River have historically

served as magnets for industrial and business

uses. The American Bottoms Corridor

includes the industrial employment corridors

of the American Bottoms. The largest

municipalities in the County—Alton and

Granite City—are located in the American

Bottoms Corridor. The American Bottoms

Corridor contains the largest concentration of

employment and industrial development in

Madison County, and substantial infrastructure

investment, especially in transportation. Major

employers include Shell Oil, Olin, and

National Steel. The American Bottoms

contains a 2700-acre enterprise zone which is

expected to further develop and strengthen

Madison County’s historic industrial and

commercial base.

Many of Madison County’s recreational

opportunities are located in the American

Bottoms Corridor, including the Gateway

International Raceway, Horseshoe Lake

Recreational Area, Lewis and Clark Historic

Site. The campus of Southwestern Illinois

College-Granite City is also in this corridor.

Economic and social changes that have

affected the physical development of the

American Bottoms Corridor are evidenced by

the wide variety of mixed land uses and distinct

differences in neighborhood and community

character.

As the types of industries and businesses in

the American Bottoms Corridor have changed

in response to changing markets and

technologies, their relationship to adjacent

neighborhoods and commercial districts has

also changed. Changes in social patterns such

as employment, family size and makeup,

desired housing size, and averages travel

distances to work and shopping have affected

downtowns and existing neighborhoods as

well as influenced the type and locations of

new development. Historically, the American

Bottoms Corridor’s strength has been its ability

to adjust to the changing economic

environment.

The 2020 Plan recognizes that municipal

planning and development in the American

Bottoms Corridor will be required to maintain

residential neighborhoods and expanded

public services. Municipally developed

commercial and industrial land uses provide

employment opportunities and a diversified tax

base. The municipalities in the American

Bottoms Corridor will continue to be the

centers for industrial employment

development and redevelopment.

The majority of new industrial development

in Madison County will occur within the

American Bottoms Corridor because of the

substantial existing infrastructure and

available large tracts of land suitable for large

scale development. The 2020 Plan emphasizes

and supports these development activities. The

Land Use Strategy Elements sets a course of

action that will maintain and enhance the

American Bottoms Corridor. These elements

relate not only to individual communities, but

also to the character and well-being of all

Madison County.

Open space protection, enhancement, and

acquisition within the American Bottoms

Corridor remain important. Large, open

spaces, such as Horseshoe Lake Recreational

Area, should be protected and enhanced.

Acquisition of linkages from the Horseshoe

Lake State Recreation Area to the Cahokia

Mounds State Historic Site can further the

implementation of the Southwestern Illinois

Greenway Plan and protect important wildlife

habitat. Neighborhood parks should be

enhanced and expanded to meet the needs of

surrounding residents.

Successful downtown revitalization initiatives

by municipalities in the American Bottoms

Corridor incorporate programs and incentives

for new and diversified commercial uses,

business and professional services, public

institutions, and residential opportunities. The

County will continue to encourage and support

these important efforts. Historically and

architecturally important buildings shape and

define a downtown’s character as well as give

testament to its history, and should be protected

and rehabilitated. Countywide planning efforts

should continue to support the downtowns of

the American Bottoms Corridor

municipalities. Strong, viable downtowns

provide multiple benefits of reducing sprawl,

and the premature conversion of agricultural

lands to other uses.

Strong residential neighborhoods are necessary

in the municipalities in the American Bottoms

Corridor. Vibrant neighborhoods and

neighborhood rehabilitation are crucial for

community stability and serve to meet the

growing need for diverse housing

opportunities. The proximity and easy

accessibility of neighborhoods to downtowns

by a variety of transportation choices provides

a market for goods and services. The

development of these neighborhoods over time

has resulted in a wide variety of housing types,

sizes, architectural styles, lot sizes, and local

commercial districts. Preservation and

rehabilitation of historic neighborhoods retain

the unique character of municipalities and can

attract people desiring the conveniences of a

city and a strong sense of community. The

infilling of residential areas within

municipalities also reduces the tendency of

sprawl and the premature conversion of

agricultural lands to other uses.

Municipalities in the American Bottoms

Corridor have recognized the potential for

infill development within the American

Bottoms Corridor. The 2020 Plan supports

infill development within municipal

boundaries that takes advantage of the

substantial infrastructure investments already

made. Common sense dictates that tax dollars

be spent in utilizing existing infrastructure

rather than unnecessarily duplicating it into the

countryside. Large and small tracts of

undeveloped land still exist within municipal

boundaries with access to existing

transportation systems as well as municipal

utilities and services. Infill development

should reflect the historic pattern of mixed uses

in the American Bottoms Corridor. Land uses

that create new jobs serve to encourage

neighborhood rehabilitation.

In supporting the municipalities in the

American Bottoms Corridor the 2020 Plan will

also serve to help contain suburban sprawl.

One side effect of suburban sprawl is the loss

of individual community identity. In much of

suburbia, the only way to tell where one

municipality ends and another begins is by

reading the “Welcome To . . .” signs.

American Bottoms Corridor 2020 Land

Use Proposals

In keeping with historic land use patterns and

the stated land use strategy elements the land

use proposals for this Corridor are designed

to strengthen the existing development pattern

of this Corridor. The land use proposals utilize

the land use strategy elements and incorporate

municipal land use plan proposals where

possible, as well as the Southwestern Illinois

Greenway Plan and the Madison County Long

Range Transportation Plan.

Industrial/Commercial

This Corridor reflects the proposed conversion

of significant acreage from farmland to

industrial/commercial uses. While this

conversion is desirable for economic benefits,

the growth should be planned and

environmentally sensitive and prime farmlands

shall be avoided where possible.

Areas which are emphasized for this growth

reflect the existence of three Enterprise Zones:

(1) The Southwestern Madison County

Enterprise Zone, (2) The Gateway Commerce

Center Enterprise Zone and (3) The Riverbend

Enterprise Zone. It is anticipated that the

enterprise zones and industrial parks, such as

Northgate, will attract the majority of

industrial/commercial development within the

planning period. The result of that

development will be a further strengthening

of the American Bottoms Corridor’s historic

development as a major industrial employment

center within the County.

Residential

The majority of residential development is

proposed within the vicinity of Granite City,

plus Pontoon Beach. In keeping with the land

use strategy elements, most development is

proposed adjacent to existing municipalities

where they can be served by infrastructure.

The Plan does not propose any medium or high

density residential sites in unincorporated areas

that are not in the municipal plans. Those

residential developments should be located

within municipalities or within the planning

jurisdiction areas within a mile and one-half

of municipalities where a comprehensive plan

and official map have been adopted by the

municipality. Further, areas where these

residential uses are permitted should be within

planning partnership areas where the

municipality and the County have agreed to

land uses and have zoned the areas

accordingly.

Open Space, Greenways, Recreation

The land uses proposed in this category reflect

the trails proposals of the Madison County

Long Range Transportation Plan plus the

recommendations of the Southwestern Illinois

Greenway Plan shown separately, see maps at

rear of report. (For details on these proposals,

it will be necessary for the reader to consult

the individual plan.) Areas of wetlands should

be retained but have a doubtful future. Wetland

development can occur with mitigation and

wetlands not currently designated have no

protection.

Agriculture

Significant expansions of other land uses in

this Corridor will come at the expense of

agriculture. Agricultural lands that are shown

as remaining have a doubtful future unless the

County and municipalities pursue an

agricultural preservation program in the

American Bottoms. A large amount of existing

agricultural property is presently zoned as

manufacturing. The County should consider

changing the zoning of this property to

agricultural. This would allow the plan to

guide future land use decisions regarding

changing the use of the property from its

present agricultural use.

Elements Of The Land Use Strategy For

American Bottoms Corridor

Within the American Bottoms Corridor the

following elements have served to guide the

land use proposals of this Plan.

Land Use

• Promote and encourage urban renewal and

brownfields redevelopment projects

• Foster adaptive reuse of older structures

• Encourage and support infill development

• Encourage and expand employment-

generating land use and economic

opportunities

• Balance land use development with the

availability of current or proposed

transportation services

• Support continued infrastructure

development for existing municipalities

• Retain historic fabric of urban core

• Preserve agriculture and its ability to

produce specialty crops such as

horseradish and sweet corn.

• Support neighborhood rehabilitation

Transportation

• Provide capacity improvements to support

recent and future growth

• Support the New Mississippi River bridge

proposal

• Coordinate land use management with

Metro Link

• Increase mobility choices and travel

options

• Increase and enhance pedestrian and

bicycle options

• Coordinate transportation planning with

County and municipal land use plans

• Pursue Metro Link in Madison County

Water Resources

(includes Storm Water and Flooding)

• Protect and improve the quality of surface

water

• Protect the ground water aquifers as a

potable water resource.

• Protect existing wetlands and promote the

development of new wetlands to retain

storm water.

•

Avoid residential subdivision development, of

six or more lots, on private sewage disposal

systems unless an IEPA approved treatment

facility services the subdivision.

• Direct sewer system improvements to

already developed urbanized areas such as

Eagle Park, Cloverleaf, and State Park.

• Assist municipalities in implementing

non-point source control

• Encourage best management practices for

storm water management to improve the

quality of storm water runoff

Open Space

• Implement the Southwestern Illinois

Greenway Plan

• Support the important role of private open

space

• Adopt open space design requirements

• Integrate open space with storm water

planning

• Expand and enhance neighborhood parks

• Coordinate open space planning efforts

with municipalities, park districts, and

adjoining counties

Community Character

• Preserve and enhance neighborhoods

• Support revitalization effort of downtowns

• Coordinate with and support municipal

preservation efforts to preserve and

enhance community and neighborhood

historic resources

• Continue to expand diversity of land uses

and job-creating employment

opportunities

• Recognize and enhance individual

community identity

BLUFFS CORRIDOR

The Bluffs Corridor includes the central region

of Madison County. On the western edge is

the American Bottoms Corridor; to the east is

the expanse of the Rural/Agricultural Corridor.

The primary factors used in determining the

boundaries of the Bluffs Corridor were the

bluffs, soils and topography, as well as

municipal and county development patterns

and existing and proposed infrastructure.

The Bluffs Corridor has a unique development

character — a blend of suburban and semi-

rural residential development, communities,

open space, and farmland. It is a transition

area from the more industrially developed

urban region to the west and the farms and

villages to the east. As a transition area, this

area represents suburban growth in the County.

Approximately 121,019 people live in the

Bluffs Corridor, which encompasses 22

percent of the County’s 474,043 acres. This

area offers a pleasant lifestyle with open space,

scenic vistas, convenient transportation routes,

and proximity to shopping and other amenities.

The desirability of the area is evidenced by

countryside residential developments and the

growing communities of Edwardsville, Glen

Carbon, Maryville, Collinsville, Troy, Bethalto

and Godfrey. These communities will not be

balanced recognizable communities without

well-placed strategies to preserve open space,

incorporate scenic vistas, create neighborhood

identity, and maintain the countryside character

of the Bluffs Corridor.

The Bluffs Corridor contains a blend of land

uses: open space, agriculture, residential,

institutional and commercial services. Open

space is a prominent feature of this Area.

Public and private open space provides

environmental protection, recreational

opportunities, visual beauty, educational

opportunities, and countless other benefits.

Agriculture is also a significant land use in the

Bluffs Corridor. Much of the farming in this

area, as in all Madison County, is family-

operated.

Current residential land use in the Bluffs

Corridor consists primarily of single family

lots. This type of residential development has

a demonstrated market in Madison County as

current residential construction projects

demonstrate.

The 2020 Plan recognizes that it is crucial for

the municipalities and the County to manage

growth in the Bluffs Corridor while protecting

the environment. Much of the Bluffs Corridor

will develop under the influence of the

municipalities. This area will be the County’s

litmus test — where the County and

municipalities either surrender to conventional

suburban sprawl or make a stand for managed

growth and the preservation of countryside

character and open space. This critical growth

area is, to a large extent, where the future

character of the municipalities and the County

will be determined.

In the Bluffs Corridor it is vital to prevent

suburban sprawl. Suburban sprawl, the spread

of residential and commercial development

into rural areas, is a serious urban and

environmental issue. The continued expansion

of suburban development in the St. Louis

region will increase development pressures in

this area.

The Elements of the Land Use Strategy depict

the planning approach for the Bluffs Corridor.

The approach focuses on preserving the unique

character and natural resources of the area.

The elements of the Bluffs Corridor strategy

call for preservation of open space in new

development, coordination of transportation

and land use, community character

enhancement, balanced land use, and water

resource management.

Open space set aside is a high priority in the

Bluffs Corridor to provide “breathing space,”

environmental protection, recreational areas,

visual beauty, educational opportunities, and

other community benefits. Protection of open

space will directly benefit the water quality of

the major watersheds in the area. Water

resources — creeks, lakes, (and to a lesser

extent) wetlands, flood plains — are natural

features that need to be enhanced as well as

protected from pollution and encroachment.

A key to the enhancement and protection of

water quality in the Bluffs Corridor is

minimizing the amount of impervious surface

in new developments. Impervious surfaces

include rooftops, roads, driveways, sidewalks,

and parking lots. The amount of impervious

surface on a site directly affects the quantity

and quality of runoff. Minimizing impervious

surfaces reduces runoff, which reduces the

rate, volume, and pollutant load of water

traveling downstream. This is essential to

protecting the quality of water within the

watersheds of the Bluffs Corridor. This can

be done without sacrificing quality

development and must be done to reduce

hillside drainage affecting the American

Bottoms.

The enhancement of community character in

the Bluffs Corridor can be achieved through

design techniques such as prairie traditional,

open space design and Planned Unit

Developments. These design methods are

viable alternatives to conventional suburban

patterns which consume large acreages. Prairie

traditional often uses a clustering technique

whereby homes are set in smaller, compact

neighborhoods in an open space setting. Along

with encouraging neighborhood activities,

cluster site planning reduces costs for roads,

waterlines and sewer lines. This design also

provides privacy and neighborhood identity

and preserves natural features or farmland.

An additional important benefit of prairie

traditional planning is viewshed management,

an effort to preserve a rural atmosphere by

identifying and protecting scenic vistas. Often

a curve in a road can lead to an expanse of

trees, a water feature, or perhaps a local

landmark such as a church steeple. These

unexpected encounters help to separate the

countryside from the suburbs, as well as

provide a transition from one community to

the next.

As the Bluffs Corridor develops, it will be

important to coordinate transportation

planning with County and municipal land use

plans. Bypass routes around some of the

communities may be appropriate. New

developments should plan pedestrian and

bicycle-friendly trails. Balancing the need for

additional transportation capacity with land

use will help to maintain the open character

of the Bluffs Corridor.

Madison County and the municipalities must

wisely manage the Bluffs Corridor. The edges

of this area provide visual evidence of land

use and density changes between this area and

the American Bottoms Corridor to the west

and the Rural/Agricultural Corridor to the east.

It will be essential that the eastern edge of the

Bluffs Corridor remain well-defined so that a

person can tell when he leaves the city and

enters the Rural/Agricultural Corridor. Rather

than denoting municipal boundaries, this edge

maintains the integrity of the Bluffs Corridor.

The western edge of the Bluffs Corridor is

equally important, providing a transition from

what will become a predominance of

industrial/commercial land uses next to

suburban land uses of the Bluffs Corridor.

Bluffs Corridor Land Use Proposals

The land use proposals for the Bluffs Corridor

reflect the elements of the land use strategy,

the historic land uses of this area, municipal

land use plans, the Madison County Long

Range Transportation Plan and the

Southwestern Illinois Greenway Plan.

Accordingly this Corridor reflects a significant

conversion of agricultural and non-agricultural

land to residential uses. Supportive and

appropriate commercial and industrial

expansion is proposed principally in proximity

of the interstate highway system or principal

highways.

Residential

The municipalities within the Bluffs Corridor

are projecting aggressive residential growth in

the areas within one and one-half miles of

municipal boundaries. Accordingly, this

Corridor reflects significant conversions of

agricultural and wooded lands to residential

uses. Community plans proposed and existing

residential development is primarily single

family dwellings.

Commercial

The majority of commercial development in

this Corridor is currently within municipalities

and the majority of future growth will be

within municipalities and the I-55/70-Corridor.

Lands adjacent to that portion of I-55/70

between I-70 east and U.S. Route 40 are

expected to continue to develop commercially.

As residential development occurs there will

be significantly increased pressure to rezone

for individual and limited commercial activity.

Commercial uses shown also reflect

commercial concentration, existing and

proposed, within several of the municipalities

due to their effect on adjacent unincorporated

areas. This is especially true of Illinois 157 in

Collinsville and to a lesser degree in Troy and

Edwardsville.

Industrial

Industrial proposals in this Corridor primarily

reflect proposals of municipal land use plans.

There are limited industrial land uses within

this Corridor currently, with existing ones

primarily within municipalities.

Open Space, Greenways, Recreation

The land use proposals within this land use

category reflect the trail proposals in the

Madison County Long Range Transportation

Plan, plus the recommendations of the

Southwestern Illinois Greenway Plan and

municipal plans where appropriate. For details

on those proposals the reader should consult

the individual plan.

Agriculture

Significant amounts of agricultural land uses

are proposed for conversion to residential land

use in this Corridor, reflecting the aggressive

projections of municipalities in this Corridor.

Agriculture will remain a very large land use

for the planning period but its future within

this Corridor is one of conversion to other uses.

It is within this Corridor that critical decisions

will be made concerning agricultural

preservation or the lack of it.

Elements Of The Land Use Strategy For

The Bluffs Corridor

Within the Bluffs Corridor the following

elements have guided the land use proposals

of this plan.

Land Use

• Minimize conflict between agriculture and

new development

• Utilize and encourage design techniques

such as, open space and prairie traditional

as an alternative to sprawl

• Create a transition zone from the city to

the countryside

• Preserve and create a sense of

neighborhood in existing and new

developments

• Allow only development that protects and

enhances natural resources

• Prepare land use plans for major interstate

interchanges

• Plan infill development compatible with

surrounding areas

Balance development with the availability of

current or proposed infrastructure, including

transportation

Transportation

• Coordinate transportation planning in

County and municipal land use plans

• Preserve and protect potential and existing

rights-of-way

• Develop municipal by-pass routes

• Limit access to heavily traveled roads –

encourage frontage roads and cross access

easements

• Develop pedestrian and transit-friendly

neighborhoods

Water Resources

• Improve surface water quality and protect

ground water aquifers

• Protect existing wetlands and promote the

development of new wetlands to retain

storm water.

• Avoid residential subdivision

development, of six or more lots, on

private sewage disposal systems unless an

IEPA approved treatment facility services

the subdivision.

• Utilize stream bank stabilization and soil

erosion techniques

• Develop a multiple benefit/multiple use

watershed demonstration site as a model

for the remaining major watersheds

• Protect and improve water quality in the

Bluffs watersheds

• Limit the amount of impervious surfaces

within developing watersheds

Open Space

• Advocate the value of institutional open

space

• Implement the Southwestern Illinois

Greenway Plan

• Consider Forest Preserve acquisitions

• Develop linkages in the greenway system

• Protect and enhance valuable viewsheds

• Coordinate open space planning activities

with municipalities, park districts, and

adjoining counties

• Develop the multiple benefits/multiple use

open space concept in conjunction with

water resources management, especially

with storm water

• Consider acquiring natural areas and

appropriate buffer zones

Community

• Encourage the development of

neighborhoods

• Utilize open space or related design

techniques where appropriate to protect

natural features, preserve open space, and

create a sense of neighborhood

• Encourage municipalities to use new

design approaches

• Reinforce a sense of community by

requiring that new development be

compatible with the historic development

of the area

• Preserve and enhance village, community,

and neighborhood historic resources

RURAL/AGRICULTURAL CORRIDOR

The Rural/Agricultural Corridor encompasses

the eastern portion of Madison County. The

Rural/Agricultural Corridor borders the

County’s Bluffs Corridor area on the west and

extends east to the Madison County line.

The Rural/Agricultural Corridor comprises 60

percent of the County’s 474,043 acres and is

home to about 64,564 people. Agricultural

uses are predominant with row crops and

animal production. Moving east across the

Rural/Agricultural Corridor the terrain changes

from gently rolling land with scattered wooded

areas to flat, fertile farmland. The wide

farmland vistas give much of this area its rural

character, and also offer residents and travelers

a sense of quiet and tradition.

Farming has been the predominant use in the

Rural/Agricultural Corridor since southern

Illinois first opened to settlement. Farm

families moved from the east and established

farms influenced by their diverse ethnic

traditions. These traditions influenced

settlement patterns and building styles and are

still evident as part of the visual landscape.

The farms of the Rural/Agricultural Corridor

are predominately family operated, with many

multi-generational farms still producing

agricultural products.

The communities in this area were established

to provide support businesses and services to

the growing number of farmers coming to the

area. Some were located along railroad routes,

providing easy transportation for manufactured

goods and exporting agricultural products.

The communities eventually grew to include

opportunities for social activities, housing, and

employment, with each community

developing a unique community identity.

The Rural/Agricultural Corridor will change

the least between now and the year 2020 in

comparison to the American Bottoms Corridor

and Bluffs Corridor areas. This is appropriate

because the eastern half of Madison County

contains some of the most fertile farmland in

Illinois. The 2020 Plan provides more than

enough opportunities in this Corridor to

accommodate development to the year 2020.

The 2020 Land Use Strategy calls for new

development in the agricultural area of the

Rural/Agricultural portion of the County and

supports logical planned growth for the

communities. In most of this area, the County

should discourage growth that is not served

by infrastructure, including public water and

sewer systems. The County should also

discourage the creation or expansion of

Facility Planning Areas that diverge from

existing agricultural and community

development patterns. Development should

be steered towards existing communities and

subdivisions, thus avoiding the “pop-up

subdivisions” that suddenly appear in the

countryside.

Part of this planning strategy is to identify and

encourage protection of the four existing land

use patterns in the Rural/Agricultural Corridor:

• Farming, including agricultural

infrastructure, agricultural industry, and

farmstead.

• Towns and villages, which support and

enhance agriculture.

• Countryside residential, where limited

single-family development will be

encouraged on non-prime farmland

adjacent to existing residential uses.

• Individual and farm family residential

development where appropriate, such as

new residences for farm family members

engaged in agriculture and sites not

suitable for agricultural production.

The 2020 Land Use Strategy reinforces the

premise that agriculture in Madison County

should not simply be considered a holding

zone waiting on market pressures to dictate

development. Unplanned development

eventually pushes out farming as well as

subsidiary industries, equipment sales,

greenhouses and nurseries, sod farms, etc.

Maintenance and expansion of agricultural

operations should be encouraged along with

the practical function of production from

farmland.

The 2020 Plan recognizes that the towns and

villages of the Rural/Agricultural Corridor are

still centers of local services, social activities

and employment as well as provide community

identity to the surrounding farm areas.

Because of these important functions, their

preservation and growth is as important as that

of the agricultural land itself. These

communities continue to function as local

service, social, and employment centers and

should expand along existing development

patterns when appropriate growth occurs.

Planning in the Rural/Agricultural Corridor

will focus on protecting farmland and farming

as a way of life as outlined in The Land Use

Strategy. Agricultural land is a non-renewal

resource that contributes to a stable County

economy. By recognizing and protecting this

important land use, and by setting the agenda

for the future, the 2020 Plan seeks to support

agriculture and its supporting services so it

may continue to thrive in eastern Madison

County.

Rural/Agricultural Land Use Proposals

The land use proposals for this Corridor reflect

the Corridor’s historical use as an intensive

agricultural area supported by towns and

villages. This Corridor is primarily

agricultural and is expected to remain so

throughout the planning period. Conversions

of agricultural land will occur but if guided to

areas designated in the City of Highland Land

Use Plan and to infill areas within and adjacent

to smaller villages, the impact on the

agricultural economy will be minor.

Scattered individual residential growth and

residential subdivisions that appear to “pop

up” in farm fields are specifically discouraged.

This problem has been discussed in the

agricultural planning issue and is addressed

in the Recommendations and Implementation

section of this Plan.

Residential

Residential growth is projected in areas

designated by municipal plans, especially in

the City of Highland area. Most of the smaller

municipalities in this Corridor have adequate

vacant lands within their borders to

accommodate growth and little or no

residential development areas are shown

outside of those municipal boundaries.

Existing settlements (developments) are

shown and rural residential development that

is not within or adjacent to a municipality

should be encouraged to locate in these

settlements. When large lot developments,

referred to as “Country Subdivisions”, are

proposed, they should be permitted on land

not suitable for agriculture relating to

productivity, topography, vegetation, man-

made barriers, etc.

Commercial

The majority of commercial development in

this Corridor is located within municipalities

with the exception of some agri-business

activities, cross-roads commercial activities

and commercial developments extending out

highways that serve the municipalities.

Proposed commercial developments are those

areas shown in community plans, cross-roads

commercial and highway commercial at I-55

and I-70 interchanges.

Industrial

The primary industry in this Corridor is

agriculture. Industrial developments do exist

in the City of Highland. Additional industrial

development is reflected in the City of

Highland Plan and the possibility of industrial

development exists at Shafer Metro-East

Airport west of Highland. No large industrial

areas are projected for this Corridor within the

planning period.

Open Space/Greenways/Recreation

The preponderance of agricultural lands in this

Corridor results in a low corridor priority for

open space during the planning period. The

trails and greenway proposals of the Madison

County Long-Range Transportation Plan and

the Southwestern Illinois Greenway Plan are

recommended for consideration as

opportunities arise. The open space

implementation proposals especially along the

principal creeks of the County will provide

multiple benefits for water quality, wildlife and

open space.

Land Use Strategy Elements Of The

Rural/Agricultural Corridor

Land Use

• Consider establishing a goal for the

retention of a stated percentage of the

County as agricultural

• Encourage, maintain, and support

agriculture as a viable land use

• Support the continuation and expansion of

agricultural business

• Minimize conflicts between agriculture

and non-agricultural uses

• Maintain and expand rural communities

as cultural, social, and employment centers

• Only allow new development that is served

by public infrastructure or acceptable

private infrastructure

Transportation

• Encourage improved access from rural

areas to job markets

• Promote public safety and awareness

regarding the agricultural vehicles that

share our roads

• Support the continued viability of the Tri-

City Regional Port District

Water Resources

• Maintain and encourage agricultural, soil

erosion control, and conservation practices

• Require publicly owned and managed

wastewater facilities in lieu of small

private plants

• Protect existing wetlands and promote the

development of new wetlands to retain

storm water

• Avoid residential subdivision

development, of six or more lots, on

private sewage disposal systems unless an

IEPA approved treatment facility services

the subdivision

• Protect water quality by reducing non-

point source pollution of surface water

• Enhance and protect water quality by

reducing and eliminating point source

discharges of wastewater into surface

water

• Through the use of development

regulations discourage the use of

individual wastewater disposal systems

Open Space

• Identify and acquire environmentally

sensitive natural areas where appropriate

• Develop and improve parks and open

space systems

• Coordinate open space planning activities

with municipalities, park districts, and

adjoining counties

Community

• Encourage and assist municipalities in

protecting their historic resources

• Encourage the viability and maintenance

of municipal main streets

• Encourage new developments to locate

within existing communities

Agricultural Economy

• Protect productive farmland

• Support the location and expansion of

agriculture-related industries

• Consider the creation of 40-acre zoning

lots in Agricultural Zoning Districts

COUNTYWIDE PLAN

RECOMMENDATIONS AND

IMPLEMENTATION

This 2020 Plan focuses on the County’s efforts

and needs to manage the land within its borders

to maintain and improve the quality of life for

all County residents. Managing land and how

it is used is what 2020 Plan is all about.

Management of any asset for any purpose

always involves choices. Those choices

involve costs, methods, timing and results

desired. The recommendations for

implementing this plan involve those same

variables. The additional element the County

must consider is the choice and application of

specific tools to use in its management efforts.

The 2020 Plan identifies and recommends the

application of both methods and tools the

County should consider in its management

effort.

Recommendations

County-Municipal Cooperation

Perhaps the most important recommendation

in the Plan is for County-Municipal

cooperation. Many of the previous subjects

in the Plan note areas where cooperation is

necessary for each party to be successful.

Areas of cooperation include, but are not

limited to:

a) The mile and one-half area around

municipalities where the County and the

municipality have certain statutory planning

and enforcement rights

b) Watershed planning for water quality and

storm water purposes necessarily involves

multiple political jurisdictions

c) Transportation planning always involves

multiple political jurisdictions.

d) Greenways, trails and large recreation

facilities benefit multiple political

jurisdictions.

To initiate a process for cooperation with

municipalities the County should select a

limited objective in one or more of the four

preceding subjects a) through d), select a

geographic area where an opportunity or

problem exists and approach the

municipality(s) involved with an offer to form

a planning partnership for a specific purpose.

For example, it is in each party’s interest to

have an agreement concerning the mile and

one-half territory adjacent to municipal

boundaries in the area of proposed land use,

zoning, subdivision regulations and open

space. First, determine the amount of

agreement possible for future land use

proposals. Incorporate those proposals in the

respective land use plans. Second, review the

zoning districts and subdivision standards to

apply and determine the amount of agreement

possible. Standards need not be identical but

the greater the similarity the better the

application, simplicity of conformance and

administration will be. This “trial run”

planning partnership then becomes a template

for other areas and a structure where other

issues, opportunities and problems can and

will be addressed.

Planning Capability

It is recommended that Madison County

develop an “in-house” planning capability.

The County will continue to urbanize and

development issues will increase in

complexity. Consultants are useful for specific

kinds of projects or technical assistance

activities but are ill equipped for the day-to-

day attention that is required and that in-house

staff bring to the table.

Development Regulations Review

It is recommended that the County begin an

in-depth review of the development

regulations now in use, specifically the County

Zoning and Subdivision Regulations. The

review should include consideration of large

lot zoning, introducing new design concepts,

more stringent wastewater standards, the use

of planned districts and incentives to foster

better and more open design for all

development.

Development Impacts

It is recommended the County begin to

explore development impact analysis and

development fees. The County can make

more informed decisions about the benefits,

revenues, jobs, costs and other associated

impacts of development with this tool.

Development impact fee programs are used

to have new development pay a

proportionate share of the cost of new roads,

sewer systems or similar public facilities.

Storm Water/Watersheds

The County’s storm water problems need

continuous attention and the exploration of

new ideas. It is recommended that the County

consider the implementation of a storm water

impact fee as one of the revenue sources for

addressing storm water programs. It is also

recommended the County review and adopt

standards equal to or greater than those

contained in “A Model Ordinance Providing

For the Control of Storm Water Drainage and

Detention, Soil Erosion and Sedimentation

Control” (SIMAPC 1997).

It is recommended that the County initiate a

watershed planning program utilizing the new

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

“Watershed Program”. This program is new

and can be used to address water quality and

storm water issues the Regional Storm Water

Committee has been working on.

Encourage Development (Including

Residential) To Locate In Appropriate

Locations

Encourage residential development to locate

adjacent to municipalities or existing

residential developments. The proliferation of

subdivisions not served by existing or adequate

infrastructure simply creates unnecessary

problems. The proliferation of individual

disposal systems, increased traffic on rural

roads, and demands for greater police and fire

protection are common results of this kind of

residential sprawl. Available cheap land and

the increasing availability of public potable

water supplies will emphasize this residential

sprawl unless other alternatives are considered.

Regulations and incentives will be

necessary to reduce this problem.

The creation of agricultural districts with very

large lot requirements-up to 40 acres.

The creation of residential districts in concert

with municipal land use planning that places

residential districts next to municipal

boundaries where infrastructure is available.

The creation of incentives, density and others

such as simplified Planned Unit Development

procedures, in conjunction with open space

design or other design features. The County

Zoning and the municipal subdivision

regulations must make development more

economically attractive and rewarding if most

new development is to actually locate adjacent

to municipalities and their existing

infrastructure.

It is additionally recommended that the

County consider the use of development

impact fees for infrastructure improvements.

The use of development impact fees would

be even more effective if used in

conjunction with municipalities.

Commercial Development

There is little question that location is the first

key to commercial success. The commercial

land use proposals of the 2020 Plan primarily

reflect existing land use patterns, municipal

plan proposals and locational considerations

in relation to interstate and major highways.

The implementation of these land use

proposals can best be encouraged through

appropriate zoning and subdivision

regulations. Previsions within the current

County zoning ordinance should be reviewed

to encourage more planned commercial and

office parks through the use of planned districts

and signage incentives, flexible multi-use

parking standards and related uses.

Agriculture

The 2020 Plan proposals for agriculture center

on the retention of agricultural lands to support

a strong agricultural economy, to prevent the

premature conversion of agricultural land and

to allow appropriate residential and

agricultural business uses.

The retention of designated lands although

difficult can be accomplished. That is not to

imply that all lands now in agriculture should

be retained.

The County is encouraged to initiate a

discussion concerning a future land percentage

that would be maintained in agriculture

production. This recommendation

presupposes that a balanced future, 20 years

and beyond, land use pattern is desired and

necessary for a high quality of life for County

residents. The time to begin the discussion

and explore options and locations is now. The

accomplishment of such a goal is definitely a

long term endeavor. The alternative, over time,

is continuous monotonous development.

Short term implementation actions to reduce

sprawl in agricultural areas are very large lot

zoning, the implementation of planning

partnerships that result in land use and

development regulation agreements with

municipalities and the use where possible of

agricultural preservation methods identified in

the agricultural planning issue discussion.

Limited residential development will occur in

agricultural areas but should occur on non-

prime agricultural lands and to respond to the

housing needs of those engaged in agriculture.

These are specific problems the County’s

development regulations should address for

wastewater treatment, storm water, and

transportation impact fee consideration.

Industry

Madison County long ago realized the

advantages the County has for industrial

development and in many ways has supported

and sought to implement activities that

encourage additional industrial development.

The creation of Tri-City Regional Port District,

St. Louis Regional Airport, the interstates and

the continuing extension of I-255, the new

Clark Bridge at Alton, support for a new

Mississippi River Bridge in the Tri-Cities area,

and the creation of three Enterprise Zones are

principal implementable actions, some

accomplished, others ongoing.

Within the enterprise zones appropriate zoning

should continue to be reviewed and rezoning

should occur for lands so designated in the

Land Management Plan.

There are numerous local and regional

economic development agencies, and

organizations involved in promoting and

encouraging new industrial development

within the County. As a short-term measure

the County should support and participate

with those organizations where possible. In

the future, the County is encouraged to

consider the addition of “economic

development” to its planning partnership

agenda.

Open Space/Recreation/Greenways

The Southwestern Illinois Greenway Plan is

regional in nature and does not replace the need

for additional open space planning at the

municipal or county level. The greenways plan

is a guidance document that additionally

includes trails and bikeways as recreational

activities that may be developed to add

recreational benefits in association with

greenways.

The Plan provides a long-range strategy for

the development of a regional network of

greenways in Madison, St. Clair, and Monroe

Counties and includes an identification of

priorities for development and

implementation. The reader is encouraged to

consult the Southwestern Illinois Greenway

Plan for a more detailed discussion of

recommendations that include acquisition,

regulations, planning and preservation.

The 2020 Plan specifically recommends the

review and adoption of a “Stream Protection

Ordinance.” Linear greenways along streams,

(blueways) provide a dual function as proven

filter strips for trapping sediment and

pollutants that degrade water quality.

Figure 1

Federal/St at e Roadw ay Im provem ents

FY 2000 - 2020

Facility From To

Type of

Improvement

Length

(miles)

Cost

(millions)

Implementation

Timeframe

Central County

IL 159 Center Grove Road IL 143 New Road 2.20 9.6 FY 00-05

IL 159 St. Clair County Line I-55/70 New Road 3.00 20.0 FY 00-05

IL 157 Schwarz Road SIUE Entrance Widen (2 to 5 Lanes) 4.20 20.3 FY 00-05

IL 159 Center Grove Road I-55/70 Widen (2 to 5 Lanes) 5.10 25.5 FY 00-05

IL 143 IL 159 I-255 Widen/Resurface 6.20 42.0 FY 06-10

IL 162 Formosa US 40 Widen (2 to 3/4 lanes) 4.37 18.6 FY 06-10

IL 158 Extension JB Bridge I-55/70 (Troy ) Feasibility Study 0.00 0.0 Unknown

Subtotal 25.07 136.0

East County

US 40 I-55/70 IL 4 Widen ( 2 to 4 lanes) 6.0 28.0 FY 06-10

IL 143 US 40 2 miles west Widen ( 2 to 4 lanes) 2.0 9.0 FY 11 -15

IL 140 Morland Road IL 159 Widen (2 to 4/5 lanes) 3.5 28.0 FY 11 -15

US 40 IL 143 N. of I-70 Interchange Widen ( 2 to 4 lanes) 1.5 4.0 FY 11 -15

Subtotal 13.0 69.0

Riverbend

I-255 IL 143 IL 267 New Road 13.9 200.4 FY 00-10

IL 111 IL 143 Airline Drive Widen ( 2 to 4 lanes) 2.0 4.6 FY 06-10

IL 3 US 67 Stirlitz Road Widen (2 to 4/5 lanes) 3.6 14.0 FY 11 -15

IL 3/111 IL 143 US 67 Widen (4 to 6 lanes) 5.5 33.0 FY 11 -15

IL 111 IL 140 Airline Drive Widen (4 to 6 lanes) 1.0 5.0 FY 11 -15

IL 267 US 67 Jersey County Line Widen (2 to 4 lanes) 2.7 12.9 FY 11 -15

US 67 IL 267 Jersey County Line Widen (2 to 4 lanes) 2.7 11 FY 11 -15

IL 140 Homer Adams Pkwy. Morland Road Widen (4 to 6 lanes) 3.9 32.0 FY 16-20

Subtotal 35.3 312.9

Tri-Cities

IL 3 Broadway Street I-70 (relocated) New Road 2.40 46.8 FY 06-10

Chain of Rocks Road IL 111 FAP 310 Widen (2 to 5 lanes) 0.09 3.0 FY 00-05

I-270 Mississippi River IL 111 Widen (4 to 6 lanes) 6.60 221.3 FY 11 -15

Subtotal 9.09 271.1

Total, Federal and State Road Improvement

82.46 789.00

New Roads 21.5 276.8

Capacity Improvements 60.96 512.20

Figure 2

County/Local Roadw ay Im provem ents

FY 2000 - 2020

Facility From To

Type of

Impro vement

Leng t h

(miles)

Cost

(millio ns)

Implement ation

Timeframe

Central County

FY 00-05

Keeb ler R o ad I-55/ 70 IL 16 2 R ealig n 2 .4 7.0 FY 0 0 -0 5

M erid ian R o ad Glen C r o ssing R d . S. o f I- 2 70 R eco nst r uct 1.3 2 .4 FY 0 0 -0 5

Glen C ro ssing R d . M er id ian R o ad IL 159 W iden 1.6 5.0 FY 0 0 -0 5

B luf f R o ad IL 157 N ew Po ag R o ad Resur f ace 1.9 2 .9 FY 0 0 -0 5

E. M ain St reet IL 159 IL 16 2 R eco nstr uct 2 .0 2 .6 F Y 0 0 -0 5

C ent er Gro ve R d . IL 157 IL 159 W id en (3 t o 5 lanes) 1.6 3 .9 FY 0 6 -10

Go shen R o ad IL 159 I-55 R eco nstr uct 3 .0 3 .4 F Y 0 6 -10

W est M ain Street Keeb ler Ro ad IL 159 R eco nst r uct 1.1 1.1 FY 0 6 -10

Glen Cro ssing R d . IL 159 Old Troy Ro ad Reconstruct 1.5 2 .0 FY 0 6 -10

Old Troy Road Cottonwood Road IL 162 Reconstruct 3.0 3.9 FY 06-10

N ew Po ag R o ad IL 3 E. o f B luf f R o ad R esur f ace 6 .4 7.9 FY 11-15

Sand Road Chain of Rocks Road New Poag Road Reconstruct 3.0 5.3 FY 11-15

South B yp ass IL157 IL 14 3 N ew R o ad 3 .5 Unkno w n F Y 11-15

Subtotal 3 2 .3 4 7.4

East C o unt y

B ucht a Ro ad IL 111 IL 159 R eco nst r uct 5.1 6 .9 FY 0 0 -0 5

R eken Ro ad IL 159 Prairiet o w n Ro ad Resurf ace/ W id en 2 .8 2 .4 FY 0 6 -10

Hig hland B yp ass St . R o se R o ad IL 14 3 N ew R o ad 2 .0 6 .4 FY 11-15

R eken R o ad Prair iet o w n R o ad M aco up in C o unt y Line R esurf ace 6 .5 7.3 FY 11-15

Iberg Road Troxler Road St. Rose Road New Road 1.5 0.8 FY 11-15

Tro y-O'Fallo n Ro ad U S 40 St. Clair Co unty Line W iden (2 to 4 lanes) 5.0 2 5.4 FY 11-15

Leb ano n R o ad Clay Scho o l R o ad IL 4 R eco nst r uct 9 .0 12 .8 FY 11-15

Staunt o n Ro ad IL 16 2 IL 14 3 R eco nst r uct 6 .0 7.8 FY 11-15

F r uit R o ad IL157 IL 16 0 Reco nst r uct 13 .0 16 .9 FY 11-15

Subtotal 50 .9 8 6 .7

Riverbend

B irch R o ad IL 14 3 B ucht a Ro ad R ealig n 2 .8 3 .7 FY 0 0 -0 5

Seiler R o ad Humb ert R o ad Seminary R o ad R eco nstr uct 2 .1 3 FY 0 0 -0 5

Ind iana A venue IL 14 3 East B ro ad w ay New R o ad 0 .5 10 .7 FY 0 0 -0 5

Hed g e R o ad M ad iso n A venue W ag o n W heel Ro ad Resurf ace 1 1.3 F Y 0 0 -0 5

W est C o rb in St reet Old B et halto Ro ad A lb ers Lane R esurf ace 1.0 1.3 FY 0 0 -0 5

C ut St reet East B ro adw ay East -W est C o nnect o r R eco nst ruct 1.6 3 .8 FY 0 6 -10

C hessen Lane East B ro adw ay East -W est C o nnect o r R eco nst ruct 1.6 3 .8 FY 0 6 -10

Pier ce Ln./ A irp o rt R d . IL 3 U S 2 6 7 R esur f ace 2 .5 3 .3 FY 0 6 -10

East-W est C o nnect o r Ind iana A venue C hessen Lane N ew R o ad 1.4 2 .9 FY 0 6 -10

W and a Ro ad N ew Po ag R o ad IL 14 3 R esurf ace 3 .0 3 .9 FY 11-15

Edw ardsville Road IL 14 3 IL 3 W id en (2 t o 4 lanes) 3 .5 4.6 FY 11-15

Harris Lane Seminary R o ad Fo st erb urg Ro ad R eco nst r uct 2 .5 3 .3 FY 11-15

Haw t ho rne / M ad iso n IL 3 W anda Ro ad R esurf ace 3 .0 3 .9 FY 11-15

Airport Road Ext. Airport Road Great River Road New Road 4.0 8.9 FY 16-20

Humb ert R o ad I-2 55 Int erchang e W id en ( 2 t o 4 lanes) 1.0 1.3 F Y 16 - 2 0

Seiler R o ad Seminary Ro ad IL 159 R eco nstruct 9 .5 10 .3 FY 16 -2 0

B et hany Lane I-2 55 A irp o rt R o ad R esurf ace 1.0 1.3 F Y 16 -2 0

C ulp Lane M o r o R o ad Fo st er b urg Ro ad R eco nst ruct 4 .5 5.9 FY 16 -2 0

Subtotal 4 6 .5 77.2

Tri-Cities

Schaef f er Ro ad IL 3 R esur f ace 1.0 1.3 FY 0 6 -10

Tri-Cities Port Access New Road 1.5 10 FY 00-05

Po nt o o n R o ad IL 2 0 3 IL 16 2 W id en (2 t o 4 lanes) 4 .0 5.2 FY 0 0 -0 5

Chain of Rocks Road W. of IL 111 IL 203 Resurface 2.6 2.3 FY 06-10

South Lake Parkw ay IL 111 Ponto o n R o ad N ew R o ad 5.5 3 0 FY 16 - 2 0

M o cking b ird Lane Po nt o o n R o ad IL 16 2 R eco nst r uct 2 .0 2 .6 FY 16 -2 0

Subtotal 16 .6 51.4

To t al, C o unt y/ Lo cal Ro ad Imp ro vement s 146.3 262.7

New Roads 19 .9 6 9 .7

12 6 . 4 19 3

Transportation

Madison County commissioned a separate

Long Range Transportation Plan that

extensively addresses all forms of

transportation within the County. The reader

is referred to the Madison County Long Range

Transportation Plan for a discussion of

proposals and implementation actions. A brief

summary of that document is provided in this

Plan for informational purposes.

Implementation Summary

The recommendation and implementation

actions of this Plan are substantive and

intended to assist the County in taking the next

steps in land management and quality of life

discussions. As such, the proposals are

intended as a beginning that will encourage

discussion and activities to maintain and

enhance the quality of Madison County’s

future.

LONG RANGE

TRANSPORTATION PLAN

The following description of the Madison

County Long-Range Transportation Plan

(LRTP) is an abbreviated summary condensed

from that Plan. It is presented as information

only and the reader is encouraged to consult

the LRTP for a full discussion of the LRTP.

An important role of the Madison County Long

Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) is to

anticipate how future development will impact

the transportation system. The following

presents specific recommendations for each

travel mode to address transportation needs

through the year 2020.

Recommended improvements and strategies

are presented for the following transportation

systems:

• Street and Highway System Improvements

• Transit System Strategies Transportation

Demand Management

• Water and Air Transportation Strategies

• Port Access

The projects and strategies in this section

support the multi-modal intent of the LRTP’s

four principal goals: (1) mobility, (2) safety

and efficiency, (3) economic feasibility, and

(4) consistency with social, environmental, and

energy considerations.

The transportation proposals described in the

following sections were developed based on

public input on transportation issues facing the

community; technical analysis of existing and

future transportation conditions; and local

policies.

Street And Highway Improvements

The planning process used to develop the

recommendations included; use of the traffic

forecast model MINUTP, input from public

involvement committees, route alignment, and

cost alternatives. These activities include

recommendations for the following types of

projects or strategies.

A. Highway Capacity Improvements

B. Grade separation of railroad crossings

C. Intersection improvements

Highway Capacity Improvements

(Federal/State Systems)

Interstate, U.S. Highway and Illinois State

Route improvements were identified and

tested in the planning process.

The LRTP recommends additional study

regarding the needs to construct grade

separation of roadways and railroad lines.

Intersection Improvements

The LRTP recommends additional study be

conducted to examine potential intersection

improvements at the locations specified in the

Plan. These improvements would address

capacity, delay, and/or safety issues at these

locations.

Transit Service Plan

Madison County Transit District has begun

implementing a hub and spoke system utilizing

transit centers as the transfer location. In

addition, express bus service is provided to

the major park-and-ride centers along major

arterials and interchanges. This system

matches the quality of service to the nature of

the trip and has proven to be very efficient.

The long range plan was developed with this

hub and spoke service concept and matching

the service type with population and

employment densities. The long range Transit

Plan is described in terms of three time periods,

or phases, and four separate but related transit

services.

The first phase has already begun with the

coordination and expansion of existing service

related to the implementation of the transit

center concept, and the absorption of Bi-State

express routes. Phase I ends with the opening

of the new MetroLink station at Emerson Park

and with the initiation of the light rail

preliminary planning and analysis.

Madison County Transit (MCT) is developing

transit centers throughout the County.

Currently, there are four transfer facilities in

Madison County with three more to be added

in the near future.

Phase II begins with the completion of the

Transit Centers in Edwardsville, Collinsville,

Alton and Wood River and the opening of the

Emerson Park MetroLink Station. With these

significant investments, Madison County

Transit will add new services and adjust others

to reflect the travel time and comfort

advantages offered by these facilities. Some

express buses may short loop at MetroLink and

regional routes will be improved by the direct

routing to the transit centers. Phase II

represents the full operation of the spoke-and-

hub service concept. In Phase II, the planning

and preliminary design environmental reviews

begin for the first portion of the Madison

County Light Rail Transit (LRT) system.

Phase II continues throughout the development

and construction of the LRT system and ends

with the opening of the LRT.

Phase III begins with the opening of the LRT

system and represents a significant

improvement to the transit system. The

express bus, the regional shuttles, and the local

shuttle bus system will be restructured to

maximize the potential benefits of the LRT

system.

Bicycle And Pedestrian Transportation

This part of the Plan presents a future scenario

for bicycle facilities in the County with

recommendations that would fill gaps in the

existing bikeway system by establishing an

interconnected system.

The future system includes existing trails,

routes and suitable roads. It also includes

future trails, routes and recommended road

segments to be upgraded for shared bicycle

use.

Airports

This part of the LRTP identifies the generalized

facility requirements and improvements

necessary to improve the existing aviation

infrastructure in Madison County to satisfy

aviation demand thorough the year 2020.

It should be noted that airport needs are not

uniform. Each airport was evaluated

separately and individually because of the

unique features of each airport facility and the

differences in the airport’s roles, types of

aircraft served, and service area characteristics.

Additionally, current Airport Master Plans and

Airport Layout Plans were reviewed along

with information and recommendations in the

Regional Aviation System Plan being prepared

by the East-West Gateway Coordinating

Council.

The Transportation Plan identifies airport

expansion proposals. The expansion and

improvements include the following types of

proposals.

• Land and easement acquisition for future

airport development requirements or for

noise mitigation purposes

• Runway improvements to accommodate

increased airport activity levels, changes

in aircraft types, and maintenance

requirements

• Taxiway improvements for safety and

capacity purposes

• Apron and aircraft tie-down improvements

to accommodate increased airport activity

and/or changes in aircraft types.

• Lighting improvements for safety and

nighttime airport usage

• Navigational aid enhancement for safety

and to allow expanded usage of airports

during periods of inclement weather

• Building and terminal improvements to

accommodate airport based aircraft and

foreign itinerant airport uses

• Miscellaneous improvements such as

utility extensions and airport land use

compatibility zoning recommendations to

ensure airport safety and durability

River Ports

Capacity of Port Facilities

Madison County is home to 17 of the 50

individual private river terminals located on

the Mississippi River within the entire 72-mile

length of the St. Louis Harbor. The County is

also home to the Tri-City Regional Port

District, the largest public port in the St. Louis

area, with its harbor and terminal facilities

located adjacent to lock #27 on the Chain-of-

Rocks Canal. The Port District territorial

jurisdiction is made up of four townships

located in the southwest corner of the County.

In addition to private operations located in the

vicinity of the harbor complex, the Port District

owns four public river terminals and one

privately operated river terminal. Port facility

operators directly support 350 jobs and

indirectly contribute to 1,100 related jobs

within Madison and St. Clair Counties.

In addition to the harbor complex, the Port

District owns an industrial park within the

Melvin Price Support Center and is the license

holder of Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) #31. FTZ

operations are carried out from 412,000 square

feet of approved FTZ warehouse space.

The Port District has performed a feasibility

study and development plan for the reuse of

the Price Support Center should the military

facility close and become available to the

District.

Depending on inter-modal transportation

availability, a currently planned 1,880-foot

expansion of the port’s harbor will help

provide additional terminal capacity and land

access for industrial development.

In cooperation with AmerenUE, the Port

District is planning two new ports and terminal

complexes that will be served by IL 3. One

will be located at the northern end of the Chain-

of-Rocks Canal, adjacent to the 1,400-acre

Lewis & Clark Industrial Park (Northport), and

one south of the existing harbor and adjacent

to the McKinley Bridge (Southport). Under a

new Harbor Expansion Project approved by

the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Port

District also plans to construct 3,000+ feet of

new harbor at Northport.

Needed Improvements

Because of the potential developmental growth

that can result from an improved IL 3,

consideration and support for its improvement

is greatly encouraged. In addition to the

improvement of IL 3 connections to the north

and south of the Port’s harbor facilities, other

improvements to Tri-City Regional Port

District, terminals, docks, and rail facilities are

needed. Grade separations for new rail

crossings and interchanges to eliminate traffic

lights wherever possible should be given

consideration to improve safety, reduce traffic

congestion, and improve highway and rail

operations. Old Rock Road, which directly

serves the existing harbor off IL 3, is in need

of improvement and capacity expansion. In

addition to these roadway improvements,

improvements to docks, wharves, conveyors,

and other terminal equipment are also needed

and proposed funding will be through ISTEA.

Financial Capacity Analysis

The LRTP provides an investment strategy

with the understanding that adequate financing

should be dedicated to meet the needs to both

preserve the existing transportation system and

to fund other planned investments. This

Figur e 3

Project ed

Transport at ion

Re v e n u e s

(Cost in Millions)

Madison County, Illinois

Fundin g

Co u n t y

Revenue

Feder a l

Revenue

Tot a l

1997

$8.5

$10.5

$19.0

1997-2020

$315.5

$241.9

$557.4

financial analysis reflects that only portions

of the total transportation system serving

Madison County are directly under the control

of County sponsored agencies. It is recognized

that the financial capacity of this plan is

directly related to federal funds allocated to

IDOT and state-generated revenues, county

revenue sources and revenue dedicated to

Madison County Transit.

The following discusses a number of

revenue cost scenario estimates for Madison

County to implement plan recommendations

through the year 2020.

County Highway System Expenditures

The Madison County Highway Department is

responsible for the maintenance and

construction of roadways included in the

County highway system. The cost for

maintenance and construction is projected at

$396.4 million over the planning period.

Committed County highway projects would be

funded by local revenue sources. The

reconstruction projects total $30.2 million.

Construction of the projects would leave only

$23.7 million for other reconstruction or

resurfacing over the planning period.

State and Federal Expenditures

The LRTP includes projects that are currently

committed or planned. Committed projects

are those projects included on the

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

completed by either EWGCC or IDOT. This

project list includes the Alton Bypass (I-255)

from I-270 to IL 143, the IL 159 (Main Street)

project in Edwardsville, and adding turn lanes

to a section on US 67 in Alton. The cost of

these projects is estimated at $168.2 million.

The state and federal system projects included

in this Plan include a number of major projects.

The cost of these projects is approximately

$1.1 billion. This total includes the estimated

$512 million for the I-70/IL 3 project in

northern St. Clair County, as well as the I-255

extension, and IL 159 widening.

The preceding discussion is a highlight

summary of the Madison County Long Range

Transportation Plan. The reader is urged to

consult that plan for transportation planning

information.

Figur e 4

Count y Highway

Pr oject

Tot als

(Cost in Millions)

Madison County, Illinois

Committed Projects

Long Range Projects

Total Projects

$30.2

$86.8

$117.0

PART III

BACKGROUND FOR PLANNING

PLANNING FRAMEWORK

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Section is to set the Plan parameters and direction for the planning effort.

PLANNING IN MADISON COUNTY

Comprehensive planning has been a function

of Madison County government for many

years. Planning related activities began when

Madison County adopted subdivision

regulations in 1956, a building code in 1958

and a zoning ordinance in 1963. County

planning formally began in 1960 when the

County Board commissioned a land use plan

for unincorporated areas to assist in the

development of the zoning ordinance.

In August of 1967 the County Board contracted

with the Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan

Area Planning Commission to carry out the

first phase of the formulation of a general plan.

This work was performed with the support of

the federal government and coordinated with

the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council.

This program was carried out concurrently for

Madison and St. Clair Counties, resulted in a

series of reports concerning population,

economic base, transportation and land use,

and was published in the spring of 1969. This

series of reports comprised an analysis of

existing conditions within Madison and St.

Clair Counties.

In January 1969, the County Board contracted

with the Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan

Area Planning Commission to assist in

preparing land use and transportation elements

for a county plan which was completed and

published in December of 1969. This plan was

not formally adopted or put into effect.

In April 1972, the Madison County Board

created the Madison County Regional

Planning Commission. The principal task

assigned to the Commission was to review and

revise the proposed 1969 plan which had not

been adopted by the County Board. In

response to this assigned responsibility, the

Commission and the County Board contracted

with the Southwestern Illinois Metropolitan

Area Planning Commission for technical

planning assistance necessary to update and

modify the plan of 1969. In 1973 a

comprehensive plan was formally adopted.

Today, building, zoning, and subdivision

review are important functions of the County

Building, Zoning and Environmental

Department. The Department’s planning

responsibilities were increased in 1987 to

include solid waste planning. In addition, the

Department provides staff services to the

County Planning Commission and the

Madison County Zoning Board of Appeals.

The County and the Madison County Transit

District commissioned a major long range

Transportation Plan in 1996 and a County

Comprehensive Plan in 1997.

The County Planning Commission was

organized by the County Board in 1997 to

guide and coordinate development of the

County Land Use Plan. The Commission is

composed of nine members, with three ex-

officio members.

County Planning Commission

Responsibilities

• To participate in the preparation of a

Comprehensive County Plan and make

recommendations to the County Board

with respect to the plan.

• To cooperate in the preparation of project

plans in accordance with the official plan

and make recommendations to the County

Board.

• To assist County officials charged with the

direction of projects for improvements

embraced within the Comprehensive Plan,

to further the development of these

projects, and generally to promote the

realization of the Comprehensive Plan.

• To report to the County Board on the status

of the Comprehensive Plan and on the

effectiveness of County ordinances and

regulations as they relate to the

Comprehensive Plan.

• To transmit to the County Board reports

on the important problems, conditions, and

proposals pertinent to the future

development of the County.

1973 Comprehensive Plan

The 1973 Comprehensive Plan spelled out

goals and policies for future development

within the County’s planning districts. It also

called for open space systems to protect natural

areas and connect existing public land with

future acquisitions. However, the 1973 Plan

was very generalized and it failed to address

some issues adequately, such as, farmlands,

rural development and environmental quality.

The Plan did note that properly planned

development in the rural areas could provide

jobs, new markets for commerce, alternative

housing opportunities, and good uses for less

productive and highly erodible farmland.

The 1973 Plan encouraged new rural

subdivisions on vacant parcels near existing

municipal residential developments and

discouraged new subdivisions where

detrimental to a goal of preserving prime

agricultural land. It noted that Madison

County’s challenge was to balance additional

rural residential development with

environmental, conservation, and development

goals, and to guide new subdivisions into areas

consistent with the County’s adopted

development goals.

Intergovernmental Cooperation

This Plan proposes increased

intergovernmental cooperation as a key

implementation tool. The statutory

authorization for that cooperation is described

in the following text.

On September 23, 1985, the Illinois legislature

enacted the Local Land Resource Management

Planning Act, Illinois State Statutes, Chapter

50 ILCS 805. This important legislative

initiative added strength to the ability of the

counties and municipalities to engage in

intergovernmental planning activities. The

new enabling legislation can be used to

develop joint land resource management plans

that address critical land and water resource

issues. The Land Resource Management

Planning Act states:

“It is the purpose of this Act to

encourage municipalities and

counties to protect the land, air, water,

natural resources and environment of

the State and to encourage the use of

such resources in a manner which is

socially and economically desirable

through the adoption of joint or

compatible Local Land Resource

Management Plans.”

Conceptual Land Use Strategies

As Madison County entered the 1990s, growth

pressures increased and agricultural/

conservation preservation, growth

management, urban and economic

development, environmental protection, and

intergovernmental cooperation emerged as

interrelated issues. To address those issues

within the development frame work of

comprehensive planning the following Land

Use Strategies serve as basic policy guides to

the County Planning Commission in working

towards the completion of this Land Resource

Management Plan. The strategies are as

follows:

1. For the purpose of comprehensive planning,

Madison County is comprised of three distinct

land use strategy areas: American Bottoms,

Bluffs and the Rural/Agricultural Corridor.

2. Different strategies and types of

development are appropriate for each area and,

where appropriate, serve to reinforce historical

land use patterns.

3. Water resource management is a critical

element of land use planning for the County

and its municipalities and should be viewed

from area and watershed units.

4. Balanced development should be

encouraged with land use emphasis building

upon the locational characteristics of areas,

historic use and their natural and social

resources.

5. Agriculture will continue to be a desired land

use and will be addressed in a cultural,

economic and open space framework.

6. An interdependent relationship exists

between land use and transportation planning

that requires coordinated planning.

7. Partnership Planning concepts should be

explored to facilitate cooperative planning

with municipalities.

Process

The process of preparing the draft Plan begins

with a review of goals followed by an

evaluation of the natural and developed

characteristics of the County. Plan inputs are

illustrated in Figure 5 and Figure 6.

This Plan includes land use planning, issues

of quality of life, water resource management,

open space preservation, and environmental

protection.

The Plan’s Existing Conditions Inventory

describes the environmental, physical, and

demographic characteristics of the County.

This framework serves as information in the

identification and examination of planning

issues facing Madison County. Objectives and

policies are included for each planning issue.

The Land Use Plan and implementation

component describes how the County and

municipalities can work together to achieve

common and management goals and other

County actions that should be considered.

Review

This 2020 Land Use and Resource

Management Plan is the product of a public

review process which sought input from

individual citizens, municipalities, and other

organizations within Madison County. The

review process included public hearings for

citizen participation and input by local

governmental bodies, from throughout the

County. The 2020 Plan is the result of

revisions and changes made by the County

Planning Commission in response to the

review process. This process results in a plan

Figur e 5

Land Resource Management Plan Input s

Madison County, Illinois

Madison Co.

Land Resource

Management

Plan

Co n ce p t ua l

Land

Use

Strategies,

1997

Generalized

Land Use

Plan,

Planning and

Development

Issues,

Co un t y

Development

Characteristics

Local La nd

Resource

Ma n a g e m e n t

Planning Act,

1985

Co un t y

Natural

Characteristics

Co un t y

Comprehensive

Land Use

Plan,

1969

Go al s

and

Objectives

Public

Revie w

and

Co mme n t

that helps assure Madison County’s quality of

life can be sustained. The Plan provides a

proper balance between natural resource

protection and community and economic

development, and gives elected officials

direction to successfully guide Madison

County development into the 21st century.

FUTURE PERSPECTIVE

Over the past decade, urban and suburban

development has continued within the urban

corridors. Rapid growth in urban corridors of

Madison County has created concerns about

traffic, adequacy of services, loss of open space

and environmental quality. Farther east, rural

citizens are concerned about the future of

agriculture, environmental degradation, and

rural development. As Madison County moves

into the next century, it will experience

increased development pressure and

conversion of open areas and farm land to

suburban and exurban growth that will

intensify concerns and conflicts unless

planning is exercised, compromise is

negotiated and resolution of land use and

environmental conflict is mitigated.

The thrust of this Plan is to strengthen Madison

County’s historical land use pattern. Building

upon this historical framework, the Plan

identifies three distinct land use areas within

Madison County. They are from west to east;

the American Bottoms Corridor, the Bluffs

Corridor, and the Rural/Agricultural Area

(please see Figure 7). The American Bottoms

Corridor is the mixture of urban/industrial and

other land uses along the Mississippi River.

The Bluffs Corridor is the central area of the

County now experiencing development and

has potential for significant suburban and

exurban future growth. The Rural/Agricultural

Corridor is the eastern portion of the County

characterized by productive farms and stand

alone communities. The American Bottoms

Corridor municipalities along the Mississippi

Fi gur e 6

Planning Process

Madison County, Illinois

Request

for

Pr oposal

Request

for

Qualifications

County Boar d

Land Use Committee

Rev i ew

Revised Dr aft

Land Use Plan

and Map

Pl an

Development

30 - Day

Public Comment

Per iods

Planning

Commissi on

Rev i ew

Land Use Dr aft

Cr eated and

For matted

Rev i ew

and Hear ings

Scheduled

Public

Hear i ng

For um

Madison County

Planning Commission

Appointed

Land Use Plan Scope

and Planning Fir m

Selection

Inventor y

and

Analysis

Planning Commission

Submits Land Use

Plan to County Boar d

Final Review

Comments and

Revision

Pl an

Adopted by the

Madison County Boar d

Adoption Process

Planning Process

Review Process

River contain about 41 percent of the County’s

residents. Land uses include mature residential

neighborhoods, traditional downtowns,

industrial areas, and arterial commercial

developments. The urban density is made

possible by the sewer and water infrastructure

of the river communities and the land use

diversity is a result of historic development

patterns in the American Bottoms. This area

is also the County’s center for employment and

recreational opportunities such as Horseshoe

Lake, the Gateway International Raceway, St.

Louis Regional Airport, Granite City Steel,

Shell Oil Refinery, and much more, including

a 2700-acre Industrial/Commercial Park. The

American Bottoms is the dominant physical

feature of this Corridor and contributes to the

strong sense of place and community character

of the municipalities in this corridor. Water

resource management is of concern in this area,

especially in storm water management.

This urban corridor will continue to develop

primarily under the influence of these

communities. The development strategy for

this area includes industrial development,

downtown revitalization, neighborhood

preservation and redevelopment, infill

development, tourism and recreation. As the

communities in this Corridor grow and

prosper, coordinated planning will be needed

to ensure coordinated development.

The Bluffs Corridor of Madison County is

rapidly changing. This is due to development

pressures, environmental issues, and the visual

character of the countryside. It is “critical”

that municipalities and the County

cooperatively plan for managed growth in this

area. This growth area provides an opportunity

for balanced growth that can accommodate

higher densities with open space. The

continuing transition of this area can be

accomplished while protecting the

environment, and still accommodate projected

population growth.

In the Bluffs Corridor emphasis is placed on

water resource management, residential

densities, and clustering of commercial retail

and services adjacent to existing

municipalities. Strategically, the Bluffs

Corridor presents opportunities for future

planned growth to create a transition from city

to countryside. The eastern areas of Madison

County, the Rural/Agricultural Corridor, will

experience the fewest changes over the next

20 years. The land use strategy for this area

combines rural development opportunities

with protection of the extensive farmland

resources from premature conversion to other

permanent land uses. In addition the strategy

includes promoting the development of

agricultural support facilities and services and

the orderly growth of the villages. The villages

will continue to grow and serve as cultural,

social, and residential centers in this rich

farmland area. Residential development

outside of the villages will generally be low

density and should occur on less productive

soils, wooded areas, and as infill to existing

subdivisions. An emphasis will be placed on

avoiding conflicts between agricultural

operations and these residential opportunities.

Cooperative Planning

Madison County is rapidly approaching a

crossroads due to increasing growth,

expanding municipal boundaries, and renewed

pressure on open space and natural resources.

At this crossroads, there are two choices:

balanced, managed growth or conventional

suburban sprawl. The choice of balanced

growth will retain the unique character of

Madison County and its communities and

preserve its physical beauty and natural

resources. The second choice, suburban

sprawl, has become the norm in metropolitan

areas and is the result of competitive,

uncooperative, and unplanned development.

The success of this Plan and balanced,

managed growth depends on the support and

cooperation of the cities and villages with the

County because this is where expanding

municipal boundaries, expensive public

improvements, and many critical land use

decisions will occur.

To facilitate cooperative planning, land

management areas, or Planning Partnership

Areas (PPAs) should be designated. PPA

cooperative agreements should initially be

developed with communities that have adopted

community Land Use Plans. The PPAs

indicate areas of projected growth and/or link

areas of the County with common features or

interests. Because of this commonality, the

County and the community(ies) in a Planning

Partnership area will be better able to

coordinate and guide development for each

Partnership Area. These partnerships should

initially focus on wise management of

common land and water resources and the

achievement of widely shared values and

common goals.

Mi s s o u r i

Madi son

Go df r e y

Eas t

Al t o n

Bethalto

Worde n

Hame l

Al h a mb ra

Gran tfork

Ma r i n e

Highland

St. Jacob

Livingston

New Dougla s

Williamson

Woo d Rive r

Roxana

Hartford

Gr an i t e

City

Pontoon

Beach

Ma d i s o n

Edwardsville

Gl e n

Carbo n

Fai rmon t

City

Ve n i c e

South

Roxana

Maryville

Collinsville

Caseyville

Troy

140

143

111

159

267

100

157

159

157

111

367

203

159

162

160

55-70

270

170

255

Le w i s & Cl ar k

Bri dge

Chain of Rocks

Bridge

Mart in Lut her King

Bri dge

McKinley

Bri dge

St . Louis

Fi gur e 7

Planning Corridors

Madison County, Illinois

1. American Bottoms

Corridor

2. Bluffs Corridor

3. Rural/Agricultural

Corridor

PLAN GOALS

The development of goals begins with

values, which are translated into objectives,

from which policies aimed at achieving the

established goals are generated. The range

of policies that can and should be adopted is

limited by the values themselves. This

factor suggests which policies can work and

which cannot. In many cases, while a

certain policy would work, the more

powerful desires of society will not permit it

to work. In essence then, these values,

goals, objectives, and policies constitute a

body of development factors; and they

define the future development of a planning

area.

Values:

Values are widely shared concepts of what is

good or bad. Value-oriented planning is

concerned with achieving that which is in

conformity with a community’s conscience.

Goals:

Goals are an expression of values; they are

abstractions, providing direction towards a

condition to be sought. Goals are not

specifically measurable end products, but

reflect the desires of a community to maintain

and improve the quality of life of its citizens.

Objectives:

Objectives are the means of achieving stated

goals. They are specific statements of purpose

that serve as a guide for public policy and

action. Objectives are measurable and

achievable.

Policies:

Policies translate objectives into useful and

understandable decision guidelines. Policies

are to be fully considered and evaluated when

allocating resources, making public

improvements, directing growth, and receiving

development proposals. Policies provide

direction for subsequent actions.

The attainment of the goals of this Plan is a

long-term process. As Madison County grows

and develops, the values, goals, objectives, and

policies of its citizens and elected officials will

evolve. The Plan should be reviewed every

five years, with citizen input, in light of

changing demographics, changes in state or

federal policies, major infrastructure

improvements, major shifts in the regional

employment base, public policy decisions, and

economic and employment activities. At that

time the Land Resources Management Plan

should be revised as appropriate by the elected

officials of Madison County.

Although they are general in nature, these eight

goals can be achieved through the more

specific objectives and policies that have been

identified for the County in the planning issues

section of the Plan. These issues are:

Agriculture, Residential Development,

Commercial/Office, Industry, Transportation,

Open Space and Recreation, Water and Sewer

Resources, Flood Hazard and Storm Water

Management.

PLAN GOALS

Guidance for the Plan was established through the development of the following goals. The Plan

pursues these goals by presenting objective policies and implementation actions designed to guide

future development of the County. Objectives and policies are presented in each “Planning Issue”

discussion in the Plan report.

1. Agriculture Preservation. Prevent the premature conversion of agricultural lands for other

development related land uses. In the Rural/Agricultural Corridor and selected locations

within the American Bottoms and Bluffs Corridors.

2. Employment. Strengthen and expand Madison County’s position as an economically

diversified County.

3. Environmental Considerations. Plan and guide development that results in an attractive

and healthful total environment, both natural and man-made.

4. Housing. Ensure that housing of all sizes, types, and prices are available to County residents.

5. Managed/Sensible Growth. Adopt an approach to development that promotes economic

development while preserving open space, minimizing the need for costly new infrastructure

and improving the viability of communities.

6. Natural Resources. Incorporate the concepts of conservation and wise use of the soil, air,

water resources and the natural environment of Madison County into all development

decisions.

7. Open Space and Recreation. Protect, maintain and enhance the visual character and

recreational opportunities of and within Madison County.

8. Transportation. Provide safe, efficient transportation systems that serve to guide future

development and that are compatible with existing land use.

PLANNING ISSUES

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Section is to identify, describe and discuss issues which form the core of the

2020 Land Use And Resource Management Plan. This identification, description and discussion

are primary considerations when designating proposed land uses and recommended plan

implementation measures.

AGRICULTURE

Objectives

1. To protect farmland, a valuable natural resource and an economically productive land use,

from premature conversion to other land uses.

2. To minimize conflicts and incompatibilities between agriculture and other land uses.

3. To encourage and promote agriculturally related businesses as a valued element of the Madison

County economy.

4. To encourage the effective use of agricultural land in achieving soil conservation goals.

5. To discourage the use of public funds for projects that will have a detrimental impact on the

preservation of any designated agricultural lands.

6. To support incentives and assist property owners in maintaining agricultural lands.

Issue Focus

Like much of Illinois, Madison County has

some of the most productive farmland in the

world. Agriculture has been the dominant land

use in the County for decades and still occupies

a large percentage of its unincorporated land.

As an industry, agriculture plays a vital role in

the County’s economy. The encroachment of

development and conflicts that arise between

farm and non-farm land uses is a major threat

to agriculture. This plan strongly discourages

premature conversion of farmland through

protective land use strategies and by guiding

residential development toward planned

growth areas.

This Planning issue will examine:

• Agriculture in Illinois

• Roles of Agriculture in Madison County

• Capitalizing From Agriculture

• Agricultural Protection

• Conserving Agricultural Land

Agriculture In The United States

And Illinois

Data sources with different reporting time

periods have been used for this issue

discussion. The latest information from each

source has been used as appropriate. Illinois

is a major producer of agricultural products in

the United States. In 1997, the U.S. Census

of Agriculture indicated that Madison County

farmers produced more than 2,194,717 bushels

of wheat; 10,473,012 bushels of corn, and

3,807,252 bushels of soybeans. In 1996

Illinois exported $1,638,600,000 of feed

grains; $1,375,400,000 of soybeans and

$222,500,000 of wheat. Much of this

production was exported to feed populations

in other parts of the world.

Illinois is among the leaders of all states in the

U.S. in the production of food and fiber. In

1996, Illinois was second in cash earned from

all crops 16th in cash earned from livestock,

and 5th in total cash earnings (crops and

livestock). That same year Illinois ranked

second in production of corn and soybeans,

and fourth in the number of hogs and pigs

marketed. In 1993, more than 94,000 people

in Illinois were employed in agriculture and

related industries (1.7 percent of the State’s

work force).

Role Of Agriculture In Madison County

In 1998, the cash receipts of Madison County

agricultural products totaled slightly over

$83,000,000 virtually the same as in 1995.

In 1998, County farmers harvested an average

of 127 bushels of corn per acre which is ten

percent less than the state average of 141. This

amounted to 10.5 million bushels. The same

year the County harvested nearly 4.8 million

bushels of soybean at an average of 40 bushels

per acre, which is ten percent less than the state

average. Madison County, in 1998, harvested

2.3 million bushels of wheat at an average of

49 bushels per acre.

Corn, wheat, soybeans, small grains, and

nursery and greenhouse crops accounted for

78 percent of the market value of agricultural

products 1998. The remaining 22 percent can

be accounted for by livestock, poultry, and

other problems.

It is important that County communities strive

for a good mix of housing and job creation

with appropriate buffers in between, so that

sprawl is minimized and community character

is maintained. Several of the older

communities urban industrial areas need to

focus on redevelopment of existing sites so

that pockets of brownfields (vacant industrial

areas which are possibly contaminated) are not

empty parcels that do not contribute

significantly to the community. Areas that are

ripe for redevelopment exist in the

communities of Alton, Granite City and other

communities that have experienced an out

migration of manufacturing. In addition, the

reuse of vacant industrial areas will allow

existing agricultural land to continue to be

productive in an agricultural capacity and

allow for maximum utilization of current

infrastructure thereby reducing the need and

the associated costs for infrastructure

extension. While being cognizant of the

above, the area which will most probably

experience development is the area along I-

255. The advantages of this area are the

proximity to downtown St. Louis, good

transportation access and the greenfield (free

of contaminants) classification associated with

this property.

The County, because of its proximity to St.

Louis, must be aware of the impacts of

development on the entire St. Louis region.

An example of this is the threat of federally

imposed sanctions on development due to St.

Louis air quality. Under the Environmental

Protection Agency rules (enacted in July, 1997,

but not currently in effect) Madison County

would be branded a “non-attainment area” for

ozone with the limit of 0.08 part for every

million over an eight-hour period. New

standards would be enacted for particulate

matter also. Current standards classify

Madison County as a “Moderate” non-

attainment of ozone standards.

Figure 13 is a breakdown of current non-

attainment areas.

Figur e 13

Cu r r e n t

Non-at t ainment

Ar eas

Madison County, Illinois

Co u n t y/

Town s h i p

Ma d i s on Co.

Granite City

Twp.

Nameoki

Twp.

Particulate

Matter

------------

Mod e r a t e

Non-attainment

Mod e r a t e

Non-attainment

Oz o n e

Mod e r a t e

Non-attainment

------------

Sou r ce: U.S.E.P.A.

Madison County should continue to encourage

development in the areas where transportation

and municipal services are available. This

development includes growth of existing

industries and attraction of sound reasonable

developments to maximize the benefits of

existing infrastructure.

INDUSTRY

Policies

1. Cooperate with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, the St. Louis

Regional Commerce and Growth Association and others regarding the marketing and

development of the industrial areas of the County.

2. Support intergovernmental agreements with municipalities who help to resolve conflicts

related to economic development.

3. Support technology transfer programs that are generated at SIU-E, and utilize the resources

of the University to attract industry.

4. Help villages and cities redevelop industrial areas (brownfields) which are now or have been

economically important to the County.

5. Encourage and assist local communities in the promotion, retention and expansion of their

local industrial base.

6. Minimize environmental factors which may constrain industrial development such as,

wetlands, and stream degradation by requiring best management practices.

7. Continue to review methods and practices that will aid the coordination of countywide eco-

nomic development activities.

8. Encourage the development of industrial/commercial parks where industrial development

advantages exist, such as the I-255 corridor in the American Bottoms.

OPEN SPACE/RECREATION

Objectives

1. To preserve Madison County open space as the cornerstone of natural resource protection

and community well-being.

2. To protect environmentally sensitive areas from deterioration or destruction by private or

public actions.

3. To develop a greenway network connecting water resources, forest preserves, cultural and

historic sites, and communities.

4. To foster public awareness, education, and support of environmental and open space

management.

5. To enhance the County’s visual identity and community character by preserving natural areas,

landscapes, and scenic vistas, including the historic, cultural, and archaeological resources

they incorporate.

6. To provide a variety of countywide outdoor settings and recreational activities in proportion

to the needs of an expanding population.

Issue Focus

The primary functions of open space are

environmental protection and community

well-being. These functions are fulfilled by

four categories of open space: (1) large open

expanses, (2) linear greenways, (3)

recreational areas and (4) natural resource

protection areas. Open space can be

acquired and preserved through both public

and private efforts, including forest preserve

and park district acquisitions, the

development approval process, and

dedication of conservation easements.

This planning issue examines:

• Open space armature

• Existing open space

• Functions of open space

• Future open space

Open Space Armature

Open land is being consumed at an increasing

rate. Madison County is experiencing rising

growth pressures that will ultimately cause

some areas of the County to reach full capacity.

At this crossroads, the County has two choices:

to manage growth or to allow development

pressure to result in suburban sprawl.

Open space is a necessary component of

development. It provides “breathing space,”

environmental protection, recreational

opportunities, visual beauty, educational

opportunities, and countless other benefits. As

the County continues to grow, the preservation

and expansion of open space can balance

increased population and development.

Existing Open Space

The lands that make up Madison County’s

open space areas are diverse. They consist of

undeveloped public and private lands, ranging

from large forest tracts to small parks and

playgrounds. Specifically, the County open

space inventory includes municipal and

township park districts, school and

neighborhood playground, greenways, golf

courses, bicycle/pedestrian trails, and

cemeteries, recreational area, state parks,

undeveloped urban infill areas, waterways,

wetlands and agricultural areas. Examples

include Horseshoe Lake State Recreation Area,

the SIUE Campus, wetlands along streams and

throughout the American Bottoms, the flood

buyout areas of Chouteau Island, Belk Park,

the arboretum in Bethalto, the Nature Center

in Edwardsville and the trails identified on the

Greenways map in this document.

Functions Of Open Space

There are two chief functions of open space:

environmental protection and community

well-being. Well-planned open space areas can

serve both of these functions and provide a

crucial link between the natural and human

environments.

Open space provides environmental protection

through (1) natural areas preservation (2)

wildlife and native plant habitat protection; (3)

surface water quality protection; (4) non-

structural flood control; and (5) protection of

ground water systems.

Open space provides community well-being

through: (1) community identity and

separation; (2) aesthetic quality, preservation;

(3) recreational opportunities; (4)

transportation opportunities; (5) educational

and spiritual enrichment; (6) cultural and

scientific resource protection; and (7) property

value enhancement.

Environmental Protection

Open space is essential to the preservation of

natural areas. The determination of the quality

of a natural area is made by the biological

diversity and stability of its plant community.

Biodiversity is the variety of living things:

variety in gene pools, species, and ecological

communities. Areas such as the McDonough

Lake area should be considered for its natural

area potential. As we develop, we lose

biodiversity.

Diverse flora and fauna are important to the

structure and function of the ecosystems.

Diverse ecosystems are healthy ecosystems,

able to recover more quickly from stresses such

as flood or drought. Increasingly development

has fragmented and compressed natural areas

resulting in a loss of plant and animal diversity.

Expanses and corridors of open space preserve

plant and wildlife habitat, as well as provide

the continuity necessary for the migration and

propagation of plant and animal species.

Minimum open space corridors could be

established along County streams by requiring

stream side buffers.

Protection and management of a County’s

open space system directly benefit its water

resources. Land and water resources are an

interacting system. All lands in each watershed

drain toward its receiving waters — and may

contribute pollutants to it. In turn, these

watersheds drain into the Mississippi River, a

major source of potable water. Any pollutants

in surface waters will also make their way into

ground water aquifers, another major source

of potable water in the County.

When managed wisely, greenways along

waterways are effective filter strips that trap

sediment and pollutants that damage water

quality. The vegetation in greenways also

helps remove pollutants from the air, reduce

noise, and moderate summer heat and winds.

Greenways provide space for streams and

wetlands to function naturally and

accommodate storm water flows. By

protecting flood plains from development,

greenways provide natural flood storage and

protect people and property from flood

damage. Madison County can avoid many

problems by wisely managing development in

areas with flooding problems, unstable soils,

steep slopes, and other areas prone to erosion

or water contamination. Such planning

measures will prevent economic, health, and

safety problems, as well as provide open space.

Storm water management, soil erosion and

sedimentation controls and stream bank

maintenance standards currently exist and can

be used by the County.

Community Well-Being

Open space can lend form to a community by

surrounding it and defining its exterior

boundaries. Linear open spaces such as

streams and greenways can subdivide a

community into identifiable neighborhoods. It

can create a central, unifying focus for

community activities centered on a community

park or playground and also buffer

neighborhoods from incompatible land uses.

Open space can help provide a transition

between the Urban Corridor and Growth Areas

of the County and between Growth Areas and

the Agricultural Areas.

The recreation and relaxation opportunities

made possible by open space areas provide

significant benefit to the physical and mental

health of all members of the community.

Recreation opportunities provided by open

space may be passive, such as picnicking,

hiking, and bicycling; or active, such as

swimming, tennis, baseball, and other sports.

Greenway trails provide alternative

transportation routes for walkers and

bicyclists. Well-used pedestrian/bicycle trails

reduce traffic congestion and improve air

quality and public health. Such paths and trails

also invite the community into open spaces

by providing passage into and through the

natural world.

Open space provides education and spiritual

enrichment, and protects cultural and scientific

resources. Natural, undeveloped areas afford

scientists the opportunity to study how

ecosystems function, especially those adjacent

to urbanized areas. Open space provides

places to teach children the natural sciences

and appreciation for the environment. Historic

and archeological resources are often located

at open space sites, where they may be

protected for enjoyment and study.

Open space enhances property values and

community image, increases opportunities for

recreation, supports commercial uses, attracts

visitors, and encourages tourism.

Open Space Needs

It is in Madison County’s best interest to

acquire and protect sufficient open space to

meet County needs into the next century. Open

space is needed in three general categories: (1)

large tracts of natural areas; (2) greenways and

linear areas, and (3) recreational facilities and

natural resource protection.

Large tracts or macro-sites of open space are

needed to effectively provide Madison County

with significant ecosystems. Large tracts

provide the habitat required by birds,

mammals, fish, and the water interdependent

network of life. Such tracts will maintain the

County’s biodiversity and water quality,

provide flood and storm water control, and

serve as the foundation for balanced

development. Large tracts of open space also

provide scenic views which promote a sense

of planned community identity, and

recreational pleasure for driving and

sightseeing. One such site is the Horseshoe

Lake State Recreation area.

Greenways and linear areas are needed to keep

natural areas connected so they can function

properly. Their linear character allows plants

and animals to move between larger tracts of

land providing continuity of habitat and

genetic disbursement. Vegetated greenways

along bodies of water maintain water quality

by trapping sediment and pollutants, and store

flood flows and storm water runoff.

Greenways with trails provide bicycle and

pedestrian access between homes, shopping,

schools, and parks. Greenways reduce

landscape costs through the use of natural

landscaping.

A variety of recreational settings will be

needed by the growing population in the

County. These settings can be active, passive,

educational or recreational. Active recreation

generally involves intensive uses and requires

substantial facilities including playing fields,

swimming pools, campgrounds and tot lots.

Passive recreation provides widely spaced

picnic areas and trails for hiking/biking/cross

country skiing. Recreational and educational

facilities include nature interpretation centers,

cultural and historic sites, and teaching areas.

The Southwestern Illinois Greenway Plan

Map, (Plate 4) identifies areas for potential

future open space. Areas indicated as proposed

open space are not intended to limit the actual

locations or amount of open space that could

be achieved by the year 2020. This proposed

open space may be easily expanded as

additional natural, recreational, water

resources management sites or connecting

greenways become available.

Extensions of the other regional greenway

trails should continue. One technique for

greenway preservation is through the

conversion of railroads to trails. Not only is

this conversion a constructive reuse, but

railroads often prefer to sell land to a single

purchaser

Open space will continue to be gained through

the development review process. This is

particularly true in Open Space Design and

Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) in which

open space becomes an integral part of the

project design.

A countywide open space system cannot be

preserved solely by government. Private

individuals and non-profit organizations may

place conservation easements on a piece of

land so that its natural features are permanently

preserved. Through this legal technique the

property owner retains ownership while

waiving some of his/her development rights.

Conservation easements can protect natural

areas that function as greenways and habitat

corridors, and other sensitive areas such as

wetlands, flood plains, ridge lines, slopes, and

viewsheds.

Private property owners play a strong role in

protecting open space. Natural landscaping,

besides demanding much less maintenance

than a manicured lawn, prevents soil erosion,

allows ground water recharge, recycles

nutrients, encourages native plant species, and

provides shade and windbreak for

homeowners.

Volunteers play a significant role in the public

and private efforts to preserve and improve

natural areas in Madison County. These

volunteers come from all walks of life and

contribute time and experience to park district

and other programs and activities, participate

in prairie burns, gather and plant prairie and

wildflower seeds, and promote the value of

Madison County’s valuable natural areas.

Their efforts should be encouraged and

supported by public and private organizations.

A Madison County open space system would

be a critical element in the balance between

the natural and built environments. Its purpose

is to provide environmental protection and

community well-being. Open spaces are taken

for granted until progress begins to do away

with them.

OPEN SPACE/RECREATION

Policies

1. Implement an open space and greenway system for its environmental, aesthetic, social, and

economic benefit.

2. Protect biodiversity by preserving, re-generating, and restoring natural areas.

3. Incorporate environmental design criteria in development controls and County ordinances to

protect natural, scenic, historic, archeological, and environmental areas and to minimize ad-

verse impacts.

4. Require neighborhood parks and pedestrian walkways within large new subdivisions and as

connections to adjacent subdivisions.

5. Encourage the acquisition and development of greenways for recreation/transportation trails

and habitat corridors to implement the Regional Greenways Plan.

6. Encourage the increased use of non-acquisition techniques such as conservation easements,

and dedications as useful methods for implementing local, County, and regional open space

plans.

7. Coordinate open space planning and preservation with protection and maintenance of County

water resources.

WATER AND SEWER RESOURCES

Objectives

1. To achieve public awareness that a major component of the natural environment is an

interacting system of land and water resources.

2. To protect and enhance the quantity and quality of potable ground water and potable surface

water supplies for current and future generations.

3. To protect and improve the surface water quality and beneficial uses of ponds, lakes, rivers,

streams, and wetlands.

4. To reduce point source discharges of pollutants into lakes, rivers, and streams.

5. To reduce non-point source discharges of pollutants into ponds, lakes, rivers and streams.

6. Through watershed planning, foster a better understanding of our finite and irreplaceable

water resources, and how they are affected by changes in the natural environment and land

use and development activities.

Issue Focus

The challenge facing Madison County is to

accommodate future growth and maintain high

water quality and sufficient water quantity

throughout the County. Watershed planning

is the most effective means of addressing

countywide water quality issues because it is

a holistic approach that encompasses (1)

minimizing impervious surfaces, (2) utilizing

best management practices, and (3)

cooperative governmental planning for the

management of streams, lakes, wetlands, flood

plains, storm water, and wastewater

throughout an entire watershed.

This Planning Issue examines:

• 208 Water Quality Management Plan

• Water Resources

• Water Supply

• Water Resources Management

• Wastewater Management

• Watersheds

208 Water Quality Management Plan

In 1972 Congress approved the Clean Water

Act which set very high water quality goals

for the nation. The Clean Water Act requires

that plans for restoring and maintaining water

quality be prepared at the areawide level. In

compliance with that mandate the 208

Areawide Water Quality Management Plan

was endorsed by Madison County and adopted

in 1979 by the Southwestern Illinois Planning

Commission. The 208 Plan recommends to

local governments strategies to control both

point and non-point sources of pollution.

1. Restoration and maintenance of the

chemical, physical, and biological integrity of

the region’s waters.

2. Elimination of all pollutant discharges into

the region’s waterways.

3. Water quality that provides for the protection

and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife

and provides for human recreation, wherever

attainable.

Point Sources:

• Conventional wastewater treatment plants

• Combined sewer overflows

• Industrial plants

• Illegal septic pumpage dumping

• Yard waste dumping

• Mining operations

• Landfills

• Feed lot and livestock runoff

Non-Point Sources:

• Construction site soil erosion

• Agricultural soil erosion

• Agricultural chemical runoff

• Lawn chemical runoff

• Impervious surface runoff, including oils,

grease, gasoline spills, tire wear, de-icing

salts, etc., from roadways, driveways and

parking lots

• Acid rain from air pollution

Water Resources

The hydrological cycle is the movement of

water from the oceans to the atmosphere and

land, then back to the oceans. It is complex

and interrelated system essential to life on

earth. The hydrologic cycle has the remarkable

ability to maintain clean, stable water quality

and can remove or convert limited quantities

of pollutants.

The two major components of Madison

County’s water resources are surface waters

and ground waters aquifers.

Surface waters are the direct result of rainfall

or the result of ground water being exposed at

the earth’s surface. Surface waters take the

form of streams, rivers, wetlands, lakes, and

ponds. Madison County’s surface water

resources lie within the drainage basins of the

Mississippi River and the Kaskaskia River.

Ground water aquifers are zones below the

earth’s surface that contain water in the voids

present in soil and rock. Most ground water

aquifers are recharged from surface waters that

percolate down from the earth’s surface or

from streams, rivers, wetlands, lakes, and

ponds. Ground water aquifers are

interconnected openings large enough to store

and supply water readily to wells and springs.

Surface and ground water aquifers have

undergone significant changes since early

settlement times. Intensive farming and

industrial activities were responsible for

altering many of the County’s creeks and

wetlands. Settlers cut down wood lots, plowed

under most of the native prairie, drained the

majority of wetlands, and dredged creek

channels. Runoff from farm fields eroded

topsoil into the streams and rivers. The raw

and partially treated effluent from industries

and cities was discharged into any available

water course.

In recent years, the quality of Madison

County’s surface water resources has

improved. Municipalities have made progress

in the treatment of wastewater and elimination

of combined sewer overflows. However,

urban and suburban development continues to

strain the ability of surface waters to remain

clean and stable. Wastewater treatment plants,

while having made major advances in the

quality of treated wastewater, still discharge

pollutants into streams and rivers. Ground

water aquifers are affected by the activities

occurring on or around the recharge areas that

replenish the water. The ground water aquifers

are affected by the surrounding land uses, over-

pumping and pollution. These issues are

addressed by protection of the recharge areas

and land use management.

Water Supply

The most important use of our water resources

is providing potable water for human

consumption. The three chief sources of

potable water in Madison County are

reservoirs, ground water, and Mississippi

River water. Ground water is tapped by

private and public wells from aquifer zones.

Most private wells in unincorporated Madison

County draw from shallow aquifer zones

which are generally dependable sources of

potable water except for eastern areas of the

County. Occasionally, individual wells have

experienced interruptions in their supply of

water. Changes in the water supply in these

cases can usually be attributed to one or more

of the following factors: 1) natural causes such

as drops in local water tables due to changes

in seasonal rainfall, 2) water use and well

maintenance factors such as over-pumping for

excessive lawn sprinkling and lack of

equipment maintenance, and 3) installation

factors such as variances in individual well

drilling practices. Installation factors include:

a) determination of appropriate aquifer, b)

determination of adequate yield for a

residential well, c) preparation of the well prior

to operation, and d) determination of the depth

of the well pump relative to the water level of

the tapped aquifer.

Most Madison County municipalities have

depended primarily on water from the

Mississippi River or wells in the American

Bottoms. The Illinois-American Water

Company supplies water to numerous

municipalities in metro-east and Madison

County, and various unincorporated areas in

the County are served by water districts. In

the eastern portion of the County municipal

wells have been the primary source of water

with Highland utilizing a reservoir.

It is necessary that Madison County continue

to protect its potable water resources to ensure

sufficient supply and quality to a growing

population.

Water Resources Management

Many of Madison County’s water resources

reach beyond County boundaries. Hence

federal, state and regional coordination is

needed for effective water resource

management in Madison County and across

Illinois. At the local level, Madison County

and its municipalities need to continue to

strengthen implementation measures to protect

and manage the quality of its water resources,

especially the shallow aquifers in the American

Bottoms and Silver Creek Bottoms.

Water Resource Protection Guidelines

Ground Water:

• Proper handling and disposal of chemicals

and fertilizers

• Proper installation and maintenance of

private sewage disposal facilities

• Lining of landfills and proper treatment of

leachate

• Sealing of abandoned wells

• Use of water conservation plumbing

fixtures and repair of plumbing leaks

• Use of native plants

Surface Water:

• Soil erosion and sediment control on

construction sites

• Conservation tillage and proper

application of chemicals and fertilizers for

agriculture production

• Best management practices for new site

development

• River, stream, and wetland buffer strips

Both:

• Reduce air pollution from fossil fuels that

create acid rain

• Reuse and recycle wastewater

• Wetland protection and recreation

• Appropriate planning and management of

wastewater discharges from new

development.

River and Stream Management

The Mississippi River and its tributaries is a

major feature of Madison County. These water

resources are one of the County’s greatest

natural assets and must be protected. Silver

Creek, Little Silver Creek, and Horseshoe Lake

are other primary water features.

The federal government supports several

programs directed at stream protection through

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency. The Illinois

Department of Natural Resources regulates

stream modification.

A key best management practice (BMP) in

river and stream management is to protect the

river and stream corridor. The corridor then

acts as a buffer strip to protect stream banks

from erosion, filter out pollutants, store and

transport flood waters, provide wildlife and

aquatic habitat, and screen sensitive areas from

potential adverse effects of development.

The Biological Stream Characterization (BSC)

program is a five-tiered classification system

ranging from excellent to very poor and was

developed by the Illinois Environmental

Protection Agency and the Illinois Department

of Natural Resources. The BSC rating was

instituted to determine the environmental

condition of streams and to monitor changes

in the streams over time. As Madison County

develops, it is essential that the BSC rating

for each individual stream be maintained and

improved wherever possible.

Wetland Management

Wetlands are a sensitive environmental

resource, integral to the hydrologic cycle.

Wetlands are ecosystems periodically

inundated by water. There are several types

of wetlands, differentiated by duration of water

inundation, soils, topography, and plant

species. Wetland types found in Madison

County are wet prairie, marsh, fen, bog,

swamp, and riverine wetlands.

Wetlands provide multiple uses and benefits

to the human and natural communities in

Madison Coun. Some of these are: (1) provide

temporary floodwater and runoff storage; (2)

protect water quality by absorbing floodwater

contaminants; (3) provide important wildlife

habitat through food, water, cover, nesting, and

breeding grounds; (4) shape urban form by

serving as logical boundaries to development

and by buffering incompatible land use; (5)

provide educational and passive recreational

opportunities; and (6) enhance the natural

beauty of the area.

Ecological Functions Of Wetlands

• Protect the quality of surface waters by

slowing the erosive forces of moving

water.

• Reduce flood peaks by providing a natural

means of flood control, pollution filtering,

and storm water damage protection,

thereby protecting against the loss of life

and property.

• Improve water quality by intercepting and

reducing water-borne sediments, excess

nutrients, heavy metals, and other

pollutants.

• Provide food and shelter, breeding,

spawning, nesting and wintering habitats

for fish and wildlife, including migratory

birds and commercially and recreationally

important species.

• Provide habitat protection for many

threatened and endangered species of

plants and animals.

Currently, at the federal level, large wetlands

are protected from major development

activities by the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers. Resource limitations constrain the

Corps from protecting small wetlands, like

some found in Madison County. At the state

level, the Illinois Department of Natural

Resources reviews projects impacting streams,

lakes, and wetlands.

Wetland management entails protection,

enhancement and sometimes wetland

mitigation banking. It is necessary that County

wetlands be protected and enhanced because

of their role in water resource management.

Wetland Mitigation Banking

Wetland mitigation can involve wetland

banking, a method of compensating for

wetland losses due to development. Wetland

mitigation banking is the construction of a

large wetland in a central location from which

project owners or others may purchase credits

to compensate for unavoidable impacts on

small wetland areas. The idea of wetland

banking emerged in the early 1980s when it

was becoming clear that on-site mitigation of

wetlands by developers lacking wetland

expertise were often unsuccessful.

Construction of a wetland bank involves the

expertise of ecologists to help ensure the

success of the new larger wetland. Both the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)

are generally supportive of mitigation banking.

Flood Plain Management

A flood plain is an area of low-lying, flat

ground on either side of a river, stream, pond,

or lake subject to periodic inundation by

flooding. Flood plains perform important

drainage and hydrologic functions. After

heavy rains, snow melt, or ice jams, rivers and

streams may overflow their banks causing

considerable damage. Any loss of flood plains

will cause increased flooding and damage,

especially upstream.

In addition to drainage, flood plains also (1)

control pollution by settling out sediment from

slow moving waters in flood storage areas; (2)

provide wildlife habitat; (3) provide passive

recreation areas for hiking, bicycling, and cross

country skiing and active recreation areas such

as playing fields; (4) shape urban form; and

(5) enhance scenic beauty.

Federal and state agencies provide only

minimum regulations for new developments

in flood plains. The Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA) requires only

that new structures in flood plains be elevated

to the level of the 100-year flood; this

regulation is enforced in coordination with the

Illinois Department of Natural Resources,

Office of Water Resources (formerly, the

Illinois Department of Transportation,

Division of Water Resources). The Office of

Water Resources has encouraged local

governments to adopt more stringent standards

for development in flood plains.

Wastewater Management

Proper wastewater treatment is vital to public

health and water quality. There are three basic

types of wastewater treatment systems

generally available in Madison County: (1)

conventional sewage treatment plants, (2)

private sewage disposal systems such as septic

systems and aerobic treatment systems, and

(3) lagoon treatment systems.

Conventional sewage treatment plants and

lagoon systems use a central location to collect,

treat, and discharge treated wastewater to a

stream or river. Pollutant discharge limits are

regulated by National Pollution Discharge

Elimination System (NPDES). When

wastewater volumes exceed treatment plant

capacities, excess flows may be discharged

directly into a waterway and become an

additional source of pollution.

Private sewage disposal systems are frequently

found in unincorporated Madison County.

These systems occur in areas that have been

developed under the traditional development

concept of rural subdivisions (lots of one acre

or greater) and smaller lot subdivisions near

municipalities. Private systems may be either

septic systems or aerobic treatment plants

(ATPs). Where soil conditions are not

favorable an aerobic treatment plant may be

used. These plants provide circulation and

aeration in addition to bacteria to decompose

organic matter. The treated effluent then flows

into a disposal field which may be smaller in

area than a septic disposal field.

Extended Aeration Wastewater Recycling

And Reuse Facility

An extended aeration wastewater recycling

facility with land application treats wastewater

as a recyclable resource rather than a

disposable commodity. Extended aeration

lagoons treat and store effluent. Treated

wastewater is sprayed over a large area, such

as a farm field, golf course, pasture, or other

open space. Vegetation absorbs nitrogen and

phosphorus as the water percolates through the

soil. Instead of being treated and discharged

to surface water where they are non-beneficial,

these essential nutrients are recycled for plant

growth, especially applicable to irrigation of

agricultural fields, golf courses, landscaped

areas, etc. While many conventional

wastewater treatment plants struggle to meet

federal standards, land application eliminates

point source discharge to surface waters, and

produces effluent that meets regulatory

standards. Land application systems, through

the elimination of point source discharges, can

help maintain and improve the quality of

Madison County’s major water resources, as

well as provide opportunities to meet the

objectives of the countywide open space

system.

To facilitate effective wastewater planning and

to protect water quality facility planning areas

(FPAs) have been established in Illinois with

the authorization of the Federal Clean Water

Act. For each FPA, a management agency (a

municipality, County, township or sanitary

district) is required to develop a facility plan

that documents existing and projected land

use, population, and wastewater service needs.

Facility Planning Areas play a role in

influencing the direction and extent of future

development in the County. Access to sewer

service can influence where land

developments can occur. Presently, the Illinois

Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA)

evaluates requests for amended FPA

boundaries or expanded treatment plants based

on cost-effectiveness and water quality

impacts. Applications in this region to amend

an FPA are first made to the Southwestern

Illinois Planning Commission (SIMAPC)

which has established detailed criteria for FPA

expansions. SIMAPC then makes a

recommendation to the IEPA.

Watersheds

A watershed is the geographic area from which

surface water runoff drains off the land and

into a receiving body of water. It is important

to recognize that all human activities on the

land within a watershed ultimately will have

an effect on the water resources of that

watershed. This highlights the need to manage

our land and water resources in a

comprehensive, coordinated manner through

watershed planning. Watershed planning is

the integration of land use, infrastructure, and

water resources throughout an entire

watershed.

Watershed boundaries rarely correspond to

local government boundaries. As a result,

coordination and cooperation among local and

regional governments, state government, and

the private sector are essential for effective

watershed management. If one community

pollutes or mismanages its storm water,

flooding and water quality problems can occur

in spite of the cooperative and responsible

efforts of other governments. Cooperative

watershed planning can effectively solve

problems and manage the land and water

resources within a watershed.

Watershed planning:

• Promotes an ecosystem-based approach to

environmental and land use planning at the

watershed level.

• Gives government agencies, land

developers, and agricultural operators

specific water protection guidelines.

• Shifts water resource planning to a

proactive approach that stresses protection

and enhancement of the environment,

rather than remediation of existing

problems.

• Places emphasis on protection of the form

and function of the natural environment.

Watershed planning is the most effective

means of addressing countywide water quality

issues. The key components of watershed

planning in Madison County are minimizing

impervious surfaces (roads, driveways,

parking lots) in new developments; utilizing

best management practices — effective

techniques commonly accepted and promoted

by resource management agencies; and

cooperative planning between various units of

local government.

Imperviousness

Imperviousness represents the imprint of

development on a watershed. Impervious

surfaces include rooftops, roads, driveways,

sidewalks, and parking lots. The amount of

impervious surface in a watershed directly

affects the quantity and quality of runoff, in

turn impacting water resources within the

entire watershed.

Because it can be measured, imperviousness

provides a unifying theme for watershed

protection that can be used by planners,

engineers, landscape architects, scientists,

local officials, and concerned citizens.

Imperviousness affects water resources in at

least four ways. (1) Water quality. Pollutant

loads in streams and rivers are directly related

to imperviousness. During storms,

accumulated pollutants are quickly washed off

and rapidly delivered to aquatic systems.

Runoff from developed areas, often

contaminated with oils, grease, gasoline spills,

tire wear, de-icing salts, etc., has a negative

effect on all water resources within a

watershed. (2) The shape of streams.

Confronted by flooding that is more severe and

more frequent, stream channels respond by

widening their banks and deepening their beds.

This triggers a cycle of bank erosion and

habitat degradation. (3) Stream warming.

Impervious surfaces absorb and reflect heat,

increasing local air and ground temperatures.

Higher air and ground temperatures result in

higher water temperatures, often adversely

affecting aquatic habitat. (4) Aquatic

biodiversity in streams has been shown to

become poor as the shape and temperature of

streams change in response to increased

impervious areas. When imperviousness

exceeds ten to fifteen percent, streams have

shown a sharply lower diversity of species.

The percentage of impervious surface in a

watershed can be significantly minimized by

using innovative site design methods such as

open space design. Such design methods

include (1) clustering buildings to decrease

road and parking lot surface; (2) reducing

building setbacks to lessen the length of

driveways and walkways; and (3) providing

density bonuses.

Best Management Practices

Best management practices (BMPs) are a

second key component of watershed

planning for Madison County. The goal of

best management practices is to minimize

the adverse impacts of development and to

maximize the protection and enhancement

of water resources.

An effective BMP system:

• Protects open space adjacent to waterways.

• Requires buffer strips along streams and

wetlands.

• Stabilizes banks through structural or

preferably vegetative means.

• Protects native plant species.

• Controls nutrient loading from new

development and agricultural land uses.

• Minimizes pollutants and pesticides from

new development and agricultural land

uses.

The first step in the design of a BMP system

that protects watersheds is the selection of an

appropriate and achievable watershed target.

Target is a term that refers to the level of stream

quality within a watershed that will exist when

all development is completed. Although there

are a number of possible watershed targets,

the Illinois Biological Stream Characterization

(BSC) rating system provides a quantifiable

measure of water quality. The target for all

Madison County streams should be a Class B

(good) rating or better.

Cooperative Planning

Because watershed boundaries often overlap

governmental boundaries, cooperation

between various units of government is the

third key component to effective watershed

planning and the achievement of good water

quality.

WATER AND SEWER RESOURCES

Policies

1. Protect ground water, a key source of potable water in Madison County, and encourage

water conservation programs.

2. Develop a comprehensive set of countywide water resource management regulations which

preserve and protect watersheds, stream banks, flood plains, wetlands, and ground water

recharge areas.

3. Require new developments to document and report proposed sources of potable water supply.

4. Preserve and improve the water quality of Madison County in order to maximize the potential

for wildlife habitat, recreational, and other uses.

5. Manage wastewater treatment in an effective and environmentally sound manner conducive

to public health, including the encouragement of wastewater recycling and reuse systems with

land application to eliminate point discharge of wastewater into creeks.

6. Develop a multiple use/multiple benefit demonstration site in a selected watershed to

effectively demonstrate how integrated land use and water resource management improves

stream quality.

7. Protect and preserve wetlands as an essential component of the hydrological system and

wildlife habitat, and restore degraded wetland areas where possible.

8. Promote and encourage the use of design techniques, best management practices, and other

methods to ensure that imperviousness within developing watersheds is minimized.

9. Develop major capital sewer line projects to provide sanitary sewer service to established

urbanized areas that are unsewered.

FLOOD PLAIN AND STORM WATER MANAGEMENT

Objectives

1. The creation of a multi-county watershed planning team that will build upon the Metro-

East Watershed Planning Team Resource Plans and support for necessary accompanying storm

water legislation.

2. Land use, zoning and site development standards that are responsive to flood protection

issues such as the requirement for on-site detention/retention systems and reduced erosion

and sedimentation.

3. The protection and creation of wetlands for storm water storage and bio-filtration as well

as for fish and wildlife habitats.

4. Agricultural practices that reduce runoff, peak flows, erosion and sedimentation.

5. Designing transportation facilities to reduce their impact on the watershed.

6. Countywide storm water management planning that requires individual and/or cooperative

regional retention/detention systems.

7. Carefully designed structural flood control projects that reduce, as much as possible, negative

impacts to other public objectives.

8. Retrofitting/floodproofing of existing structures.

9. Improved consistent funding for maintenance and improvements to existing drainage

facilities.

10. Engaging in the buyout of designated structures in identified flood areas.

Issue Focus

In recent years Madison County and local

governments have focused increased attention

on flood plain/hazard management. Severe

flooding and rapid development have made

citizens and public officials more aware of the

interrelated and difficult challenges as well as

the critical importance of flood damage

protection, storm water management, resource

protection, and comprehensive planning. In

acknowledging our responsibilities, we must

realize that floods are natural events. All that

can really be managed are the human activities

that affect a watershed in ways that make

flooding a hazard to our lives, our property,

and our natural resources.

Storm water management has such a central

role in most flood management issues that it

is presented in this issue discussion. The

presence of the American Bottoms and its

specific flooding problems make storm water

management a critical issue for Madison

County.

This Planning Issue Examines:

• Flooding

• Flood Plain/Hazard Management

• Storm Water and Flood Plain Management

• Development Issues

Flooding

Riverine Flooding

Periodic inundation is a recurrent theme in

historical accounts of the American Bottoms

and the study area. The history of flooding on

the Mississippi River dates back to the flood

of 1724, the “Great Flood of 1973”, which

reached a river stage of 43.23 feet at the St.

Louis gauge, to the new “Great Flood of 1993”,

which reached a river stage of 49.6 feet at the

St. Louis gauge. Over-bank flooding from the

Mississippi River was for the most part

prevented in 1973 and 1993 due to the

extensive system of levees, which were

designed to contain river flood stages up to 52

feet at St. Louis. Therefore while the 1993

event must be considered the flood of record

in terms of river stage; the flood occurring in

1884 with the river cresting at 41.3 feet, 11

feet above flood stage, remains the greatest

flood of record due to a greater amount of

water involved in the 1884 flood.

Although numerous floods were recorded prior

to 1900, it was not until the advent of extensive

cultivation and urbanization at the turn of the

century that flooding was recognized as a

severe problem in need of resolution. Creation

of the Canteen Creek Drainage District in 1904

and the East Side Levee and Sanitary District

in 1907 marked the beginning of organized

local efforts to control water in the American

Bottoms.

Today, high flood stages on the Mississippi

River have not been a direct cause of flooding

within Madison County. Work done by the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s,

provide protection against a 200-year

frequency flood.

The river remains, however, as an indirect

cause of interior flooding when higher river

stages block gravity flow of both surface and

ground water runoff. The extensive damage

sustained during the 1973 and again in the

1993 flood despite the levees attest to the

effects of prolonged high river stages.

Interior Flooding

The Madison County priority storm water

problem is made up of two distinct parts. The

bottoms area, an almost level alluvial plain

with river and tributary stream meanders

including oxbow lakes, sand bars, terraces,

meander scars, sloughs and swamps. The bluff

area is an upland area of steep erosional slopes

and narrow valleys. The bluff area rises 150

to 200 feet above the bottoms and is highly

dissected by a series of streams with slopes

that vary from 8 to more than 20 feet.

Although the river remains one of the indirect

causes of interior flooding, the severe flooding

which occurs today is due principally to excess

storm water runoff from the uplands areas and

internal ponding. The immediate problem in

the bottoms is to accommodate that runoff

which must utilize the major drainage facilities

in order to discharge into the Mississippi River.

The storm water runoff from the uplands

reaches the bottoms at high velocities with

heavy loads of suspended sediment taxing the

existing system. Combining this with poor

maintenance and inadequate funding, the

interior levees are often over-topped and

breached causing adjacent areas to be

inundated.

Interior ponding occurs in low-lying areas,

usually traces of former river sloughs, in which

surface water collects during periods of high

rainfall. Most of these areas are not developed

and the water ponded during light rainfall

causes little damage. During more severe

rainfall, however, these low areas do not have

sufficient capacity to store all the runoff

flowing to them and consequently cause the

surrounding areas to flood.

Interior flooding associated with extensive

damages has occurred during storms of 1915,

1942, 1952, 1957, 1961, 1973, 1993, 1994,

1995 and 1996. The problem is getting worse.

Ground Water

In Madison County, several recognized

limitations or hazards are associated with

ground water. The most common hazards to

development are a high water table, a

pronounced lack of ground water, and poor

quality ground water. High water tables are a

recognized hazard in flood plain areas in the

American Bottoms, as well as in the uplands,

and Silver Creek, areas. The seriousness of a

high water table is largely a reflection of

duration. An occasional high water table

occurring for two or three days a year is not

considered serious, whereas a two- to three-

week period is quite serious. A high water

table can occur as a reflection of a topographic

feature as in the American Bottoms.

Most of the Mississippi River flood plain in

Madison County has been plagued by high

ground water levels since the near-record flood

on the Mississippi River in 1973. Record high

ground water levels have occurred because of

favorable conditions for ground water recharge

and reduced pumping by industry. As a result,

sewer lines have ruptured, and basements have

flooded. Areas that were previously dry and

well-drained are now subject to surface

flooding because of the saturated condition of

the ground water reservoir.

Flood Plain/Hazard Management

The disastrous floods of 1993, 1994, 1995, and

1996 came after decades of channeling,

building levees and flood control measures.

Why, after all of these engineering efforts, had

the floods been so destructive? How could

future floods be avoided?

The conclusion was that poor flood plain/

hazard management had permitted too much

development in the flood plain prior to today’s

management regulations and controls. The

dependence on structural flood controls was

also blamed. The levee systems have given

people a false sense of security. We look and

we see that levees are built right on top of the

rivers, but you have to give the river room to

move. One proposed solution was basically:

“don’t build on flood plains. And don’t try to

alter the course of rivers for agriculture, urban

development or even flood control measures”.

This is difficult to achieve because of long

established land use patterns and the

continuous challenge of managing private

development and growth in flood plains.

Moreover, effective watershed management is

often politically unpopular and requires the

coordination of numerous governmental

jurisdictions and agencies. In the most

severely flooded areas the relocation of flood

plain development and the preservation of

undeveloped flood plains, are expensive, but

may be less expensive in the long run than

construction and maintenance of levees, dams

and other structures.

It is clear that “comprehensive flood plain/

hazard management” is the most effective way

to address “flood control” issues. The

distinction between “flood plain/hazard

management” and “flood control” is an

important one. The basic choices to avert flood

damages are “to increase the levee system’s

capacity to handle increased runoff, or to stop

growth in critical flood plain areas.” Stated

most simply, traditional “flood control” deals

with the first two methods, while

comprehensive flood plain/hazard

management includes a balance of all three

approaches including non-structural and

structural solutions. Storm water management

and erosion and sedimentation controls are two

key flood plain management approaches.

The term “flood plain/hazard management”

encompasses “flood plain management” which

seeks to plan flood plain use from a standpoint

that balances resource protection,

environmental enhancement, flood damage

protection and land use development. Flood

plain/hazard management is rapidly emerging

as an important planning and growth

management tool because it focuses on the

opportunities and constraints of this unique

geographical area. This plan utilizes the term

“flood plain/hazard management” rather than

“flood plain management” because flood

hazard management activities, including

forestry practices and storm water

management extends beyond the designated

100-year flood. Whereas flood plain

management could be construed as only being

applicable to activities occurring in the flood

plain.

Basic Considerations

The concept of flood plain/hazard

management embraces several fundamental

values, principles, and techniques. Among the

most important of them are:

1. Respect for Rivers and Creeks Natural

Hydrological Processes

Rivers and creeks are dynamic systems and

flooding, erosion, sediment deposits and

channel migration can result from natural

processes. Whereas flood control seeks to

overcome or control these processes, flood

plain/hazard management recognizes that it

may be more cost-effective and

environmentally sound to work within a river’s

hydrological dynamics. In some cases,

constructing levees or channeling beds may

be appropriate, but in other cases, letting the

river take its natural course which includes

over-bank flow; a natural event critical to the

maintenance of fish and wildlife habitat may

be appropriate. Restricting adjacent

development or using bio-engineering

solutions, such as wetland storage areas, may

be more cost effective than structural solutions.

Flood plain/hazard management emphasizes

minimum impact to natural processes, since

experience has shown that fighting a river’s

natural tendencies is more costly and results

in other problems downstream.

2. Focus on the Cause of Flood Damage

In the past, flood control has sought to prevent

flood hazard by treating its symptoms. If a

river flooded a town, then the answer was to

elevate the floodwalls to channel the higher

water levels without reversing the land use

practices upstream or in the flooded area that

were exacerbating the flooding in the first

place. Due to recent federal regulations, it is

no longer allowed to elevate the height of the

levee. Contemporary flood plain/hazard

management practices recognize the need to

treat the causes as well as the symptoms of

chronic flooding.

3. Watershed Considerations

The watershed represents the “physical”

context of flood plain/hazard management.

Poor management of one part of the watershed

can result in flooding problems in another. For

example, poor forestry, agricultural or

development practices upstream can cause

additional water runoff to peak, surge or

accumulate downstream. Consequently,

comprehensive flood hazard/plain

management encompasses: flooding in rural,

suburban and urban environments; flooding

associated with major river systems and small

urban streams; and the range of solutions

needed to address flooding associated with a

variety of conditions/causes and landscapes,

from on-site storm water management

development standards in Madison County’s

rapidly urbanizing areas to the relocation of

homes located within ‘flood sensitive areas”.

Since watersheds typically cross city and

county jurisdictions, state lines and possibly

federally owned lands, interjurisdictional

cooperation is required. The complexity of

the natural systems, as well as the jurisdictional

overlap that often occurs, points to the

importance of comprehensive flood plain/

hazard management at the level of the entire

watersheds.

This principle has important political and

funding questions. For example, if poor

development and storm water management

practices upstream cause flooding

downstream, why should downstream

communities be forced to solve the problem?

4. Public Participation and Inter-Agency

Coordination

Because flood plain/hazard management

encompasses a broad spectrum of

environmental, social/cultural, political,

engineering and resource utilization issues, an

explicit public decision-making process is

needed to develop a recommended course of

action. Public and interagency participation

is essential to consider community concerns

and to educate local residents on the

fundamentals of responsible effective flood

plain/hazard management. They should have

a voice in defining the goals and parameters

of flood plain/hazard management plans.

Comprehensive countywide flood plain/hazard

management planning must be a team effort

which integrates community development

regulations and environmental enhancement

activities between all of the communities as

well as the County. Because of the vast

number of local governments and agencies

located within Madison County and the fact

that most of the watersheds’ cross County or

city boundaries, coordination is crucial.

5. Process-Oriented Examination of Issues

A countywide flood plain/hazard management

plan should provide a process for examining

watershed by watershed causes of flooding by

evaluating alternative non-structural and

structural solutions that are based on short and

long-term goals, objectives and solutions,

including:

a) Construction and maintenance costs;

b) Environmental impacts, both site specific

and cumulative;

c) Funding capabilities;

d) Public acceptance;

e) Recommended solutions prioritized.

The planning process offers perspective by re-

examining current flood maintenance activities

as they relate to established and understood

goals and objectives. A plan represents

documentation, the flood plain/hazard

management planning process is ongoing. An

open planning process will help government

officials balance the costs of specific flood

plain/hazard management measures against

benefits. For example, benefits to individual

property owners from levee projects should be

weighed against the monetary and

environmental costs borne by the general

public.

6. Pursuit of Other Resource Protection Goals

Levees traditionally used to control flooding

destroy wildlife habitat, degrade a river’s

natural beauty, reduce water quality, diminish

fisheries resources and cause further

downstream flooding and erosion. Flood

plain/hazard management, being

comprehensive in approach, embraces these

environmental conditions and considers them

along with the prevention of flooding.

7. Coordination Among Transportation,

Planning, Zoning and Building Departments

and other Departments

A major challenge is improving

interdepartmental coordination. For example,

transportation departments’ responsibilities

include construction and maintenance of

structural flood hazard management measures

while zoning and building departments review

new construction proposals to implement

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)

standards, and to regulate development in

Federal Emergency Management Agency

(FEMA) designated floodways. More often,

these activities are split between departments.

Comprehensive countywide flood plain/hazard

management planning, ideally, brings all

interested parties together so that one

department’s efforts support the others.

Incorporation of Comprehensive Planning

Solutions

Human use of rivers and flood plains

encompasses a broad range of environmental,

public and private objectives; flood plain/

hazard management seeks to incorporate the

full range of comprehensive planning tools to

achieve those objectives.

A comprehensive flood plain/hazard

management plan can:

1. Provide a flexible, cost-effective program

of steps to reduce flood damage.

2. Address the issue of cumulative

environmental impacts that arise in reviewing

development permit applications.

3. Fulfill the recommendations of the

comprehensive plan, and establish areas of

critical area protection and intergovernmental

coordination.

4. Serve as information in zoning ordinance

and comprehensive plan updates.

5. Examine the possibility for more stringent

requirements that are cost effective in terms

of a reduction in flood insurance rates and

increased flood protection.

In the fall of 1993, St. Clair County approached

the County Soil and Water Conservation

District, and the U.S.D.A. - Natural Resources

Conservation Service for assistance in

developing a plan to address storm water

runoff, and other natural resource concerns in

the American Bottoms portion of St. Clair

County. Madison and Monroe Counties joined

the effort as well as the Illinois Department of

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Natural Resources-Division of Water

Resources, and the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers, to make up a “Watershed Planning

Team”. An agreement was signed to provide

for the “Watershed Planning Team” to develop

a series of resource plans for the watersheds

that make up the American Bottoms portion

of those counties. That effort is in serious

jeopardy as the Watershed Planning Team has

been dismissed.

Proposed Legislation

In the process of preparing the Resource Plans

as discussed above the Metro-East Watershed

Planning Team and Regional Storm Water

committees determined that in order to bring

these plans to fruition an amendment needs to

be made to State Legislation allowing counties

to “prevent, mitigate and repair the effects of

urbanization on storm water drainage”. The

proposed legislation would allow the County

Board through referendum to “establish rates

and charges, including interest and penalties

for furnishing services”.

Land Use Management

The purpose of land use management is to

provide guidance for growth and development

and the associated physical improvements that

coincide with it. Both the State of Illinois and

federal agencies allow counties to adopt

specific regulations concerning land use issues

and as such, many of the County regulations

are very similar. Within most cities/counties,

development plans and regulations include a

comprehensive plan, zoning ordinance,

building code, subdivision ordinance, storm

water management and erosion control, and a

flood plain management ordinance. Those

land use management regulations that effect

flood plain/hazard management plans are

discussed briefly below.

Madison County Comprehensive Plan

The purpose of a County comprehensive plan

is to give long range direction and guidance

for systematic growth and development. The

plan should emphasize immediate local

concerns that can range from land use,

transportation, utilities, water resources, open

space, environmentally sensitive areas,

drainage and others. Typically, these plans are

non-regulatory, lacking the enforcement

mechanisms to ensure compliance. Their

purpose is to provide goals, objectives, and

policy statements that are met through various

ordinances set by the jurisdiction. It is at the

comprehensive plan level, that the counties and

communities are able to set a direction for

regulations.

Storm Water and Flood Plain Management

Prior to settlement, there was very little storm

water runoff in the uplands of Madison County

except in areas of well-defined streams and

rivers. Runoff rates were quite low because

of absorption by the undisturbed prairie soils

and deep-rooted native vegetation. The

American Bottoms, with its extensive

wetlands, absorbed hillside runoff and the

Mississippi River periodically inundated the

Bottoms.

The volume and rates of storm water runoff

have increased greatly since settlement times.

This is due to the farming activities which have

drained fields and channeled streams, and to

urbanization which has increased impervious

surfaces. On an annual basis, impervious

surfaces — streets, parking lots, and roofs —

generate three to five times as much runoff as

pervious areas. Runoff volume and rates have

also increased in suburban residential areas

because of soil compaction and the change in

vegetation from deep-rooted grasses and forest

to shallow-rooted turf grass.

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Inadequate storm water management results

in a substantial increase in flooding and stream

bank erosion, and can also cause severe water

quality problems. Water may be polluted from

street and parking lot runoff containing heavy

metals, bacteria, nutrients and petroleum by-

products.

Effective storm water management involves

all of the following: an overall plan; a system

of drains that is properly designed, constructed,

operated, and maintained; storage facilities;

and best management practices for water

quality. The objective of storm water

management is to minimize runoff, maximize

water quality, and to retain storm water on-

site.

Storm water runoff affects the entire watershed

in which it occurs. Hence, a storm water

management program for Madison County

identifies drainage patterns and runoff controls

within watershed boundaries. A storm water

management program seeks to provide the

means for cost-effective, safe, aesthetic, and

reasonable storm water drainage and erosion

control which would minimize water quality

degradation and habitat loss. A County storm

water management plan would provide the

ability to implement additional best

management practices and water quality

benefits for both incorporated and

unincorporated areas.

Because agricultural development has

significantly increased runoff volumes and

rates, the Natural Resources Conservation

Service and the Madison County Soil and

Water Conservation District have promoted

many erosion control and flood plain

protection practices in agricultural areas.

Farmers throughout the County have been

encouraged to use conservation tillage, grassed

waterways, terracing, and other methods of

erosion control and flood plain protection.

Best management practices (BMPs) for storm

water runoff control include structural

improvements and devices which transport,

temporarily store, and treat urban storm water

runoff to remove pollutants, reduce flooding,

and protect aquatic habitats. BMPs also

include non-structural approaches, such as

public education efforts to prevent the

dumping of household chemicals into storm

drains.

Coordinated and cooperative efforts for storm

water management are needed among the

municipalities and the County. Partnerships

with the private sector to achieve common

goals are also essential. If one municipality

or development within a watershed does not

manage their storm water, flooding and water

quality problems will occur within the

watershed.

Although all runoff and streams drain

ultimately to the Mississippi River, the

Madison County drainage system is divided

between two rivers, the Mississippi and

Kaskaskia. Two canals assist in diverting

drainage through the American Bottoms flood

plain, the Cahokia Diversion Canal and the

County Ditch. Of great concern to the

American Bottoms flood plain hydrology is

the amount of runoff originating from the

eastern bluff regions. This runoff has

continued to tax the ponding areas and

drainage canals in the flood plain areas.

The most serious problems found in the

drainage system involve flooding, ponding, or

soil wetness. The areas in the basins that are

most susceptible to these problems are the

flood plains adjacent the streams. These flood

plains were created by a natural process that

involved the overflow and storage of

floodwaters. The occupying of flood plains

by humans and the subsequent alterations to

the natural drainage system have produced and

increased flood hazard. Although the river

remains one of the indirect causes of interior

flooding, the severe flooding that occurs in the

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protected flood plain area today is due

principally to excess runoff from upland areas

and internal ponding. The immediate problem

in the flood plain is to accommodate the runoff

from the upland areas that must be conveyed

through the major drainage facilities in order

to be discharged into the Mississippi River.

The storm runoff from the upland creeks enters

the flood plain at high velocities with heavy

loads of suspended sediment, overcharging the

major drainage system. As a result, interior

levees are often over-topped, and adjacent

areas are inundated. Interior ponding occurs

in low-lying areas, usually traces of former

sloughs, in which surface water collects during

periods of precipitation.

The damage inflicted by flooding and wetness

in flood hazard areas has prompted much

consideration of preventive measures

involving the regulation of land use in flood

plains. These measures include (1) zoning

ordinances, (2) subdivision regulations, (3)

building codes, and (4) storm water

management and soil and erosion controls.

The most significant recent measure in terms

of flood plain management has been the

initiation of flood insurance under the National

Flood Insurance Act of 1968. The Act requires

that local governments that wish to participate

in the subsidized insurance program adopt and

enforce land use regulations and control

measures that will guide the development of

land in the flood-prone area in order to avoid

or reduce flood damage.

Drainage

Drainage districts in the County include the

Canteen Creek Drainage District and Metro-

East Sanitary District (MESD), which handle

storm water runoff from the watershed

generally above the bluff line to the Mississippi

River. The political boundaries of most

districts in Madison County includes only one-

half of the drainage area for which they receive

runoff. A drainage District’s responsibility is

to maintain a system of ditches, pump stations,

and levees that protect a given area from

flooding. Other drainage districts in Madison

County are: Cahokia Creek Drainage and

Levee; Foster Drainage and Levee; Wood

River Drainage and Levee; Chouteau Island

Drainage and Levee; Chouteau, Nameoki and

Venice Drainage and Levee; County Ditch

Drainage and Levee.

The principal drainage concern in Madison

County is the management of runoff from

above the bluff line through the American

Bottoms. Because storm water drainage of the

bluffs is not controlled, it will not be cost-

effective to turn attention to improving

drainage in the area below the bluffs.

Detention of storm water runoff needs to be

studied to determine how best to avoid

localized flooding and erosion as well as the

more serious flooding and siltation of the

major drainageways

Development Issues

Madison County has no comprehensive storm

water management plan. Therefore, a given

jurisdiction has no control over the

management of much of the watershed in

which it lies. As the County enters the next

20-year period, proper countywide

management of storm water may well be the

most critical utility-related issue. A

countywide storm water management plan

should address the following issues:

• Equitable cost-sharing for service

• Regional runoff analysis by watershed

• Community flood insurance studies update

and adherence to those studies

• Water Quality/treatment of storm water

runoff

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• Establishment of a single authority to

oversee planning, design, construction,

operation, and maintenance

• Availability of funds for drainage districts

to rehabilitate the various channels.

• High water table in the American Bottoms

• Improvements to reduce flooding of the

American Bottoms

• Flooding and the effects of a high water

table, which are particularly serious in the

American Bottoms. Considerations of

redevelopment and economic growth in

the American Bottoms must include

solutions to the drainage and flooding

problems in this area.

Plan Rationale

Madison County lies within two distinctly

different topographic regions: the American

Bottoms along the Mississippi River in the

western portion of the County and the uplands

area east of the bluff line. A plan for addressing

the interior flooding that occurs in the Bottoms

and for establishing a County-wide plan for

storm water management to alleviate existing

and prevent future drainage problems and

flooding throughout the County is needed.

Recommendations

A high priority for Madison County drainage

planning is proper management of storm water

from developed and developing areas tributary

to the American Bottoms. However, it is

necessary to formulate a storm water

management plan for the entire County rather

than singling out individual areas or problems.

The plan must analyze each watershed in its

entirety to allow proper drainage of all portions

of the drainage basin.

Adoption of a countywide storm water

management plan will offer many benefits as

development occurs during the next 20 years

and beyond. The most important benefit would

be the creation of an entity at the County level

that would coordinate drainage and flood

control. Among the specific benefits is

equitable cost-sharing. For example, the

current political boundaries of the various

drainage districts within Madison County take

in only half of the affected watersheds. A

County plan could result in large detention

basins with a centralized maintenance

authority and would discourage small

backyard and parking lot basins with unclear

maintenance responsibilities. The plan should

provide standard detention guidelines in the

County; municipalities should be encouraged

to adopt the same standards and follow the

County plan if it is to be effective.

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FLOOD PLAIN AND STORM WATER MANAGEMENT

Policies

1. To encourage watershed planning for flood plain and storm water management within and

in watersheds adjacent to the County.

2. Develop a comprehensive set of countywide flood plain and storm water management

regulations which preserve and protect watersheds, stream banks, flood plains and wetlands.

3. Development of a countywide storm water management plan that incorporates watershed

planning and best management practices for all areas to regulate the amount, direction, and

quality of runoff.

4. Develop a multiple use/benefit demonstration site in a selected watershed to effectively

demonstrate how integrated land use and water resource management improves the management

of storm water.

5. Promote and encourage the use of design techniques, best management practices, and other

methods to reduce imperviousness within developing watersheds.

6. Coordinate open space planning and preservation with County storm water planning.

7. Adopt storm water drainage and detention, soil erosion and sediment control regulations for

new development and redevelopment within the County.

8. Encourage municipalities to adopt the same or similar regulations for storm water, soil

erosion and sediment controls.

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TRANSPORTATION

Objectives

1. The improvement of the County’s transportation system to support the continuing growth

and development of the County’s economy.

2. The addition of public transit services and facilities to provide increased mobility to transit

riders and especially to the transit dependent.

3. The continued development of the Tri-City Regional Port District as a support facility for

the County’s industrial and agricultural economies.

4. Increased mobility of persons and goods to reach destination points with less cost and time

investments.

5. To continue the development of a multi-modal transportation system with expansion of

each transportation mode.

6. The coordination of the Transportation Plan with other planning efforts including land use,

open space and recreation, economic development and other regional, state and federal

transportation planning activities.

Issue Focus

Madison County enjoys a transportation

system encompassing the spectrum of

transportation modes. The County is served

by interstate and state highways, railroad, river

ports, airports; and bikeways. The

improvement and expansion of these

transportation systems as proposed in the

current Long Range Transportation Plan will

strengthen the County’s economic status and

the mobility of its residents. This planning

issue discussion focuses on the considerations

that formed the basis for the creation of the

Long Range Transportation Plan and the reader

is strongly encouraged to consult the Long

Range Transportation Plan for detailed

information.

Madison County’s commitment to the

continuing development and expansion of its

transportation system is reflected in the

County’s development of major Madison

County Long Range Transportation Plan. The

County received that plan in 1998. The

County’s foresight underscores the crucial role

that transportation holds for all economic

development and human activities.

To properly assess the current transportation

system of the County’s highways, roads,

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airports, river ports, public transit and bicycle/

pedestrian systems and to forecast

transportation systems improvements the

County determined the following activities

would be necessary to develop a

comprehensive long range transportation plan.

Inventory And Analysis Of Existing

Facilities And Services

Do a comprehensive inventory and analysis

of existing and planned transportation

facilities, services and programs. This

information would be used to provide a basis

for recommending short range (0 - 5 years)

and long range (6 - 20 years) improvements.

To accomplish this inventory and analysis the

following subject areas would be addressed.

Land use and demographic characteristics.

This information would be used to refine a

countywide transportation model used to

analyze future transportation needs.

Streets and Highways. This is composed of

the Madison County roadway network, that

includes interstate highways, state and county

roads, and local major arterial streets.

Transit/Paratransit Services. This is composed

of transit and paratransit services in Madison

County, including local and express bus,

paratransit and Amtrak services.

TDM Programs and Services. This is

composed of existing transportation demand

management programs and services available

in Madison County, including Ride Finders

(areawide ridesharing program), carpool and

vanpool programs administered by regional

employers; transportation management

associations (TMAs); demand management

concepts such as congestion pricing); physical

improvements such as HOV lanes and ramp

control.

River Ports. This is composed of port

facilities, tonnage, access and related

considerations

Airports. This is composed of airports in

Madison County as well as those airports in

neighboring counties that have a bearing on

the regional aviation environment.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities. This is

composed of all on-street bike lanes, dedicated

bike trails, sidewalks along designated lanes,

and future plans of Madison County, cities,

MCT, and private developers concerning

bicycle/pedestrian network development.

Information will include the following:

Classification; location, current roadway

designation/condition; number and types of

crossings; current and proposed surrounding

land use; demographics; access to significant

destinations; transit linkages; topography;

existing corridors (utility, railroad or drainage)

potentially available for bicycle use.

Transportation Financial Data. Capital,

operating and revenue estimates are developed

for each individual transportation mode.

Performance Measures and Standards

A performance measurement process was

developed to evaluate the existing

transportation process and recommend future

improvements.

Future Transportation Alternatives

Future alternatives were developed for each

transportation mode, testing of mode

alternatives was accomplished and a

subsequent evaluation was performed.

Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

The output of the transportation planning

activities highlighted in the preceding is a Long

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Range Transportation Plan that includes

recommended projects, including costs,

benefits, timing and potential funding sources.

The LRTP identifies all projects that contribute

to a transportation system that improves

mobility, supports economic development, and

enhances the quality of life in Madison County.

Recommendations are not necessarily

constrained by present funding limitations.

The transportation system of the future is

balanced to meet local transportation needs

and linkages to neighboring counties in the St.

Louis metropolitan region. The plan is

coordinated with concurrent transportation

planning activities conducted by federal, state

and regional agencies in the areas of land use,

economic development, housing and human

services.

TRANSPORTATION

Policies

1. To actively support the construction of a new Mississippi River bridge in Madison County.

2. To actively support the future extension of MetroLink within Madison County.

3. To encourage the development of bike trails interconnected as a bikeway system within the

County.

4. To emphasize transportation improvements which support existing and encourages new

economic development.

5. To coordinate transportation improvements with watershed planning efforts.

6. To coordinate County transportation improvements with affected municipalities.

7. To work for those transportation improvements and services designed to increase the mobility

of Madison County residents.

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EXISTING CONDITIONS & INVENTORY

PURPOSE

The following Section provides background information on the geographic, natural, and social

elements of Madison County. These elements comprise the physical characteristics, environmental

resources, and human activities that have shaped Madison County over the years. The Inventory

section also provides a foundation for future planning and resource management activities.

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111

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING

Madison County is apart of the St. Louis

Metropolitan Region and is located in the

southwestern portion of the State of Illinois. It

is near the population center of the United State

and is considered midwest in character. The

Mississippi River forms the western boundary

of the County and Jersey, Macoupin and

Montgomery counties border on the north.

Bond and Clinton counties form the eastern

boundary of Madison County and St. Clair the

southern boundary. Madison County is

basically square in shape and is approximately

25 miles north to south and 30 miles east to

west, totaling an area of 731 square miles.

Madison County has three distinct geographic

areas: the American Bottoms area, the Bluffs

area and mixed plateau area. American

Bottoms is the low-lying flood plain of the

Mississippi River along the County’s western

border. The largest urban areas are Alton and

Granite City. The Bluffs are a series of

elevations that form a wall between the flood

plain and the rest of the County. Along the

bluff line near the center of the County is

Edwardsville, the County seat and home of

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Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

Also along the Bluffs is another suburban area,

Collinsville, a developing commercial area on

the County’s southern border. The plateau in

the northeastern areas is generally flat with a

mix of forest, small hills, agricultural lands

and small rural communities.

SETTLEMENT HISTORY

St. Louis Dominance

The history of growth in Madison County

cannot be told without taking into account the

dominance of St. Louis as transportation center

of the Midwest. One of the major reasons St.

Louis grew as a major metropolis was because

of its location on the Mississippi River, just

below the confluence of the Mississippi and

Missouri Rivers roughly at the center of the

north-south axis of the United States. A second

important reason for permanent settlement and

growth was because the river necessitated a

break in rail transportation. The Mississippi

and Missouri Rivers dominate the geography

of the region, and had primary influence on

its history. The rivers provide natural and, in

the early decades of the 19th century, rapid

avenues to bring materials into the region and

to carry agricultural and increasingly greater

quantities of manufactured and processed

goods to the markets of New Orleans and, via

the Ohio River, to the East Coast.

The French character of the original

settlement; the safety from flooding afforded

by the Missouri bluffs; and discomfort of the

malarial swamps in the American Bottoms all

explain why St. Louis, as opposed to some east

side community, became the center of the

metropolitan area. The first to exploit the

natural transportation advantages of the St.

Louis area were French fur traders and

trappers. The area’s river system gave them

access to prime hunting and trapping areas to

the northwest, as well as access to marketing

areas at New Orleans and, via the Ohio River,

the East Coast

The First Inhabitants of Madison County

Archaeologists believe that the earliest

inhabitants of the area appeared after the last

glacial advance from the north (about 8,000

B.C.) and lived principally in rock shelters

along the Mississippi River bluffs. However,

very little is known of them since their

characteristics and occupations can only be

studied from sparse campsites, burial remains

and associated stone artifacts.

More information is available regarding the

later, prehistoric cultures which lived in the

area. Numerous campsites and artifacts have

been found, particularly along water courses

such as Silver Creek. Farmers in the area have

frequently uncovered artifacts during spring

plowing, especially near springs and water

courses.

The most notable of the prehistoric cultures

in the area, the Mississippian culture, prevailed

from about 900 A.D. to 1500 A.D. The capital

and ceremonial center for the entire central part

of the United States was located at the Cahokia

Mounds complex in the American Bottoms.

Smaller, satellite communities with mounds

and ceremonial centers were located at

Lebanon, Dupo, St. Louis and Mitchell. The

mounds were constructed for burial purposes,

as temple platforms and for various ceremonial

purposes. Indians of the Mississippian culture

were the first to rely primarily on horticulture,

although game and wild plants were still

important parts of their diet. The size of the

settlements and the degree of permanence

suggest large population that probably could

not be supported without broad-scale food

production.

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For unknown reasons, the Mississippian

culture disappeared by the end of the 16th

century. Archaeologists have speculated that

diseases introduced from the south and

southwest or intensified warfare with

neighboring enemies had contributed to the

demise. However, new evidence seems to

suggest that a severe famine, the result of wide-

spread drought, may have been the primary

cause. During the latter part of the 17th

century, the Kaskaskia, Peoria, Tamoroa,

Moroa, Mitchigamea and the Kahokia Indians

of the Illiniwek Confederation migrated to this

area from the northeast to escape repeated

attacks from the Iroquois. The Tamoroa and

Kahokia Indians established their main

settlements in the Cahokia area, and the

Mitchigamea settled near Fort Chartres in

Randolph County.

French Exploration and Original

Settlement

Louis Joliet, a French explorer and trader, and

his missionary companion, Father Jacques

Marquette were the first white men of record

to see the land which is now Madison County.

In 1673, they traveled through what is now

Wisconsin and down the Mississippi as far as

the Arkansas River. Marquette and Joliet

returned to Canada via the Illinois River, and

it is significant to note that their exploration

marked the beginning of the end of Indian

dominance.

Father Marquette returned to the area in 1675

to establish a mission at the Indian Village of

Kaskaskia that was located near the present

site of Utica. The mission was later moved to

the confluence of the Kaskaskia and

Mississippi Rivers. Another was started the

same year in Cahokia. Subsequently, French

villages were established in the American

Bottoms. The French conveyed grants to

nearly all the land in the American Bottoms

which was in the vicinity of their settlements

and the remnants of these grants are still

apparent on current plat maps.

British Dominance

General Wolfe’s defeat of the French at Quebec

lead to the signing of the Treaty of Paris on

September 9, 1763, which provided that

France give all of her territory east of the

Mississippi to Britain. British troops occupied

the territory in 1765 and some four years later

Chief Pontiac was assassinated by an Illiniwek.

As a result, the Iroquois tribes from the north

and east descended on the Illiniwek and

virtually annihilated them. In 1833, the few

remaining members of the once powerful

Confederacy of the Illiniwek moved west of

the Mississippi River and eventually south to

Oklahoma.

American Control

After the Declaration of Independence in 1776,

Virginia claimed Illinois as part of its domain.

Since many of the inhabitants of the area had

remained neutral or hostile during the

Revolutionary war, it was thought best to

secure their allegiance. George Rogers Clark,

a Kentucky backwoodsman, was sent to the

region by the Governor and the Assembly of

Virginia in the summer of 1778. After

traveling down the Ohio to within 40 miles of

its mouth, Clark’s soldiers concealed their

boats and marched across country to

Kaskaskia. The inhabitants were taken by

surprise and surrendered at once.

Accompanied by a number of the now-friendly

inhabitants of Kaskaskia, the force then moved

up the river; and the settlements in what is now

Monroe County, along with Fort Chartres and

Cahokia, capitulated without a struggle. After

an historic march through the flooded bottom

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land of the Wabash River, Clark recaptured

the garrison at Vincennes on February 25,

1779.

When the British attacked the Illinois towns

the following year, Clark came to the aid of

Cahokia and helped beat them off. As the

Revolutionary War drew to a close, military

operations ceased, except for periodic Indian

raids instigated by the British. At the time of

Clark’s expedition into Illinois country in

1778, the inhabitants were all French except

for a few American hunters and traders. In

1790, the population of the area that now

comprises St. Clair County amounted to about

700. Most of these were French and lived in

or near the Village of Cahokia.

Pioneer Settlement

Among the first American settlers in Madison

County were men who had accompanied

George Rogers Clark on a military expedition

into Illinois in 1778. These men were given

land grants of 300 acres for their service, and

upon completion of their enlistments in 1781,

they started migrating via the Ohio and

Mississippi Rivers to Illinois to claim their

land. One of the early pioneers was Reverend

David Badgley, a Baptist preacher who came

to Illinois in 1796. Reverend Badgley, who

traveled extensively throughout the County,

was never a resident of Madison County, but

resided in Belleville in St. Clair County. The

first American to settle within the limits of

what is now Madison County was Ephraim

Conner in the year 1800. He built his crude

cabin in the northwest corner of the present

Collinsville Township, but became dissatisfied

with this isolated location and moved on. In

1801, he disposed of this property to Samuel

Judy who became a permanent and valued

citizen of Madison County. The Judy family

is conspicuous in the early settlement of

Illinois.

When Governor Edwards established the

County in 1812, it was an immense area. Its

southern border included the present line, but

it extended from the Mississippi to the Wabash

River. All the land north of that line to the

Canadian border including Wisconsin and part

of Minnesota east of the Mississippi and north

of Michigan was Madison County.

Subdividing began soon thereafter with the

growth of the Illinois territory, and by 1831

the County had dwindled to its present

proportions plus what is now Bond County.

Bond County was detached in 1843, and there

has been no change since that year.

One of the earliest arrivals in Madison County

was Thomas Kirkpatrick who built his home

along the banks of Cahokia Creek in the

northern part of what was to become

Edwardsville. It was this house that was

appointed the seat of justice of the County in

Governor Edward’s proclamation in 1812. In

1812, Edwardsville became Madison County’s

County seat and is the third oldest city in the

State of Illinois.

After the War of 1812 had ended, settlement

of the County increased rapidly. A treaty of

peace with the Indian Tribes of the northwest

was concluded in October of 1815.

Immigrants from other states, who had been

deterred from coming to Illinois by reason of

the Indian hostilities, now poured into the

County and soon took possession of the

unsettled parts. In 1812, Edwardsville, being

the County seat, was the leading town within

the County and contained about 50 dwellings,

the U.S. Land Office, a bank and some public

buildings. Alton, now the principal city within

the County, had a very small population in

1812. It developed rapidly, however, and by

1920 had bypassed Edwardsville as the leading

town in the County. Other settlements in

Madison County at the time of its

incorporation were upper Alton and Melton.

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At the time of the organization of the County,

only one public road was in existence. Its

northeastern terminus seems to have been

Thomas Kirkpatrick’s mill on Cahokia Creek

(Edwardsville) and, passing southwest via

Samuel Judy’s place and Indian fort on

Cahokia Creek, it connected the old French

settlement of Cahokia with later American

settlements in Madison County.

The population of Madison County in 1818

was principally composed of American settlers

from the southern states, a few New Yorkers,

some New Englanders, and quite a number of

Pennsylvania Germans and Irish Americans.

The Canadian French had never been as

important a factor in the population of Madison

County as in neighboring St. Clair County to

the south. Blacks were quite numerous,

principally slaves and indentured servants, and

a few registered as free persons of color. Prior

to the Civil War, many slaves dreamed of

freedom. Luckily, there were options for these

slaves. Some of them were freed, and some

were able to raise enough money to buy their

freedom. However, these cases were few

compared to the large number who remained

slaves. The only other option for the majority

of slaves was to escape, and the Underground

Railroad was the only way. The Underground

Railroad was a scattered system of homes,

barns, churches, and other structures where

people were willing to risk their own lives to

hide the runaway slaves. This system spanned

the country, from slave states in the South to

the free states in the North and eventually into

Canada. Many of the passengers on this so-

called railroad traveled through southern

Illinois where they stopped at many safe

locations called “stations,” along the way. In

this region much of this activity centered

around the Alton area and Illinoistown, now

present-day East St. Louis.

Runaway slaves dreamed of stopping at

Illinoistown, despite the danger of recapture

in nearby Missouri, a slave state. While

waiting at the various stations to move further

north the slaves exchanged stories of their

journeys. From Illinoistown, slaves were led

up the Mississippi River to Alton, where

tunnels under the city led them safely to homes

of “conductors”, or people who housed

runaway slaves. Most likely, the fugitives

traveled at night by carriage or on foot. It was

said that a slave could set foot on the river’s

edge at Alton and then later emerge above-

ground in Brighton. One station in Alton was

a building two blocks from the river, which

made it an easy access for slaves and many

other stations throughout the City and County

help the slaves in their endeavors to escape.

In November of 1837 a financial crash swept

over the whole country. General bankruptcy

followed and the contemplated railroad

schemes within the County were given up in

favor of their location in St. Clair County. By

1850, the majority of the public lands, with

the exception of a few 40-acre tracts, had

become the property of individuals, and had

been converted into thousands of acres of

productive farmland. New towns and villages

had sprung up, while others already established

were thriving. Other towns established prior

to 1850 were Madison, Marine, Wood River,

Collinsville, Highland, Venice, Monticello

(Godfrey) and Troy.

In 1860 there were eight manufacturing

establishments in Madison County producing

agricultural implements, plows and threshers.

These eight manufacturing establishments

employed 61 men, had an aggregate capital of

$53,000 and turned out manufactured articles

worth $63,000. In 1880, the County ranked

first in production of wheat in Illinois and

fourth in the United States. In orchard

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products, striking an average of all varieties

of fruit, Madison County was second.

The growth of Madison County between 1840

and 1900 was fairly rapid. The County’s

population was reported at 14,433 in 1840; by

1900 it had increased to 64,694. During this

period, the County experienced a

transformation from an agriculturally oriented

economy to an industrially oriented economy.

Also during the 1850s, railroads were built

between most of the major cities of the County.

Mining Era

In the 1860s coal mining began to have an

effect on the economy of many towns in the

County. The railroads not only allowed the

tapping of many coal seams within Madison

County, but stimulated major industrial

development as well. By the turn of the

century, the American Bottoms in Madison as

well as St. Clair County were rapidly

developing as heavy industrial centers.

The Twentieth Century

With the Twentieth Century came the

introduction of many new inventions and

conveniences to the residents of Madison

County. Included among these were electricity,

telephones, water and sewer installations,

electrical streetcars and automobiles. The

nation enjoyed unlimited prosperity at this

time, and business was booming both locally

and nationally. Census figures for 1900

revealed that Madison County with a

population of 64,694 had one of the largest

County populations in the state. The Tri-Cities

area and Alton had developed into major

population and employment centers in the

County.

A Period of Adjustment

The era of prosperity within Madison County

came to an end with the great market crash of

1929. The nation was swept into a severe

financial depression that lasted virtually to the

start of World War II. The effects of this

economic and social upheaval were felt in

Madison County in a number of ways. Coal

mining declined drastically in the 1930s and

many mines in the County were closed. Many

businesses and industries experienced

financial difficulties and unemployment was

prevalent. Population growth slowed

considerably from 1930 to 1940, and the

economy shifted from predominantly mining

and agriculture to a more regionally oriented

economy.

The Post-War Years: Boom and Growth

From World War II to the present, Madison

County has experienced a period of rapid

growth and expansion. After the war, major

highway improvements were made and people

began commuting greater distances to work.

The pre-war trend toward urbanization was

reversed as increasing numbers of people

moved to the suburbs. Suburbanization, in

turn, brought about the creation of local

shopping centers.

The Korean War, the “Vietnam Conflict” and

the expansion of domestic and foreign markets

have been major factors stimulating economic

growth and development within the County.

The County’s population has increased

significantly since 1950.

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Madison County has witnessed tremendous

growth in population and diversity over the

past 50 years. Once again agriculture has

become a huge part of the County’s economy.

Rapid urbanization and development has made

the County a nice place to live. It offers

residents employment opportunities,

transportation facilities, shopping and service

facilities as well as a close proximity to St.

Louis, a major city.

Currently Madison County is in the midst of

an era of almost unlimited potential for growth.

The County’s location within the metropolitan

area, its healthy industrial base, its extensive

transportation system and undeveloped or

vacant land has provided Madison County with

all the necessary attributes for a prosperous

future.

PHYSIOGRAPHY

Madison County has an extremely wide variety

of topographic features. The major features

are the upland till plains and bluffs and the

alluvial Mississippi River Valley, known as the

American Bottoms.

The highly urbanized American Bottoms make

up about 14 percent of the County. It occurs

as three major areas. The first area consists of

alternating narrow ridges and swales. It is

adjacent to the river and is quite extensive in

the southwestern part of the County. The

second area consists of terraces and foot slopes

adjacent to bluffs. It includes the colluvial foot

slopes between the bluffs and the floor of the

valley. The terraces, known as the Poag and

Wood River Terraces, are relatively large, are

elevated, and have moderately steep

escarpments. The third area consists of very

broad flats and depressions. It is between the

terraces and the ridges and swales. It extends

from Wood River to the northeastern part of

Horseshoe Lake. It is characterized by broad

swales, sloughs, and backwater marshes. The

soils in this area are high in clay content, are

poorly drained, and are often ponded.

The uplands are loess-covered glacial till

plains. The thickest loess deposits, 40 to 80

feet thick, are on the bluffs. The loess thins to

5 feet in the northeast corner of the County.

Limestone outcrops are quite common in the

bluff are northwest of Alton. This highly

weathered limestone is responsible for small

areas of Karst topography, which is

characterized by sinkholes.

The bluff area is highly dissected. It has long,

narrow ridges and steep side slopes. East of

the bluffs, the ridges are rather broad and the

side slopes are less sloping. This gently

sloping landscape has a thick layer of loess.

To the east and northeast is a broad, level plain

that has a few low-lying knolls and ridges and

is dissected by many small creeks.

The bluffs are as high as 650 feet above sea

level. On the American Bottoms, the swales

are as low as 400 feet and the ridges are about

425 feet above sea level. The elevation of the

broad, level ridges is about 620 feet above sea

level in the northeastern part of the County

and gradually decreases to about 540 feet in

the southeast corner.

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Water in the main drainageways in the County

flows to the south and west. Wood River Creek

and Cahokia Creek drain the western half of

the County and empty directly into the

Mississippi River. Silver Creek and a small

part of Sugar Creek drain the eastern half of

the County and flow south to the Kaskaskia

River, which drains into the Mississippi River.

CLIMATE

Madison County lies within Illinois’ west

southwest climatological region and has

continental climate with marked seasonal

shifts in temperature. Summers are warm and

humid, spring and autumn are mild, and

winters are cold with snowfall accumulations.

Average annual temperatures are 55° F.

Temperatures in January range from an

average low of 19° F to a high of 36° F and in

July from an average low of 69° F to an average

high of 89° F. Annual precipitation averages

36 inches with a mean relative humidity of 82

percent at 6:00 a.m. and 64 percent at 6:00

p.m. Mean annual snowfall is 16 inches. The

freeze-free season averages 182 days, with the

last freeze occurring in late March and the first

freeze occurring in mid-November. During

the year, the sun shines an average of 60

percent of possible hours. Prevailing winds

average 11 miles per hour.

HYDROLOGY

Hydrology is the science that deals with the

waters of the earth. The hydrology of Madison

County includes the rainfall, runoff, storage,

and movement of water through its landscape

and ground (Figure 16). Of special concern

to land use planning are drainage basins, flood

plains, and wetlands.

Drainage Basins

Madison County is divided into two primary

drainage basins, the Mississippi and

Kaskaskia. It should be noted that the

Kaskaskia enters the Mississippi in

Randolph County. A drainage basin is the

total land surface area occupied by a

network of rivers, streams, and their

adjacent slopes. The bluff areas of eastern

Madison County including portions of the

cities of Collinsville, Maryville, Glen

Carbon and Edwardsville empty in to the

American Bottoms drainage system that

ultimately reaches the Mississippi River.

Watersheds

The river drainage basins in Madison

County are divided into sub-basins or

watersheds. Each watershed in Madison

County is typically named for its receiving

body of water. Madison County watersheds

are shown on Plate 8.

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Flood Plains

A flood plain is an area of low-lying, flat

ground on either side of a river, stream,

pond, or lake subject to periodic inundation

by flooding. Flood plains are the natural

storage areas for water overflow after heavy

rains or snow melt. Hence, loss of storage

in the flood plains increases the likelihood

of flooding and increased damage both

upstream and downstream.

Plate 8 shows the general location the 100-

year flood plains in unincorporated Madison

County as defined by the Federal Emergency

Management Agency. The area of the 100-

year flood plains has a one percent chance of

being flooded in any given year.

Wetlands

Wetlands are a sensitive environmental

resource, integral to the hydrologic cycle.

Wetlands are ecosystems periodically

inundated by water. The Illinois Land Cover

Database, (1991-1995), identified 22,398 acres

of remaining wetlands and open water in

Madison County (Figure 29). Approximately

16,817 acres of bottomland forests habitat

were included. Subtracting this bottomland

forests amount nets about 5,581 acres of

wetlands remaining in Madison County.

Wetland types found in Madison County are

shallow marsh, wet meadow, deep marsh,

swamp and shallow water.

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Geology/Hydrology

Bedrock - The bedrock underlying

Southwestern Illinois consists of Cambrian,

Ordivician, Silurian, Devonian, Mississippian,

and Pennsylvanian sedimentary rocks (i.e.,

sandstone, shale, dolomite, and limestone)

resting on crystalline basement rocks

composed mainly of granite. Tilting and

folding of the bedrock surface resulted in the

present bedrock surface topography shown in

Figure 17 and the distribution of the uppermost

bedrock units as shown in Figure 18.

The Silurian and Devonian bedrock lies under

younger bedrock formations throughout the

study area. Consisting of limestone and

dolomite, the rocks may yield ground water

from joints and channels but the water is too

deep and highly mineralized to be considered

as potential sources of ground water supply.

Mississippian rocks, composed of limestone,

sandstone and shale, are prevalent throughout

most of the western portion of Madison

County. Mississippian limestones and

sandstones are suitable sources of ground

water supply for small to medium uses where

they are present immediately below the

unconsolidated material or where they are

covered by thin Pennsylvanian formations.

This bedrock aquifer is of little significance

in the American Bottoms where the shallow

sand and gravel aquifer offers an abundance

of ground water. Mississippian rocks in the

extreme western uplands are fine-grained and

cherty limestones in which sinkholes occur

forming Karst topography. Karst is a term used

to describe a condition in which soluble

limestone or dolomite has been partially

dissolved as a result of chemical actions

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induced by water passing through carbonate

rock. When sizable quantities of rock have

been dissolved, the land surface often subsides

as a result of the lack of supporting bedrock.

The surface depressions created are known as

sinkholes and usually lead directly to caverns

containing underground streams. Because of

the damage of pollution in wells that penetrate

shallow cavernous limestone, wells in this

formation must be constructed with special

attention to sanitary practices.

The Pennsylvanian rocks, found directly below

the glacial drift in the central and eastern

portions of the study area, have relatively low

permeability and consist mainly of shales,

sandstone, thin limestone and coal. The water-

yielding character of these formations is

variable but generally very low. The only

formations that yield any appreciable amounts

of water in these rocks are the sandstones.

Because the sandstones differ laterally in

permeability, they are not water-yielding at all

sites. The chances of obtaining a well in the

Pennsylvanian aquifers yielding more than 20

gpm are poor (see Figure 19). In addition, as

the depth of the aquifer increases, the water’s

mineral content also increases. As a result,

the use of ground water from these formations

is extremely limited. Locally, however,

shallow sandstone and creviced limestone may

yield small supplies of ground water in areas

where drift supplies are inadequate.

Unconsolidated Deposits - The glacial drifts.

Ranging in thickness from 5 to 200 feet, which

blankets the bedrock in Southwestern Illinois,

was deposited during the Pleistocene Epoch.

This later period in geologic history, which is

often referred to as the Ice Age, began about

one million years ago and was marked by the

advance of continental glaciation. Although

four major glacial advances covered portions

of Illinois, glacial materials in the study area

represent deposits left by only the last two

advances—the Illinoian and the Wisconsinan.

The Illinoian Till Plain comprises much of the

area east of the Mississippi River bluffs.

Wisconsinan Till is not present within the study

area due to the fact that the Wisconsinan ice

sheet did not advance into the study area.

However, the effects of Wisconsinan glaciation

within the study area are extremely widespread

in the form of wind and water transported

glacial materials. Melting glaciers deposited

sand, gravel, silt and clay. After the flooding

glacial meltwaters had receded, the glacial

material had been deposited in the stream

valleys became exposed. When these

materials had dried, the wind picked up many

of the fine-grained sand, silt and clay (mostly

silt) sediments and deposited them on the

uplands in uniform layers known as loess.

Since winds were generally from the

northwest, the loess deposits are thicker on the

uplands adjacent to the Mississippi River flood

plain. The thickness of the glacial drift is

highly variable.

A majority of the available ground water found

in Madison County is taken from valley fill

materials. Most of the ground water from

valley fill material is withdrawn from the flood

plain of the Mississippi River. The

probabilities for obtaining high yield wells for

industrial and municipal uses are favorable in

these areas. High capacity wells reach

excellent water yielding sand and gravel

deposits at depths of 50 to 75 feet.

The Mississippi River flood plain is the

dominant source of ground water recovered

from valley fill materials. The valley fill is

composed of recent alluvium and glacial valley

train material and is underlain by Mississippian

and Pennsylvanian bedrock, consisting of

limestone and dolomite with subordinate

amounts of sandstone and shale.

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It has an average thickness of 120 feet and

ranges in thickness from less than one foot

near the bluffs to over 170 feet near the City

of Wood River. The valley fill is generally

at its greatest thickness at a mid-point

between the bluffs and the river. The

coarsest deposits most favorable for water

development are commonly encountered

near bedrock and often average 30 to 40 feet

in thickness. Recharge within the area is

from precipitation, induced infiltration of

surface water from the Mississippi River and

small streams traversing the area, and

subsurface flow from the bluffs bordering

the area. High ground water levels are a

major problem associated with the

unconsolidated aquifer located in the

Mississippi River flood plain.

Potential Yields of Aquifers

Within the study area, the greatest potential

yields are found in the sand and gravel aquifers

located in the alluvial valley of the Mississippi

(American Bottoms). Potential yields of the

sand and gravel aquifers in the glacial till plain

is sparse. Figure 20 illustrates the potential

yields for these sand and gravel aquifers. A

very narrow strip of Mississippi River flood

plain near the river is particularly suitable for

the development of high-capacity wells. With

conditions favorable for ground water recharge

from the river, this narrow strip has an

estimated potential yield of 3,000,000 -

5,000,000 gallons per day per square mile

(gpd/sq.mi.). With the exception of a narrow

band at the foot of the bluffs, excellent ground

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water yielding sand and gravel aquifers are also

present throughout the remainder of the

Mississippi River flood plain. Potential yields

from this aquifer range from 300,000 gpd/

sq.mi. to 400,000 gpd/sq.mi. That part of the

flood plain near the base of the bluffs is less

favorable for the development of high-capacity

wells than the remainder of the flood plain.

The sand and gravel deposits near the bluff

are thinner than those closer to the river and

are somewhat discontinuous. Wells in this area

will yield less than 50,000 gpd/sq.mi.

Small areas with potential yields of 100,000 -

150,000 gpd/sq.mi. are associated with valley

fill deposits in eastern Madison County. The

best yields are obtained from wells associated

with Silver Creek. Only one community -

Alhambra in Madison County - receives its

water supply from wells tapping sand and

gravel aquifers along the Silver Creek

Bottoms.

On the vast majority of the upland area, the

glacial drift is thin and does not contain sand

and gravel deposits which have the capability

for yielding significant amounts of water.

Aquifers with potential yields of less than

50,000 gpd/sq.mi. are available in the thin

glacial deposits of northern Madison County.

Most of the uplands have been identified by

the Illinois State Water Survey as areas where

municipal and industrial water supplies are

usually obtained from other sources, e.g., the

Mississippi River flood plain and Silver Creek.

The most important aquifers are deposits of

sand and gravel, particularly the aquifers in

the American Bottoms. The bedrock, although

in part capable of producing large quantities

of ground water is of negligible importance in

the American Bottoms because of the excellent

sand and gravel aquifer. The Mississippian

rocks (limestone, sandstone, and shale) which

underlie the American Bottoms extend into the

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upland to the extreme northwestern area of

Madison County. These bedrock aquifers have

an estimated potential yield of 50,000 -

100,000 gpd/sq.mi. Karst topography present

in these areas dictates that special precautions

be taken when constructing wells to avoid

polluting the aquifer. The remainder of the

upland area is capable of producing less than

50,000 gpd/sq.mi. In many areas of the upland,

however, the bedrock is the only ground water

source. Where the drift is thin and underlain

by Pennsylvanian rocks limited amounts of

ground water for domestic and farm use can

be obtained; from shallow sandstones and

creviced limestones. As the depth of the

aquifer increases, the mineral content also

increases, thereby limiting its use.

SOILS

Madison County soils were formed over

millions of years of the County’s geologic

history. The great American Bottoms flood

plain soils are a reflection of the Mississippi

River and loessal bluff soils bear witness to

the power of wind. This loess soil, varying

from 40 to 80 feet deep in the Bluff area, thins

to about 5 feet deep in the northeast portion of

the County.

The General Soil Map, (Plate 10) provides a

view of the suitability of large areas for general

land uses but specific project planning

requirements necessitate reference to the Soil

Survey of Madison County for site specific

information.

Madison County history has produced soils

very favorable to agricultural production with

approximately 217,240 acres or an estimated

45 percent of the County’s soils classed as

prime agricultural soils.

Prime farmland, as defined by the U.S.

Department of Agriculture, is the land that is

best suited to food, feed, forage, fiber, and

oilseed crops. It may be cultivated land,

pasture, woodland, or other land, but it is not

urban land, built-up land, or water areas. It

either is used for food or fiber crops or is

available for those crops. The soil qualities,

growing season, and moisture supply are those

needed for a well managed soil to produce a

sustained higher yield of crops in an economic

manner. Prime farmland produces the highest

yields with minimal inputs of energy and

economic resources, and farming it results in

the least damage to the environment.

Prime farmland has an adequate and

dependable supply of moisture from

precipitation or irrigation. The temperature

and growing season are favorable. The level

of acidity and alkalinity is acceptable. Prime

farmland has few or no rocks and is permeable

to water and air. It is not excessively erodible

or saturated with water for long periods and is

not frequently flooded during the growing

season. The slope ranges mainly from 0 to 6

percent.

Associations 2, 3, 7, 8, and 9, which are

described under the heading “General Soil

Map Units” have the highest percentage of

prime farmland, but this land is throughout the

County.

Soil is a natural resource that forms a basic

ingredient in our environment, economy and

future. Informed developmental decision-

making should specifically consider methods

for the continued agricultural use of prime

soils, development controls necessary to

accommodate soils characteristics and land use

proposals that also incorporate soils

considerations. Detailed soils information is

readily available in the Soil Survey of Madison

County.

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MINERAL RESOURCES

Mineral resources - sand, gravel, oil, gas,

limestone and dolomite - have historically

played an important role in the development

and economic growth of Madison County. The

County’s mineral resources should be carefully

managed to ensure availability for future

generations. After removal of the mineral

resources, sites must be properly reclaimed to

beneficial land uses.

Economic Impact of Mineral Resources

The sand, gravel, limestone/dolomite, and oil

and gas deposits of Madison County are its

most valuable mineral resources. Over a dozen

firms utilize the mineral resources within the

County providing employment for a small

number (less than 1% of the County

employment) of workers. Employment in this

industry has remained fairly static from 1989-

1994. The County helped Illinois rank fifth in

the nation in sand, gravel, and limestone

production in 1989, when the state produced

an estimated value of $109 million of sand and

gravel and $257 million of limestone. Madison

County ranks 36th out of 102 counties in

Illinois based upon the total value of minerals

extracted and processed. The minerals

extracted in order of value are: crude oil, stone,

and sand/gravel. The minerals processed in

order of value are: sulfur, slag, and pig iron.

Mineral products in order of value are: clay,

coke, and glass. Values on the individual

components are not available so that

confidentiality of individual producers can be

preserved.

The major oil wells are near the Marine and

Livingston areas. A majority of the area

surrounding Collinsville, Edwardsville and

northeast of Alton has underground coal mines

which have been closed and/or abandoned.

Mineral Resource Management

Madison County’s recommended approach to

mineral resource management is to plan and

preserve, regulate and reclaim. The long term

benefit of this approach is to protect mineral

resources for future generations, provide

economic development, and ensure

reclamation to a desirable subsequent use.

Land use planning and geological information

is vital to the protection of mineral resources

for future generations. The Illinois State

Geological Survey provides valuable

information on mineral deposits. Major

potential deposits should be protected until

extraction becomes feasible. Areas protected

for future extraction must be far enough away

from residential development or sufficiently

buffered. Current pits and quarries should also

have a sufficient buffer to allow for possible

future expansion.

VEGETATION

The vegetation of Madison County belongs to

the oak-hickory ecosystem, a forest system that

once covered large areas in Illinois. This

vegetation pattern was influenced by the

climate soils, and geologic features of the

region. Before settlement of Madison County

by the first Europeans in the 1780s forest cover

was predominant. The County was home to a

diverse mix of plant species ranging from

hardwood trees to wetlands and prairie plants.

Most of the original vegetation has been

destroyed by settlement and agriculture. Early

settlers usually bypassed the prairies believing

the land must be infertile because no trees grew

there. Nor could their wooden plows cultivate

the dense prairie sod. These factors, along with

the need for timber for buildings and heating

fuel, led to early settlement in the wooded areas

and the loss of many pre-settlement forests.

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Similarly, drainage projects in the Bottoms

were implemented by settlements adjacent to

the Mississippi River as wetlands were

converted to development and agriculture.

One estimate of all forested land placed

Madison County’s current woodlands at

80,492 acres approximately 17 percent of the

land. Hardwood trees of the uplands are

predominantly oak, and hickory, with various

understory trees. Trees of the Bottoms forest

areas are predominantly cottonwood,

sycamore, silver maple, willow, box elder and

ash.

Areas of prairie grasses and forbs, with grasses

often growing four to six feet tall, once broke

the landscape in portions of eastern Madison

County. The introduction of the moldboard

plow in 1837 as well as drainage

improvements helped transform prairies and

the American Bottoms to fertile fields of

grains. In 1994, the Illinois Natural Heritage

List of Threatened and Endangered Species for

Madison County included seven plant species.

One threatened species, Hairy Bead Grass, is

known to exist only on private land in Madison

and Lee Counties, Illinois. Another species,

the Spring Ladies Tresses, are found along

railroad rights-of-way within Madison County.

This species is threatened by right-of-way

management.

Madison County has approximately 22,398

acres of wetlands (marshes, bogs, and

swamps), according to the land cover database.

One of the identifying factors of a wetland is

the presence of plants adapted to wet soils,

surface water and/or flooding. Some of the

plants most commonly associated with

wetlands are sedges, and cattails. Wetland

trees include willow, gum, sycamore and

cottonwood.

WILDLIFE

The forests, bottom lands and prairies that

covered Madison County prior to extensive

settlement provided numerous wildlife

habitats. Food, protection, shelter, and nesting

materials were available in abundance for a

variety of wild species. As settlement

progressed, forests were reduced to woodlots

and prairies cultivated for farming. During

early settlement times, when the vegetative

pattern was changing and foreign species

introduced, the number of habitats actually

increased. This was partially due to the “edge

effect” — the area where two habitats abut or

intersperse. As agriculture became the

predominant land use, fewer habitats were

available as prairie, woodland, and wetland

areas declined.

The most common animals in Madison County

today are those that have adapted to these

remaining edges and disturbed natural

communities. This phenomenon has been

repeated throughout Illinois. These include

raccoon, red fox, white-tailed deer, coyote,

eastern cottontail rabbit, striped skunk, and

gray and fox squirrel. Adaptable bird species

include cardinal, robin, black birds, and

sparrows.

There are nineteen threatened or endangered

animal species in Madison County. All

families of the animal kingdom are represented

— birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and several

types of mussel.

The best known from the animal family are

the Indiana Bat and the Peregrine Falcon. The

Peregrine Falcon is among those listed as

endangered nationwide. The falcon is slowly

being reintroduced into suitable habitat in

many areas.

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The Snowy Egret is a post breeding wanderer

throughout Illinois and a rare summer resident

of Madison and St. Clair Counties. The Snowy

Egret has always been restricted to the

American Bottoms of the Mississippi River.

Protection of forage and nesting areas from

disturbance and human encroachment is

critical to the survival of the Snowy Egret as a

breeding species.

The nesting, breeding and foraging areas of

the entire animal family must be considered

before more development erases these

threatened and endangered species from

Madison County.

The inclusion of environmental consideration,

including plants and wildlife, must become an

element of local policy and decision-making

if Madison County’s quality of life is to be

maintained. Consideration of open space,

forest preservation and wetlands need to be

policy considerations for subsequent planning

efforts and implementation.

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

Demographics is the science of analyzing

population size, composition, and spatial

distribution. As Madison County population

expands and the demand for development of

estimation of future population growth and the

characteristics of that growth. Such

demographic analysis is essential to

comprehensive planning whose overall goal

is to improve the environment wherein people

work and live. Population and population

trends determine the need and level of required

public services, especially public safety,

utilities, schools, and parks. This section

presents Madison County’s demographic

profile focusing on its population and

distribution within the County.

The 1990 Census count for Madison County,

both incorporated and unincorporated, was

249,238 people. The 1998 census estimate of

Madison County population is 259,351 people.

Madison County Share Of

Southwestern Illinois Population 1990

Madison County is part of the seven county

southwestern Illinois Region. In 1990,

approximately 5.5 percent of the State of

Illinois population was concentrated in this

region. Among the seven county region,

Madison County ranked second containing

39.4 percent of the southwestern Illinois

population in 1990.

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Within Madison County, the population

concentration of incorporated places averaged

69.5 percent in 1970, 70 percent in 1980 and

75.5 percent in 1990 and unincorporated

averaged 30.5 percent in 1970, 30 percent in

1980 and 24.5 percent in 1990.

Madison County’s population is experiencing

a general aging of its population similar to

national trends. Age groups under five have

changed little from 1980 to 1990, age group 5

to 24 years have declined by 16.2 percent and

age group 24 to 75 years have increased overall

by 9.9 percent between 1980 and 1990.

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Township Growth

The township with the largest population

continues to be in Wood River Township. In

1990 Wood River Township had 14.2 percent

of the County’s total population.

Historically, the population in Madison County

has been concentrated in the river townships,

but growth trends 1970-1994 show generally

declining or very modest growth in river

townships with bluff and rural townships

growing at a faster rate. Over the past three

decades, the highest percentage rate of

population growth has occurred in the

townships of Jarvis, 155.37 percent, Moro,

95.42 percent and Edwardsville 67.28 percent.

Municipal Population

The greatest municipal population in Madison

County continues to be in the City of Alton.

In 1990, Alton had 32,905 people; followed

by Granite City, 32,862 and the portion of

Collinsville, in Madison County 20,100. The

2020 projected population breakdown by

municipality is expected to follow a similar

pattern.

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PROJECTED POPULATION

Madison County’s development and

population growth remained relatively static

from 1970 to 1990. Development continued

within portions of the County but not at a scale

to include the in-migration of population

which would result in population growth. In

the 1990s the continuing expansion of the

national economy combined with development

expansion from the Missouri portion of the St.

Louis Metropolitan Area, and available

attractively priced land in Madison County has

resulted in considerable and continuing

population growth. The question now is what

is the anticipated Madison County population

growth to the year 2020.

The methods employed to project population

growth for this Plan were the cohort survival

method and a series of curve fitting/

extrapolation methods. Multiple projections

were made to establish a reasonable projection

range. The cohort survival method using age

groups (cohorts) was then employed as a

preferred projection method. Additionally, the

projections of several other entities were

considered. Information available at the time

of projection indicated a year 2020 population

from the Illinois Bureau of the Budget of

285,192 and a Long Range Transportation Plan

projection of 306,370.

SIMAPC’s extrapolation methods produced a

range of 276,819; 280,104; 285,557 and

340,311. The range accepted was 276,104 to

340,311. The results of the cohort survival

projections were 299,509. We eliminated the

low and high projections as not being

reasonable numbers. We noted with more than

curiosity the grouping of numbers at

approximately 285,000 in both the SIMAPC

projection and the IBOB projection. It is our

belief that a projection of 285,000 represents

a very average growth rate, in view of

development within Madison County in the

1990s. We believe a more aggressive growth

rate is justified in consideration of

development pressure from the Missouri

portion of the metropolitan area, the

availability of land suitable for all land use

developments in large tracts at reasonable

prices and in a County where the transportation

infrastructure is a solid asset. The cohort

survival projection methodology has provided

a more aggressive population growth rate and

is proposed as the most reasonable projection

at 299,509 persons in Madison County in the

year 2020.

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EXISTING LAND USE

The land area of Madison County totals 731

square miles, or approximately 474,043 acres.

The method chosen for classifying and

describing Madison County lands for this plan

effort is the Illinois Land Cover Database, see

Plate 2.

Madison County ranks 5

in the state in total

urban/built-up acres (44,284) and ranks 5

acreage devoted to small grains (49,294). The

County has 22,398 acres of wetlands, (12

the state) and 14,656 acres of open water.

Forest/woodland accounts for 63,675 acres,

which ranks the County 13

in the state. Of

this forest total 16,817 are bottomland forest.

As can be noted in this statistical description

Madison County is very diverse being urban,

and yet, very rural and undeveloped in many

areas.

The Illinois Land Cover Database

The land cover database delineates natural

features and artificial structures present upon

the earth’s surface at a level of detail

appropriate for regional analyses. The Illinois

land cover baseline is based on data obtained

from satellite imagery acquired during the

period of 1991-1995 and supplemented by

existing, statewide spatial databases.

The database will also support a wide range

of applications that require regional knowledge

of surface cover characteristics. The resolution

of the satellite data in the land cover database

is approximately 28.5 meters X 28.5 meters

(93.5 feet X 93.5 feet). Thus, the smallest

discrete object detected is approximately 0.2

acres in size. While this is quite appropriate

for regional applications it is not adequate to

meet site specific requirements.

The database focuses on land cover or what is

present on the land’s surface—whether it be

water, vegetation, structures or nothing at all.

Data from the Illinois Land Cover Database

will not be exactly the same as data from other

databases. For example, the amount of

cropland in Madison County according to

Illinois Agricultural Statistics will not match

that in the Illinois Land Cover Database. The

methods used in each data source differ and

cannot be expected to produce identical results.

Seven major land cover categories are

delineated: 1) cropland, 2) grassland, 3)

forested and wooded land, 4) wetland, 5) urban

and built-up land, 6) open water, and 7) barren

and exposed land. These categories are further

subdivided into 21 sub-categories to provide

greater detail on the Madison County

landscape (the categories, sub-categories and

their descriptions are shown in the table that

follows).

Madison County Land Cover Categories

Cropland

Land areas covered by agricultural

commodities

• Row Crops Predominantly corn

and soybeans, including other row-

tilled crops.

• Small Grains Oats, wheat, barley,

etc.

• Orchards/Nurseries Fruit orchards

and nurseries.

Grassland

• Land areas predominantly covered

with grass

• Urban Grassland Residential

lawns, golf courses, open spaces

136

and other managed grassland in

urban and built-up areas.

• Rural Grassland Alfalfa, hay,

pasture, greenways and other

grassland cover situated outside of

urban areas.

Forested and Wooded Land

• Land areas covered with trees

• Deciduous Woods Closed-canopy

wooded areas characterized by tree

species that posses seasonal

foliage.

• Open Woods Open-canopy

wooded areas.

• Coniferous Woods Wooded areas

dominated by pine and other

coniferous trees.

Wetland

• Shallow Marsh/Wet Meadow

Areas characterized by standing

water or saturated soils for brief to

moderate periods during growing

season.

• Deep Marsh Areas characterized

by standing water or saturated soils

on a semi-permanent or permanent

basis during growing season.

• Bottomland Forest Forested

wetland, temporarily or seasonally

flooded.

• Swamp Forested wetland with

permanent or semi-permanent

water.

• Shallow Water Wetland

Permanently flooded areas less

than 20 acres in extent and less

than 2 meters deep (ponds, borrow

pits, open areas of marsh or

swamp).

Urban and Built-up Land

• Land areas built-up with manmade

structures

• High Density All or nearly all of

the land surface covered with

manmade structures includes

urban centers, malls, town squares

and airports.

• Medium Density An intermediate

amount of the land surface covered

with manmade structures,

primarily residential and

commercial development

• Low Density Only a portion of the

land area covered with manmade

structures that are intermixed with

other land cover including urban

grassland, wooded lands, includes

residential subdivisions.

• Transportation Major highways,

inter-changes, and rights-of-way;

active rail lines, and rail lines no

longer in service as of 1990.

Open Water

• Land under water

• Lakes and Rivers Open water and

major stream courses.

• Streams Minor stream courses that

contain water year around.

Barren and Exposed Land

• Land without vegetation or

structures (e.g., quarries, bare soil

surfaces and beaches).

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Figure 29

Land Cover Acreage and State Ranking

Madison County, Illinois

Percent of

Acres Rank County Rank

CROPLAND 238,597 38 50.3% 71

Row Crops 189,476 45 40.0% 78

Small Grains 49,115 5 10.4% 14

Orchards / Nurseries 5 42 < 0.1% 42

GRASSLAND 90,378 26 19.1% 46

Urban 24,679 7 5.2% 8

Rural 65,698 43 13.9% 67

FOREST / WOODLAND 63,675 20 13.4% 39

Deciduous 58,702 18 12.4% 34

Open Woods 4,974 28 1.1% 45

Coniferous 0 - 0.0% -

WETLAND 22,398 12 4.7% 29

Shallow Marsh / Wet Meadow 2,064 17 0.4% 26

Deep Marsh 297 25 < 0.1% 34

Bottomland Forest 16,817 12 3.6% 31

Swamp 10 24 < 0.1% 27

Shallow Water 3,210 14 0.7% 23

URBAN / BUILT-UP LAND 44,284 5 9.3% 8

High Density 9,452 5 2.0% 8

Medium Density 24,082 5 5.1% 5

Low Density 1,348 35 0.3% 45

Transportation 9,403 2 2.0% 4

OPEN WATER 14,656 13 3.1% 20

Lakes and Rivers 11,078 12 2.3% 19

Streams 3,578 26 0.8% 67

BARREN / EXPOSED LAND 54 51 < 0.1% 57

TOTAL 474,043 19 100.0%

Note: percent of county may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

Source: Land Cover of Illinois 1996, Illinois Department of Natural Resources