We call our wetlands Smart because they are specifically sited, designed, and constructed to improve water quality using the best available data and technology. The wetlands process ag-tile drainage water that contains fertilizers from nearby cropland.

As water moves through a Smart Wetland (SW), naturally occurring processes capture, break down and transform excess nutrients (nitrate and phosphorous) from the tile water. The result is cleaner water leaving the farm field with fewer pollutants flowing into our Illinois waterbodies and eventually the Mississippi River. The Wetlands Initiative has taken on this work in support of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy.

The SW Team is already making plans to build more Illinois tile-treatment wetlands in 2022. If COVID no longer poses a serious threat by summer, we will be hosting two events where visitors will be able to see a Smart Wetland up close.

Our Smart Wetlands are in place thanks to our farmer partners, funders, local soil and water conservation district staff and board members, as well as Illinois USDA Farm Services Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service staff. While all these people work hard to help us construct and manage Smart Wetlands, the hardest working team members are the Smart Wetlands.

Finally, this is just the first of a series of blog posts sharing the stories about the people and science behind our Smart Wetlands. So bookmark this webpage and check back every couple of weeks for more stories, photos, and videos.