Water Quality

Impact of Prairie Restoration on Water Quality

Melissa Lenczewski, Ph.D.
NIU Professor of Geology and Director of the NIU Institute for the Study of Environment, Sustainability and Energy

In connection with the prairie restoration study being conducted at the NICCS site, NIU Geology Professor Melissa Lenczewski is examining the impact of prairie restoration on groundwater.

In the fall of 2020, Lenczewski and her team drilled seven monitoring wells on the restoration site just north of the NIU Convocation Center. The team collected 20-foot intact soil and sediment cores from each well. As part of their study, they'll analyze the cores to develop a deep understanding of the soil and sediment composition and the geologic history of the area.

The team also began sampling water from the monitoring wells – which they will do regularly over a five-year period. Lenczewski's lab will be monitoring the chemistry of the water before, during and after the prairie restoration process to see how changes in vegetation impact groundwater quality. They'll also collaborate with Assistant Professor of Geology Megan Brown, a hydrogeologist who will be modeling the change in groundwater quantity throughout the study.

This study will provide valuable information to scientists studying ecological change, as well as to practitioners who engage in prairie restoration projects.