Lake Decatur was built in 1922 to supply water needed for two major urban employers, Archer Daniels Midland and Staley, These companies process grains provided by the surrounding agricultural community.  Lake Decatur's  water holding capacity was affected by sediment loads and its water quality by nitrate loads.  The watershed includes parts of seven counties and these nutrient and sediment loads impact the Illinois River and Mississippi River Basins. 

To address these environmental issues, the community based partnership had to address the farmers' bottom line of economic return.  In so doing, not only did farmers and urban people become partners in reducing nitrate and sediment loads, but are now working together to research the use of biomass and wind energy, creating cleaner air and protecting other natural resources.

 The Lake Decatur-Upper Sangamon River Watershed Committee was formed in 1989 to revive the progress started in 1943.  The Committee is co-chaired by a full time farmer and a current Council person for the City of Decatur.  The committee members include farmers, county representatives the local Macon County SWCD (MCSWCD) and the other SWCD's in the watershed, the federal USDA-NRCS, and others.  Because of the urban-farmer dialog, community based interest in both natural resource protection and enhancement of education, and an understanding of the connection between urban jobs and rural crops, the partnership grew  to include Richland Community College, the Agriculture Watershed Institute (AWI),  the Garden Club of Decatur, and the Macon County Lady Landowners. 

In October of 2002, the MCSWCD's Foundation located their building on the Richland campus and under President Bush's Administration, USDA-FSA and NRCS located their local office in the Foundation building. This District/USDA/Community College partnership is the second of its kind in the nation.  Last year AWI  located their institute in the Foundation building. The Garden Club of Decatur and Macon County Lady Landowners have provided funding to install wildlife habitat, prairie plantings at the MCSWCD Building. 

The City of Decatur provides cost share funds and support the District Watershed staff to assist the farmers.  As a result about 220,000 tons of soil are reduced from entering into Lake Decatur each year.  For every $1 spent by the City in a contract with the Macon Co. SWCD, the District saves the City $4.00 in dredging costs.  USDA-NRCS has provided sub watershed planning and technical advice.  The City cost share funds, the Illinois Department of Agriculture funds, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources funds all are funneled through the Macon Co. SWCD.  The District can assure the public tax payer, that each dollar spent gets the biggest bang for the buck. The District determines through  a ranking system which funds should go for which project to meet the economic bottom line for the landowner and meet the best environmental  benefit.

Other accomplishments of this growing partnership include:

• The Agriculture Watershed Institute (AWI) has received President George W. Bush's Watershed Initiative Grant to continue research on innovative practices and projects supported by the existing watershed partnership.  AWI has also promoted demand and supply of biomass energy, providing additional income for farmers and benefits to the environment.
• The Macon County SWCD Foundation has raised the funds for a wind study, and if feasible, the  installation of a wind turbine to provide electricity to the USDA-MCSWCD-AWI offices while also providing electricity in the future to the new partner, the Farm Progress Show.  The turbine proposal was one of the reasons Farm Progress Show picked Decatur, Illinois as their every other year permanent location.
• The Garden Club of Decatur with the MCSWCD Foundation provides scholarships to Richland and other Illinois colleges for students enrolled in agriculture, horticulture, conservation, and computer technology.