At Extension, Water Resources Work When We Work With Them

Jun 23, 2025

By Emily Steele

Sometimes water is only a drizzle or a trickle, while other times it pours and floods, but it is always there in the background, a steady and vital resource for all our lives. A core University of Illinois Extension program area — natural resources, environment, and energy — connects communities with resources on everything from wildlife to water. Eliana Brown empowers people to do their part for clean water through her work as a water quality and stormwater specialist with Illinois Extension and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, and director of the Red Oak Rain Garden.

What do you specialize in, and what motivated you to start working in that area?

I’m a water quality and stormwater specialist. I grew up fishing, swimming, and playing in the creek near my childhood home, which sparked my love of water and inspired me to pursue a degree in environmental engineering. First-hand experience with flooding motivated me to help others learn strategies to minimize their flood risks by improving their properties.

Source : illinois.edu

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.