580

EXPLANATION

Transect date

July 26, 2012

September 11, 2012

November 7, 2012

Figure 3. Schematic map showing transect lines 

and survey dates for bathymetric data collection.

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Prepared in cooperation with the

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Scientific Investigations Map 3330

94

South Stony Island Avenue

EXPLANATION

Area too shallow for 

 accurate survey

578

577

575

573

571

569

567

565

563

561

559

557

555

553

551

549

0

1

3

5

7

9

11

13

15

17

19

21

23

25

27

29

Lakebed elevation (left), in feet 

above North American Vertical 

Datum of 1988, and depth to 

lakebed (right), in feet 

87°36' 87°35'30" 87°35'

41°41'

41°40'30"

41°40'

SCALE 1:6 680

NORTH AMERICAN VERTICAL DATUM OF 1988 (NAVD 88)

0.5 0 0.5 MILE

0.5 0 0.5 KILOMETER

Not for navigational use.

Figure 1. Bathymetry of Lake Calumet, Cook County, Illinois, collected on July 26, September 11, and November 7, 2012.

Overview

The U.S. Geological Survey collected bathymetric data in Lake Calumet and a portion of the Calumet River in the vicinity of 

Lake Calumet to produce a bathymetric map (figV. 1 and 2). The bathymetric survey was made over 3 days (July 26, September 11, 

and November 7, 2012) (fig. 3). Lake Calumet has become a focus area for Asian carp rapid-response efforts by state and federal 

agencies, and very little bathymetric data existed prior to this survey.This bathymetric survey provides data for a variety of scientific 

and engineering studies of the area; for example, hydraulic modeling of water and sediment transport from Lake Calumet to the 

Calumet River.

DU PAGE COUNTY

WILL COUNTY

COOK COUNTY

WILL COUNTY

COOK COUNTY

DU PAGE COUNTY

LAKE

CALUMET

DU PAGE COUNTY

WILL COUNTY

COOK COUNTY

WILL COUNTY

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

COOK COUNTY

DU PAGE COUNTY

Calumet R.

Chicago Rive

D

r

es

Plaines River

Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

LAKE

MICHIGAN

Chicago

Cal-Sag Channel

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

Little Calumet

River

T.J. O’Brien 

Lock and 

Dam

Area mapped in figure 1

0 5 10 MILES

0 5 10 KILOMETERS

Base from U.S. Geological Survey 1:100,000-scale digital data.

Albers Equal-Area Conic Projection:

Standard parallels 45°

 and 33°, central meridian –89o.

88°10' 88° 87°50' 87°40' 87°30'

42°

41°50'

41°40'

ILLINOIS

Area

shown

be;pw

Area

shown

below

Figure 2. Location of Lake Calumet in Cook County, northeastern Illinois.

Methods

The bathymetric survey was made from a 14-foot 

johnboat traversing along planned survey transect lines 

(fig. 3). Water-depth data were collected using a 

four-beam acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). 

Boat position was recorded continuously using a Global 

Positioning System (GPS) synchronized to the ADCP. 

The raw mean water depth measured by the ADCP was 

verified by a bar check before and after each day of 

surveying and periodically checked during the survey. 

Portions of Lake Calumet, especially the western bay, are 

very shallow (at times, less than 1 foot) and were difficult 

to navigate. Although the ADCP is capable of accurate 

depth readings to a minimum depth of approximately 0.8 

feet, the difficulty of accessing the shallow depths by 

boat resulted in less transect coverage in that portion of 

the lake.

Data Processing

The raw data from the ADCP was exported as an 

output file in International System of Units (SI) of 

measurement in a text format. The ADCP output file was 

then re-formatted using the Velocity Mapping Tool 

(VMT) software* to apply a water-level tide file 

correction and produce an x, y, z (northing, easting, and 

lakebed elevation) format. The water-level tide file data 

for each day of survey was obtained from the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers gaging station at the 

T. J. O'Brien Lock and Dam (fig. 4). A Geographic 

Information System (GIS) was then used to calculate a 

triangulated irregular network (TIN) of the lakebed 

elevations. The TIN was then converted using a natural 

neighbor interpolation to produce a smooth raster surface.

*Parsons, D.R., Jackson, P.R., Czuba, J.A., Engel, F.L., Rhoads, B.L., Oberg, K.A., Best, J.L., Mueller, D.S., Johnson, K.K., and Riley, J.D., 2013, Velocity Mapping 

Toolbox (VMT)–A processing and visualization suite for moving-vessel ADCP measurements: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, v. 38, no. 11, 

p. 1244–1260, doi: 10.1002/esp.3367.

576

578

577

579

January February March April May June July August September October

Water-surface elevation, in feet above North American 

Vertical Datum of 1988

2012

Lake Michigan–T.J. O’Brien Lock and Dam stage, in feet

Data from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Chicago City Datum 0.00 = 579.19 feet

Mean lake level =

577.96 feet

Figure 4. Water-surface elevation hydrograph for Lake Michigan at the T.J. O’Brien Lock and Dam, Cook County, Illinois, January—October 2012, showing the

variation in lake level.

Projection: Transverse Mercator

North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)

Orthography from the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Farm Service Agency, Aerial Photography Field Office

National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) Natural

Color Imagery for Illinois, accessed November 2012 at

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/apfoapp?area=home&subject=prog&topic=nai

Bathymetric Survey of Lake Calumet, Cook County, Illinois

By

James J. Duncker, Kevin K. Johnson, and Jennifer B. Sharpe

2015

To learn about the USGS and its information products Publishing support provided by the Columbus

visit http://www.usgs.gov/ Publishing Service Center

This report and select data are available at For more information concerning this publication, contact: 

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3330 Director, Illinois Water Science Center

Suggested citation: Duncker, J.J., Johnson, K.K., and U.S. Geological Survey

Sharpe, J.B., 2015, Bathymetric survey of Lake Calumet, 405 N. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801 (217) 328-8747

Cook County, Illinois: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Map 3330, 1 sheet, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3330. Or visit the Illinois Science Center Web site at:

ISSN 2329–132X (online) http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3330 http://il.water.usgs.gov/