Smithsonian Water Exhibit Coming To Mahomet In 2016

The Museum of the Grand Prairie in Mahomet will host a Smithsonian exhibit next summer on the role of water in our communities.

The exhibit is called Waterways and is part of a nationwide initiative meant to explore water use across the U.S.

The Illinois Humanities Council partnered with the Smithsonian Institution on the project. Program Coordinator Matt Meacham says the exhibit focuses on the many ways water has shaped the way we live.

"Everything from the role of rivers in settlement patterns and transportation in the 19th century," he said, "all the way up through contemporary policy issues including fracking and its impact.”

Waterways will also include a local exhibit on the history and use of the Mahomet Aquifer. It will run from mid-July to late-August of 2016 at the Museum of the Grand Prairie.

Several other Illinois towns will host Waterways, including Carbondale, Lawrenceville, Valmeyer, and Channahon.