Critical Trends Assessment Project Phase II Inventory of Resource Rich Areas in Illinois An Evaluation of Ecological Resources Published by the ff Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ with Assistance from F The Nature of Illinois Foundation’ RESOURCE his repo ent Project (CTAP), an ongoing esources, Office of Realty and and condition of Illinois ecosystems. nvironmental Assessment. lving the Water, Geological, ous Waste Research and Informatior rst ‘state of the environ- ment repor' logically rich areas for DNR’s Eco ive to preserve and restore Illi | 5 regional assessments of areas ident ce Rich Area will be the For infor 7) 524-0500 or e-mail at ctap2@dnr tems Program, call (217) All CTAP ble from the DNR Clearinghc 75. They are also available on the EcoForum Bulletin Board at 1 (8¢ (217) 782-8447, and on the World Wide Web at http://dnr.state.il. eee htm and at http://dnr.state.il.us/c2000/manage/partner.htm. Critical Trends Assessment Project Phase II Inventory of Resource Rich Areas in Illinois An Evaluation of Ecological Resources Prepared for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources by Liane Suloway, Mark Joselyn, and Patrick W. Brown Center for Wildlife Ecology Illinois Natural History Survey 1996 Published by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources with Assistance from The Nature of Illinois Foundation Nicholas P. Schneider, Executive Director Printed by the authority of the State of Illinois IDNR/EEA-96/08 3M/1996 Printed with soy ink on recycled and recyclable paper CONTENTS INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAM STATEWIDE SUMMARIES RESOURCE RICH AREA SUMMARIES What to Look for in the Area Summaries Driftless Area Sugar River Chain O’ Lakes - Fox River Illinois Beach Kishwaukee River Rock River DuPage River Mississippi - Lower Rock Des Plaines River Thorn Creek Prairie Parklands Kankakee - Iroquois Peoria Wilds Nauvoo Mackinaw River Middle Illinois River Vermilion River Big Rivers Embarras River Sangamon River Upper Wabash River Southern Till Plain Karst/Cave Area Lower Wabash River Kaskaskia Bottoms Middle Fork Big Muddy Illinois Ozarks Shawnee Hills Cache River Cretaceous Hills METHODOLOGY REFERENCES ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 104 109 113 ily 122 127 132 136 140 146 152 158 163 16S 167 Poe U hated” aaa) Oot eee ij ewrouinn? batA ult nt bd Tas mile ! : enk salting Hi! ad J ef Tove 4A «dle 7 wlntt heen enaculff it ved Mb aaalw i Le (i yoo dav is eit antl Ob Lin tow} - wrytaeriy b> pyar a soul't ett 7 Het maga yi eRelaal be tee Cin bey yabyven bad OY spaeey ie S\ ee) ae td ibe ote tegt © ay « sinte.of Dla a a aa Rah hwobee a! Palais! , were iyo (hie Ea <4 weed alm 7. 7% eeivullt SID width anttinng® as eee TT pel fy tit corre vy eek enerapil etl ave Pole? expe viele (ET nah ek ory errr 2) ist’ vate W iow! omer prlve dana iy! Volant gill doe ibd ort een? sponulit 7 AAA eesergtie cil. wre whe ; sl1)04 aneicnere yoineter4 a rien L oredentv erential Been) «! din Some hes iF Ma AE de, UF s 1 Ti! wel wa es | mea ne INTRODUCTION - INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAM “The Inventory of Resource Rich Areas in Illinois” and the Critical Trends Assessment Project he following "Inventory of Resource Rich Areas in Illinois" is a product of the Critical Trends Assessment Project and the Ecosystems Program of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Both are funded largely through Conservation 2000, a six-year State of Illinois program to enhance nature protection, sport, and outdoor recreation by reversing the decline of the state's ecosystems. Conservation 2000 is the culmination of three recent natural resource initiatives in Illinois. First, investigators for the Critical Trends Assessment Project inventoried and analyzed existing environmen- tal, ecological, and economic data as part of an effort to establish baseline conditions from which future changes in ecological conditions might be measured. Phase I of CTAP, completed in the fall of 1994, concluded that: ¢ the emission and discharge of regulated pollutants over the past 20 years has declined in Illinois, in some cases dramatically; ¢ existing data suggest that the condition of natural systems in Illinois is rapidly declining as a result of fragmentation and continued stress; ¢ data designed to monitor compliance with environmental regulations or the status of individual species are not sufficient to assess ecological health statewide. The Illinois Conservation Congress and Governor Edgar's Water Resources and Land Use Priorities Task Force underlined the urgency of these findings. The Conservation Congress concluded that better stewardship of the state's land and water resources could be achieved by managing them on an ecosys- tem basis. Traditional management and assessment practices focus primarily on the protection of relatively small tracts of land (usually under public ownership) and the cultivation of single species (usually game animals or rare and endangered plants and animals). However, ecosystems extend beyond the boundaries of the largest parks, nature preserves, and fish and wildlife areas. Unless landscapes are managed on this larger scale, it will prove impossible to preserve, protect, and perpetuate Illinois' richly diverse natural resource base. It plainly being impossible for Illinois governments to acquire resources on the ecosystem scale when more than 90% of the state's land area is privately owned, the Task Force and the Congress called for public agencies and private landowners to cooperate in a new approach to natural resources programs. If landowners can protect, enhance, or restore precious natural resources through enlightened private management, the need for public acquisition can reduced. The Congress and the Task Force agreed that such programs ought to be: ¢ organized on a regional scale; ¢ voluntary and incentive-based; ¢ guided by comprehensive and comprehensible ecosystem-based scientific information; ¢ initiated at the grassroots rather than in Springfield. Finally, the Congress and the Task Force agreed that natural resource protection need not hamper local economic development but may enhance it through tourism and outdoor recreation. CTAP described the reality of ecosystem decline in Illinois, and the Congress and the Task Force laid out principles for new approaches to reversing it. Conservation 2000 is designed to achieve that reversal. This six-year initiative will implement a number of the recommendations of the Congress and the Task Force, drawing on $100 million to fund nine new programs in three State of Illinois agencies. One of these programs is IDNR's Ecosystems Program, whose purpose is to support cooperative public- private partnerships that merge natural resource stewardship with compatible economic and recreational development. The program redirects existing department programs to support new local and regional 2‘ INTRODUCTION resource protection initiatives. The Ecosystems Program also is the means by which the State of Illinois may support Ecosystem Partnerships. These are coalitions of local and regional interests seeking to maintain and enhance ecological and economic conditions in local landscapes (usually defined by water- shed boundaries). In addition to coordinating its own programs with those of its local partners, the Ecosystems Program will: ¢ provide technical assistance to the partnerships, such as resource management plans for use by participating landowners; @ assess resources in the area encompassed by each Ecosystem Partnership, collecting data that the local partners themselves may use to set project priorities and design projects and supplying scientific support to ecosystem partners, including on-going monitoring of Ecosystem Partnership areas; ¢ fund site-specific ecosystem projects recommended by each partnership. Such projects may involve habitat protection and improvement, technical assistance, research, and education, including projects that seek to expand on the relationships between natural resources, economic development, and recreation. The landscape level approach to identifying and managing natural resources is critical to the long-term preservation of the rich heritage of Illinois. This publication identifies and describes large areas where such resources are concentrated. Four parameters were used in the analysis: forests, wetlands, Illinois Natural Areas Inventory sites, and Biologically Significant Streams. Watersheds were used as the geographic unit for evaluation. STATEWIDE SUMMARIES « 3 STATEWIDE SUMMARIES The RRAs include 45% of the bottomland, 43% of the nonforested wetland, and 34% of the upland forest in Illinois while occupying less than 20% of the state’s total area. hirty Resource Rich Areas (RRAs) (Figure 1) were identified using the methods described in Methodology (page 161). In total they cover 19.8% of the state (Table 1), encompassing seven of the state’s 36 million acres. However, the actual area of biologically important natural resources is less than the total area of the RRAs. This results from the use of watersheds as the unit of analysis. In most RRAs, the existing natural resources occupy a concentrated portion of the watershed, or core area, often along riparian corridors. While nearly half the area within the RRAs is in agricultural production, less than 15% of the state’s total cropland occurs in the RRAs. The RRAs include over one-third of the woodlands and nearly half the wetlands in Illinois (Table 1). The RRAs range dramatically in size from 15,144 to 626,795 acres (Table 2). The largest RRAs are Big Rivers, the Southern Till Plain, and the Middle Illinois River. The smallest RRAs—Sugar River, Thorn Creek, Des Plaines River, Illinois Beach, and the DuPage River—are found in the northern part of the state, the latter four in highly urbanized areas. RRAs are distributed throughout the state and occur gener- ally on the main stems of the larger rivers or in the southern part of the state. LANDCOVER Bottomland, nonforested wetland, and upland forest are well represented in the RRAs. The RRAs include 45.1% of the bottomland, 42.6% of the nonforested wetland, and 33.9% of the upland forest in Illinois, while occupying less than 20% of the total area in the state. Landcover classes with the lowest percentages in RRAs were cropland (14.9%), grassland (20.2%), and urban (20.6%). Within the RRAs cropland was the dominant landcover class (45.4%), followed by upland forests (19.8%) and grassland (18.3%). Table 1. Landcover Composition for Resource Rich Areas and for Illinois. The "Forest - total" category is the combination of upland and bottomland forest classes and the “Wetlands - total" category is the total of nonforested wetland and bottomland forest. Landcover %State Acreage Composition Composition Acres in Acres Class Included in RRAs of RRAs _ of Illinois RRAs Statewide Upland Forest 33.9 19.8 11.6 1,416,602 4,179,367 (Forest - total) (35.8) (25.7) (14.0) (1,815,373) (5,064,576) Bottomland Forest 45.1 5.6 725) 398,771 885,209 Nonforested Wetlands 42.6 1.1 0.5 T2552. 182,245 (Wetland- total) (44.6) (6.8) (3.0) (476,323) (1,067,454) Urban and Built-Up 20.6 5.4 ee 389,463 1,886,912 Cropland 14.9 45.4 60.4 3,246,905 21,773,580 Grassland 20.2 18.3 18.0 1,308,331 6,489,045 Water 47.9 4.5 1.8 319,439 666,266 Total 19.8% 100.0% 100.0% 7,157,063 36,062,624 of state of sites of state NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY, BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS, AND NATURAL HERITAGE SITES The Resource Rich Areas include 76% of all Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI) acreage and 55% of all INAI sites in the state. The distribution of INAI sites relative to RRAs is depicted in Figure 2. The Driftless Area and the Karst/Cave Area have the highest INAI acreages (Table 2). The greatest number of Figure 1. Resource Rich Areas KISHWAUKEE RIVER ILLINOIS BEACH ‘LAKES- DRIFTLESS R AREA UPPER WABASH RIVER LOWER WABASH RIVER SHAWNEE HILLS CRETACEOUS HILLS CACHE RIVER STATEWIDE SUMMARIES « 5 INAI sites occurs in Shawnee Hills, followed by Chain O’ Lakes-Fox River, Cache River, Big Rivers, and Illinois Ozarks. Forty-eight percent of all Biologically Significant Stream (BSS) mileage lies within RRA sites. The Shawnee Hills and Embarras River RRAs have the highest BSS mileage with 126 and 112 miles respectively (Table 2). Eight RRAs have no BSS streams. The distribution of BSS streams relative to RRAs is depicted in Figure 3. Chain O’ Lakes-Fox River ranked highest in occurrence of Heritage points with 476, followed by three RRAs in southern IIlinois—Cache River (298), Shawnee Hills (255), and Illinois Ozarks (227). The number reflects a combination of significant communities, endangered and threatened species locations, geological features, and colonial nesting bird sites (rookeries). Table 2. Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI), Biologically Significant Streams (BSS), and Natural Heritage occurrences for Resource Rich Areas. Name of Resource Rich Area Driftless Area Sugar River Chain O Lakes-Fox River Illinois Beach Kishwaukee River Rock River DuPage River Mississippi-Lower Rock Des Plaines River Thorn Creek Prairie Parklands Kankakee-Iroquois Peoria Wilds Nauvoo Mackinaw River Middle Illinois River Vermilion River Big Rivers Embarras River Sangamon River Upper Wabash River Southern Till Plain Karst/Cave Area Lower Wabash River Kaskaskia Bottoms Middle Fork Big Muddy Illinois Ozarks Shawnee Hills Cache River Cretaceous Hills TOTALS Total acres 191,814 15,144 285,844 49,172 64,386 206,215 51,653 457,449 43,470 20,614 152,669 231,005 277,847 150,316 125,008 575,515 132,252 626,795 447,925 53,734 170,654 584,788 291,305 163,894 197,654 114,908 466,755 477,112 443,616 87,928 7,157,441 _INAI acres 30,556 2,993 9,442 4,252 362 5,416 1,576 18,590 2,115 927 10,037 6,731 1,859 7,409 1,139 13,474 1,998 10,514 5,009 880 2,212 6,903 26,230 4,639 1,681 388 17,010 8,638 18,444 1,940 223,364 -# INAI sites 19 19 *659 * Natural Areas occurring in more than one RRA are counted only once. BSS Miles # Heritage occurrences 109 74 6 - STATEWIDE SUMMARIES NATURAL HERITAGE COMMUNITIES Of the 968 significant community occurrences in Illinois, 58% are located in RRAs (Table 3). Several com- munity types are well represented in the RRAs, particularly caves, primary types, savannas, and wetlands. The distribution of significant community types relative to the RRAs is illustrated in Figures 4-11. Table 3. Occurrence of Significant Community Types in Resource Rich Areas and in Illinois. Community Type Occurrences Occurrences Percent of each type = : Statewide : —_inRRAs | _includedin RRAs Forest 190 80 42.1 Floodplain Forest 62 36 58.1 Wetland 188 133 AUST Prairie 312 147 47.1 Savanna 54 40 74.1 Cave 49 44 89.8 Lake 42 25 SY) Primary (glade, cliff, lake shore) 71 Se ee ee Mad WOM SS 560 gar SEO STATE AND FEDERALLY OWNED LAND The number of state owned entities in RRAs varies from 0 to 9 (Table 4). The Middle Illinois River RRA has by far the most state-owned acreage with 31,630 acres, although this represents only 5.5% of its area. Illinois Beach has the highest percentage of area that is state owned (6.3%). Federal ownership is concentrated in southern Illinois where the Shawnee National Forest is located (Shawnee Hills, Illinois Ozarks, Cretaceous Hills, and Cache River) and in the Driftless Area and Prairie Parklands RRAs (Table 4). State and federal lands are shown relative to the RRAs in Figure 12. Table 4. State and Federally Owned Lands in Resource Rich Areas. STATE LANDS* "| FEDERAL LANDS**_ Name of 7 #of #Cons #of #of State ~% of Federal ae a Resource Rich Area Parks Areas Forests FWA acres RRA acres RRA Driftless Area an 0) Ona al “oss 1.7 | 40,6122 Les Sugar River 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Chain O Lakes-Fox River 2 0) 0 0 5,338 1.9 0 0.0 Illinois Beach 1 0 0 0 3,092 6.3 726 ise) Kishwaukee River 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Rock River 3 0 1 0 4,706 223; 0 0.0 DuPage River 0 0 0 0) 0 0.0 0 0.0 Mississippi-Lower Rock 2) 0 0 1 1,493 0.3 15,694 3.4 Des Plaines River 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Thorn Creek 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0) 0.0 Prairie Parklands 2 1 0 0) 7,324 4.8 26,904 17.6 Kankakee-Iroquois 1 1 0 0 6,415 2.8 0 0.0 Peoria Wilds 0 4 0) 1 9,570 3.4 1,589 0.6 Nauvoo 1 0 0 0 140 0.1 0 0.0 Mackinaw River 0 0 0 1 1,397 1.1 0 0.0 Middle Illinois River l 5 1 2 31,630 5.5 21,499 Sig Vermilion River 1 0 0 1 5,944 4.5 0 0.0 Big Rivers 1 1 0 0 9,547 1h) 37,901 6.0 Embarras River 3 0 0 3,226 0.7 0 0.0 1 table continued on page 7 STATEWIDE SUMMARIES « 7 Table 4. State and Federally Owned Lands in Resource Rich Areas. (continued) STATE LANDS* FEDERAL LANDS** Name of - +S oe Couns For “Foot State % of | Federal % of Resource Rich Area Parks Areas Forests FWA acres RRA acres RRA Sangamon River 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Driftless Area 1 0 0 1 3,354 1.7 | 40,6122 il52 Upper Wabash River 1 0 0 0 3 0.0 0 0.0 Southern Till Plain 0 0 0 1 554 Onl 682 0.1 Karst/Cave Area 1 0 0) 1 3,364 1.2 0 0.0 Lower Wabash River 1 1 0 0 1,261 0.8 0 0.0 Kaskaskia Bottoms 1 0 0 1 6,916 35 494 0.2 Middle Fork Big Muddy 0 0 0 1 22 0.0 0 0.0 Illinois Ozarks 1 1 1 1 18,668 4.0 81,266 17.4 Shawnee Hills 2 1 0 0 2,060 0.4 | 136,817 28.7 Cache River 3 2 0 0 11,924 DG 53,741 (Patt Cretaceous Hills 1 0 0 0 619 0.7 1ne999 13.6 TOTALS 30 17 3 12. 138,567 0.6 | 429,924 6.0 35 Parks, Cons Areas (Conservation Areas), Forests, and FWA (Fish and Wildlife Area) refer to state lands. ** Federal Land figures for Shawnee National Forest are based on ownership boundaries rather than the more general proclamation boundary. NATURAL DIVISIONS All 14 natural divisions are represented in the thirty RRAs. The Coastal Plain, Shawnee Hills, and Lower Mississippi Bottomlands divisions are particularly well represented (Table 5). The Western Forest-Prairie and Grand Prairie are the least represented; these divisions have been extensively converted from presettlement conditions to agricultural use (Schwegman, et al. 1973). Figure 13 illustrates the relationship of natural divisions to the RRAs. Many RRAs are comprised of a single natural division, such as Chain O° Lakes-Fox River, Kishwaukee River, DuPage River, Thorn Creek, Kankakee-Iroquois, Mackinaw River, Sangamon River, Kaskaskia Bottoms, and the Middle Fork of the Muddy River. Others are composites of several divisions, particularly the Mississippi-Lower Rock and Big Rivers RRAs. Table 5. Natural Divisions in Illinois and in Resource Rich Areas. Natural divisions are listed from lowest to highest area in Illinois. Name of Natural Division Percent of Percent of Division Illinois contained in RRAs Wisconsin Driftless 1.0 SHES Lower Mississippi Bottomlands 1.0 TOT Illinois and Mississippi River Sand Areas itl 61.4 Ozarks ileal 63.7 Coastal Plain 1153} 85.2 Shawnee Hills DS) 81.6 Upper Mississippi and Illinois River Bottomland — 3.3 64.5 Rock River Hill Country 4.2 14.8 Middle Mississippi Border 4.3 35.6 Wabash Border 4.8 34.0 Northeastern Morainal 6.8 22.6 Western Forest-Prairie DED, 4.4 Southern Till Plain 19.8 15.2 Grand Prairie 36.1 8.6 Figure 2. Natural Areas Inventory Sites Figure 3. Biologically Significant Streams Figure 4. Upland Forest Heritage Sites Figure 5. Floodplain Forest Heritage Sites Vv Figure 6. Wetland Heritage Sites Figure 7. Prairie Heritage Sites Figure 8. Savanna Heritage Sites Figure 9. Cave Heritage Sites Figure 10. Lake Heritage Sites Figure 11. Primary Heritage Sites _ Figure 12. State and Federal Land Pea State Land eet st Federal Land Figure 13. Natural Divisions 1 Wisconsin Driftless 2 Rock River Hill Country 3 Northeastern Morainal 4 Grand Prairie 5 Upper Miss. and Illinois R. Bottomlands 6 Illinois and Mississippi River Sand Areas 7 Western Forest-Prairie 8 Middle Mississippi Border 9 Southern Till Plain 10 Wabash Border 11 Ozark 12 Lower Mississippi River Bottomlands 13 Shawnee Hills 14 Coastal Plain 14 - RESOURCE RICH AREA SUMMARIES WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE RESOURCE RICH AREA SUMMARIES The 30 RRAs are described in detail in this section of the report. The following information is provided for each RRA: Overview (brief characterization of the site and graph of the landcover composition) Summary table of total size, Illinois Natural Areas Inventory Sites (INAI) , Biologically Significant Streams (BSS), and state and federally owned land Landcover data table Illinois Natural Areas Inventory table Biologically Significant Streams table Natural Heritage Categories table State and Federal Lands table Nature Preserves table Natural Division table Natural Resource Map (locations of Natural Areas, Biologically Significant Streams, state and federal lands) Landcover map IN THE SUMMARY TABLES OF THE 30 SITE DESCRIPTIONS, THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE NOTED: The slight variation in total acreages of RRAs listed in the Summary table and the Landcover table is related to the use of different analysis methods. Acreages in this publication are generated from digital coverages and are not authoritative; they may differ slightly from acreages listed in other sources. For Illinois Natural Areas, some sites are represented in the Geographic Information System (GIS) only by point locations because maps were not available at the time of this analysis. Therefore, no acreages were listed (the acreage for these sites is marked with an *). Some of the features included in the Biologically Significant Streams Inventory are lakes, in which case the mileage was calculated as the perimeter of the lake. In the analysis of Heritage occurrences, the stream community type was not used because of the difficulties of using point locations as representations for stream lengths and because significant streams were well represented in other tables (Natural Areas Inventory and Biologically Significant Streams). State land in this publication is limited to parks, conservation areas, forests, and fish and wildlife areas. The grass- lands category includes pastures, hayfields, idle fields, rural road and railroad rights-of-way, and prairie remnants. EacH RRA Is REPRESENTED BY A NATURAL RESOURCES MAP AND A LANDCOVER Map. Feature labels are generally to the right of the feature unless this was not possible. The maps were designed to maximize the area on the page, therefore scales vary between maps. A key to feature names contained on the maps follows. NA Natural Area NA* Natural Area represented as points SP State Park SCA State Conservation Area FWA State Fish and Wildlife Area SF State Forest NF National Forest NWR_ National Wildlife Refuge Federal Land labels are in capital letters. The Shawnee National Forest is represented on the maps by many scattered ownership boundaries, which are unlabeled, and a more general proclamation boundary. DRIFTLESS AREA The Driftless Area RRA occupies a physiographically unique part of the state that escaped Pleistocene glaciation. The area is characterized by rolling hills and a dissected pattern of wooded ridges and includes such prominent features as canyons, ravines, bluffs, and palisades. Some of the flora and fauna are distinctive and unique in the state, including several plant species which are northern species or preglacial and interglacial relicts. LANDCOVER @ The predominant landcover type in this RRA is grassland. The Driftless Area RRA has the highest percentage of grassland of all the sites (37%). The site is one-fourth wooded—22% upland woods and nearly 6% bottomland woods. Much of the woodland is found on ridges. Twenty percent of the area is cropland; this is one of the few nonurban RRAs where cropland is not the predominant landcover type. NATURAL AREAS @ There are 19 Natural Areas in this RRA. This site contains more Natural Area acreage than any other RRA (30,556 acres, 16% of the site area). The Savanna Army Depot accounts for over 14,000 acres; otter habitat and Spring Lake, a large lake associated with the Mississippi River, are other large Natural Areas. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ This site contains 22.4 miles of streams identi- fied as biologically significant. HERITAGE SITES @ There are 109 Heritage occurrences in the Driftless Area RRA: three significant community types, 30 plant species, 20 animal species, and three rookeries. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND ¢@ Mississippi Palisades State Park is located in this RRA as well as one state fish and wildlife area. This site has the second highest percentage of area in federal ownership (21% of the area; 40,612 acres). Federal lands are the Upper Mississippi Wildlife and Fish Refuge (26,579 acres) and the Savanna Army Depot (14,033 acres). See sidebar on page 16. NATURE PRESERVES @ There are four Nature Preserves in this RRA. Significant features include sand prairie, sand dune and blowout, cliff, hill prairie, and seep springs. NATURAL Divisions @ Nearly three-fourths of the Driftless Area RRA is comprised of the Wisconsin Driftless Division. This RRA is the only site that includes this division; 37% of the division, which itself covers only 1% of the state, lies within this site. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDs Total Acreage 191,814 Natural Areas Acreage 30,556 Number 19 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 22.4 DRIFTLESS AREA + 15 Size: 191,814 acres 300 square miles Location: Northwestern Illinois on the Mississippi River; Jo Daviess, Carroll, and Whiteside counties Landcover at a Glance Hl upland forest 22% HM bottomland forest 6% Hl wetland <1% [) grassland 37% Bl cropland 20% [__] urban built-up 1% water 14% 16 - DRIFTLESS AREA he Savanna Army Depot is currently being decommissioned as an ordance storage facility. It covers approximately 20 square miles and includes bottom- land, oak forest, wetlands, upland sand prairie, and habitat for 32 endan- gered or threatened plants and animals. Approximately 9,000 acres will be trans- ferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for addition to the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Natural Heritage Sites State Land State Parks State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish & Wildlife Areas Acreage Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland- nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Ayers Sand Prairie Blackhawk Otter Habitat Dixon Creek North Geological Area East Dubuque Geological Area Hanover Bluff Jo Daviess County Otter Habitat Mississippi Palisades Mississippi Palisades Geological Area Palisades Stickseed Site Pilot Knob Geological Area Princess Mine Algific Slope Redroot Site Rice Algific Slope Royal Princess Geological Area Savanna Army Depot Savanna South Railroad Prairie Spring Lake Thomson-Fulton Sand Prairie Wise Lake Geological Area BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Apple River, Wolf Creek to Mill Creek Menominee River Mississippi River, rm 545-550, Carroll Co. NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Wetland Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Fish Acres % of RRA 41,587.13 21.68 10,643.35 Sass TTI Ess) 0.58 71,811.77 37.44 37,603.67 19.60 2,710.36 1.41 26,338.33 13373 191,814.16 99.99 Occurrences Types/Species 1 1 2 27 ll 5 2 Mammal Reptile Crustacean Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Gymnosperm Plant-Monocot Plant-Fern/Fern Ally Geological Feature Geological Feature Other Rookery STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Mississippi Palisades State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Witkowsky Federal Land Savanna Army Depot Upper Mississippi River Fish & Wildlife Refuge NATURE PRESERVES Ayers Sand Prairie Hanover Bluff Sentinel Thomson-Fulton Sand Prairie NATURAL DIVISIONS Wisconsin Driftless Major Water Bodies Upper Mississippi R and Illinois R Bottomlands Illinois R and Mississippi R Sand Areas % of RRA 72.6 eS 10.0 6.1 DRIFTLESS AREA + 17 Igific slopes are north-facing rocky slopes that retain subsurface ice through most of the year. In Illinois they occur only in the Driftless Area. The cold microclimate created on the surface of the slope supports relict northern and Pleistocene biota, including many endan- gered, threatened, and rare species. Scales Moll E Scales Mound e Ve, : \ Apple bs aes SP UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER FISH & WILDLIFE REFUGE ARMY DEPOT UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER FISH & WILDLIFE REFUGE sippi Palisades NA 4 Camp Bensan NA ; Mt. Carre Wacker ae : Ayers Sand Prairie . | Retiroot Site NA J s anna South Railr ai A UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER Here ae FISH & WILDLIFE REFUGE dbs pak of eee é J Auwiresive CO. / Driftless Area Stream Significant Stream IAA State Land Gj Federal Land Highway County LLL Driftless Area (eae Upland Forest ee] Cropland ee) Bottomland Forest/Swamp ae Water = Nonforested Wetland ee Urban/Built-up es Grassland 20 - SUGAR RIVER Size: 15,144 acres 23.7 square miles Location: North-central Illinois bordering Wisconsin; Winnebago County. Landcover at a Glance Gl upland forest 8% HM bottomland forest 10% i wetland 3% grassland 33% (i cropland 45% [__] urban built-up <1% WM water <1% SUGAR RIVER The Sugar River RRA is characterized by a wide, wooded riparian corridor of floodplain forest and upland woods. It is the smallest RRA. The Sugar River area is along an important bird migration route and provides habitat for several unusual amphibians and reptiles. LANDCOVER @ The predominant landcover type is cropland (45%), followed by grassland (33%). This site has the second highest percentage of grasslands among the RRAs. The site is 18.5% wooded (8% upland and 10.5% bottomland forest). The percentages of bottomland woods and nonforested wetlands are relatively high, but the total acreages are low, reflecting the site’s small size. NATURAL AREAS @ The Sugar River Natural Area occupies 20% of this RRA. A small prairie is the only other Natural Area in this RRA. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ The Sugar River RRA has 4.5 miles of biolog- ically significant streams. HERITAGE SITES @ Twenty-four Heritage Sites occur in this RRA. There are three significant community types, 12 plant species, and four animal species. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND @ There is no state or federal land in this RRA. NATURE PRESERVES @ There are two Nature Preserves in this site. Natural features include bluffs, sand savanna, and prairie. NATURAL DivisIONs @ This site lies in the Rock River Hill Country (84%) and Northeastern Morainal (16%) Divisions. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 15,144 Natural Areas Acreage 2,993 Number 2 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 4.5 Natural Heritage Sites 24 State Land State Parks 0 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0) State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 Federal Land Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 LANDCOVER Acreage Upland forest 1,208.87 Bottomland forest 1,581.98 Wetland-nonforested 424.10 Grassland 4,979.97 Cropland 6,803.81 Urban/Built-up 16.86 Water 129.46 TOTAL 15,145.05 ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Shirland Railroad Prairie Sugar River BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Sugar River, Otter Creek NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Occurrences Lake 1 Prairie 2 Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird 4 Mammal il Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot al Plant-Monocot 2 Plant-Fern/Fern Ally 3 Geological Feature Other STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Colored Sands Bluff Sugar River Alder Site NATURAL DIVISIONS Acres % of in RRA RRA Rock River Hill Country 12,675 83.7 Northeastern Morainal 2,470 16.3 % of RRA % of Division 0.8 0.1 SUGAR RIVER = 21 and deposited by the wind after the last glaciation formed dunes and ridges along the Sugar River. The dunes and ridges were eventually sta- bilized by forest and prairie vegetation. Sugar River is a migration route for birds; over 150 species have been banded at the bird- banding station in Colored Sands Bluff Nature Preserve. WINNEBAGO CO. Pal Rockton Bog NA wa Laona Heights Fores Owen Center Road Prairie NA im Hartley Memorial Forest Preserve theast Geological Area NA Pecatonica Bottoms NA Pecatonica Sumner Prairie NA Winnebago Sugar River ae Natural Area ie Town IN State Land Federal Land 2 Miles Stream —— ae Significant Stream Highway County LLL Sugar River ea! Upland Forest (ea! Cropland tee Bottomland Forest/Swamp ae Water BEY Nonforested Wetland ra Urban/Built-up Pe Grassland 24 : CHAIN O” LAKES Size: 285,844 acres 447 square miles Location: Northeastern Illinois; Lake, McHenry, Cook, and Kane counties. Landcover at a Glance Gl upland forest 19% HM bottomiand forest 1% i wetland 7% grassland 15% cropland 20% [__] urban built-up 30% water 7% CHAIN O”’ LAKES - FOX RIVER The Chain O’ Lakes-Fox River RRA encompasses the area of most recent glaciation in Illinois. Significant natural features in this poorly drained area include glacial landforms, natural lakes, and wetlands. Many wetland types are found in this RRA, such as bogs, fens, seeps, and shallow and deep marshes. Some rare species and community types are limited in their distribution to this area of the state. Urban expansion from the Chicago metropolitan region continues to put severe pressure on the natural resources in this region. Ha =a Lt ry iy LANDCOVER @ The predominant landcover in this RRA is urban/built-up (30%). This site has the highest urban/built-up acreage and ranks fifth in percentage of urban-built up area. Twenty percent of this site is wooded and 20% is cropland. Chain O’ Lakes - Fox River has the most nonforested wetlands acreage (20,839 acres) and ranks first for percentage of nonforested wetlands among the RRAs. NATURAL AREAS @ This site has the second highest number of Natural Areas. The 72 Natural Areas include bogs, fens, seeps, marshes, sedge meadows, natural lakes, glacial features, and prairies. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ The Chain O’ Lakes - Fox River RRA has 15 BSS locations, 14 of which are lakes. HERITAGE SITES @ This site has 476 Heritage occurrences, the highest number among the RRAs. There are 23 significant community types, 73 plants species, 23 animal species, and five rookeries in this area. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND ¢ State land in this RRA consists of two state parks: Chain O’ Lakes and McHenry Dam & Lake Defiance. There is no federal land in this site. NATURE PRESERVES @ There are 34 Nature Preserves within this RRA. Principal natural features are bogs, fens, marshes, glacial lakes, sedge meadows, and prairies. NATURAL DIvIsIONS ¢@ This site is entirely within the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 285,844 Natural Areas Acreage 9,442 Number 72 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 35.6 Natural Heritage Sites 476 State Land State Parks 2 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland-nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Algonquin Geological Area Antioch Bog Baker's Lake Barrington Bog Bates Fen Black-crown Marsh Boone Creek Fen and Seep Carpentersville White Fringed Orchid Site Cary Junior High Prairie Cary Main Street Prairie Cary Old Water Tower Prairie Cedar Lake Channel Lake Chicago Junior School Area Cotton Creek Marsh Crabtree Nature Center Cross Lake Cuba Marsh Deep Lake Deer Lake--Redwing Slough Delta Kames Dunn's Lake Elizabeth Lake Exner Marsh Fairfield Road Marsh South Fox River Fen Gavin Bog and Prairie Genoa City Sedge Meadow Gladstone Fen Grass Lake Wetlands Hebron Peatland Helm's Woods Hillside Prairie Hollows Conservation Area Intern Seep Kettle Moraine Lac Louette Acres 53,844.17 3,548.32 20,839.32 43,652.61 58,220.21 86,778.57 18,956.48 285,839.68 3358 %of RRA 18.84 1.24 Wee S27 20537, 30.36 CHAIN O” LAKES + 25 BE ecause of its glacial history, wetlands are partic- ularly concentrated in northeastern Illinois. A variety of wetland types, such as marshes, sedge meadows, fens, and bogs, support a unique and some- times rare flora and fauna. Bogs in Illinois are limited to glacial depressions in the northeastern part of the state. Acidic conditions created by the lack of drainage and accumulation of lay- ers of peat support uniquely adapted flora, such as leatherleaf, blueberry, cranberry, ferns, orchids, pitcher- plant, sundew, poi- son sumac, and tamarack. enoa Chain O eae, /\/ Stream Significant Stream HAA State Land UW Highway WW, Federal Land /\/ County Chain O Lakes-Fox River ke a Upland Forest a Bottomland Forest/Swamp Bes Water es Sa) Nonforested Wetland cera Urban/Built-up aa ae Grassland 28 - CHAIN O’ LAKES olo Bog is an Vee example of a bog where all succes- sional stages are present. The open water center is surrounded by a floating mat of sphagnum moss. A variety of grasses, reeds, and flowering plants grow on the sphagnum mat. Farther from the open water shrubs and trees, such as the tamarack, grow on the more consolidated peat. ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES (continued) Lake-in-the-Hills Fen Lange Road Marsh Larsen Prairie Lily Lake Loon Lake Lyons Prairie and Marsh Nippersink Marsh Nippersink Prairie North Branch of Nippersink Creek Parker Fen Pistakee Bog Rivers Bend Marsh Roberts Road Fen Round Lake Round Lake Marsh Schreiber Lake Bog Ski Hill Prairie Sleepy Hollow Spring Creek Prairie Spring Grove Fen Stanley Road Bog State Line-Marsh Sterne's Fen Stickney Run Conservation Area Streets Lake Sun Lake Tower Lake Fen Trout Park Turnberry Fen Turner Lake Veteran's Acres Park Volo Bog Wauconda Bog Weingart Road Sedge Meadow Windance Acres Marsh * = point location, map not available BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Bangs Lake Cedar Lake Cross Lake Crystal Lake Deep Lake East Loon Lake Grays Lake Lily Lake McCullom Lake N. Br. Nippersink Cr., WI border to Nippersink Cr Round Lake Sullivan Lake Turner Lake West Loon Lake Wooster Lake NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Lake Wetland Forest Savanna Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Fish Insect Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Gymnosperm Plant-Monocot Geological Feature Geological Feature Other Rookery STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Chain-O-Lakes McHenry Dam & Lake Defiance State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Bakers Lake Barrington Bog Bates Fen Carl& Claire Marie Sands-Main St. Prairie Cary Prairie Cedar Lake Bog Cotton Creek Marsh Elizabeth Lake Exner Marsh Farm Trails North Fox River Fen Gavin Bog and Prairie Glacial Park Gladstone Fen Helm Woods Julia M. & Royce L. Parker Fen Kemper Park Kettle Moraine Kishwaukee Fen Lake-in-the-Hills Fen Lyons Prairie and Marsh Oakwood Hills Fen Pistakee Bog Occurrences Types/Species = AryrPrv bv — rPNaN CHAIN O” LAKES « 29 lacial landforms are common in the northeastern part of Illinois, the most recently glaciated region of the state. Rolling topography is the result of moraines (long ridges of glacial debris) and kames (conical mounds of glacial debris). Kettle holes and other depressions scooped out by the glaciers created an abundant variety of wetlands. Many of these features can be seen at Glacial Park in McHenry County. 30 - CHAIN O” LAKES i> itcher-plants and sundews are carnivorous plants found in bogs, fens, and on calcareous floating mats in northeastern Illinois. Insects fall into the rolled tube of the pitcher-plant and are digested by enzymes. Sundews actively trap insects with sticky droplets secreted on the tips of hairs; the hairs slowly curl around the prey, which is digested and absorbed by the plant. ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES (continued) Spring Grove Fen Spring Lake Sterne's Fen Tower Lakes Fen Trout Park Turner Lake Fen Volo Bog Wagner Fen Wauconda Bog Weingart Road Sedge Meadow Wingate Prairie NATURAL DIVISIONS Northeastern Morainal Acres in RRA 285,845 & fs 100.0 % of Division 11.6 ILLINOIS BEACH - 31 Size: —~ | ILLINOIS BEACH Tioerca Illinois Beach RRA is one of the most ecologically rich 77 square miles and unique areas in Illinois. The diversity of habitats created because of its location on the shores of Lake Location: Michigan support a wide variety of plants and Northeastern Illinois animals. Significant and unusual topographic features on Lake Michigan; include beaches, ridges and swales, and dunes. The Lake and Cook area is an important migratory route for birds. This counties site’s boundaries include urbanized areas of the Chicago metropolitan region. LANDCOVER @ The predominant landcover in Illinois Beach RRA is urban/built-up (63%), followed by upland woods (15%). Illinois Beach RRA has the second highest percentage of urban/built - up acreage among the RRAs. This RRA ranks third in percentage of nonforested Landcover at a Glance wetlands. NATURAL AREAS @ There are 15 Natural Areas, covering almost 9% of the site. Illinois Beach and Illinois Dunes North account for three-fourths of the total Natural Area acreage. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS ¢@ This site has no BSS streams. HERITAGE SITES ¢@ Illinois Beach RRA has 155 Heritage points. Twenty-one significant community types occur in this RRA, several of which are primary communities—foredunes, beaches, and bluffs—specific to this part of the state. The Heritage database lists 47 plant species, 17 animal species, and a peregrine falcon hacking site for this RRA. Bl upland forest 15% HM bottomiand forest 1% BB wetland 4% STATE AND FEDERAL LAND @ State land consists of Illinois Beach State Park. Fort [grassland 4% Sheridan is currently federally owned. BB cropland 2% [__] urban built-up 63% NATURE PRESERVES @ There are three Nature Preserves in this site. Many unique [i water 11% lakefront communities such as lakeshore, foredune, sand prairie, sand savanna, fen, panne, sedge meadow, marsh, and pond are found in these Nature Preserves. NATURAL DIVISION ¢ Illinois Beach RRA is in the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 49,172 Natural Areas Acreage 4,252 Number 15 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 0 Natural Heritage Sites 155 State Land State Parks l State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 32 - ILLINOIS BEACH ordering the B edge of Lake Michigan in Lake County is a landscape unique in the state. A long, narrow band of beaches, sand dunes, swales, marshes, sand prairies, savannas, and oak forests occurs here, the result of the gradual lowering of Lake Michigan. Illinois Beach is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the state; more than 650 species of plants have been identified from this area. State Land (continued) Acreage Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland-nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Blair Woods Blodgett Bluff Crabtree Farm Woods Fort Sheridan Bluff Fort Sheridan Site Glencoe Balsam Poplar Site Hubbard Woods Site Illinois Beach Illinois Dunes North Lake Bluff Woods Lyons Woods McCormick Nature Preserve Ravinia Bluff Tangley Oaks Woods Waukegan Beach * = point location, map not available BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS None NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Lake Wetland Forest Savanna Prairie Primary Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Fish Reptile Insect Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Gymnosperm Plant-Monocot 48,873.63 Occurrences “SDR b&b © ON Types/Species wWriIrNrrd nbd &MmMhm Oo Geological Feature Other Hacking Site Peregrine Falcon STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Illinois Beach State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land Fort Sheridan ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Illinois Beach North Dunes Spring Bluff NATURAL DIVISIONS Northeastern Morainal Major Water Bodies % of Division 2.0 0 ILLINOIS BEACH = 33 M icroclimates along the lakefront range from extremely dry beaches and sand dunes to the moist swales or sloughs between the sand ridges. In this relatively small area the flora ranges from the prickly pear cactus and creeping juniper to wetland plants and wildflowers such as orchids, wood lilies, gentians, and Indian paintbrushes. WISCONSIN | ! MMlinois Dunes North NA ) Illinois Beach SP I Illinois Beach NA ‘oods NA* Mite Fringed Orchid Site NA LAKE MICHIGAN ormick Nature Preserve NA Sheridan Site NA RT_SHERIDAN art Sheridan Bluff NA encoe Balsam Poplar Site NA ubbard Woods Site NA Illinois Beach [ae Natural Area /\/ Stream —iiluss PO Town *\ Significant Stream HALA State Land MWh Highway GF Federal Land /\/_ County ne} C ae rol ° = O Beach inois 36 + KISHWAUKEE RIVER ae KISHWAUKEE RIVER 64,386 acres 101 square miles The natural resources of the Kishwaukee River RRA are concentrated along the wooded corridor of the river. Location: Originally savanna with many sloughs and marshes, North-central the area is now primarily agricultural. This RRA drains i Illinois; McHenry to the Rock River. The Chain O’ Lakes-Fox River RRA, & and Boone which adjoins the Kishwaukee River RRA on the east, zy, counties drains to the Fox River and ultimately the Illinois River. LANDCOVER ¢@ This site is approximately half cropland and one-fourth grassland. Forest cover accounts for 11% of the area and is concentrated along the river. The Kishwaukee River RRA ranks fourth in percentage of nonforested wetlands. Landcover at a Glance NATURAL AREAS @ There are three Natural Areas in this RRA. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ Fifteen miles of the Kishwaukee River are designated as high quality by BSS standards. HERITAGE Sites @ The eight Heritage points in this RRA include two significant community types, two plant species, and four animal species. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND @ There is no state or federal land in this RRA. NATURE PRESERVES @ There are no Nature Preserves in this RRA. Hl upland forest 8% GB bottomland forest 2% Hl wetland 4% NATURAL DIvIsIONS @ This site lies entirely within the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division. [J grassland 26% SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS GM cropland 52% Total Acreage 64,386 urban built-up 8% Natural Areas water <1% Acreage 362 Number 3 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 15.0 Natural Heritage Sites 8 State Land State Parks 0 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 Federal Land Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 LANDCOVER Acres % of RRA Upland forest 5,264.98 8.18 Bottomland forest 1,567.73 2.44 Wetland-nonforested 2,456.07 3.81 Grassland 16,722.80 25.97 Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Hum Railroad Prairie West Kishwaukee River Pleasant Valley * = point location, map not available BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Kishwaukee River Rush Creek NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Fish Mammal Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Geological Feature Other STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES None NATURAL DIVISIONS Acres in RRA Northeastern Morainal 64,387 33,178.06 4,935.01 258.51 64,383.16 Occurrences 2 % of RRA 100.0 Types/Species 2 2 p_ 1 % of Division 2.6 KISHWAUKEE RIVER . 37 ifteen miles of the Kishwaukee River is identified in the Biologically Significant Illinois Streams Inventory. The clear water of this medium-sized stream with its gravel, sand, and cobble substrate supports a diverse mussel fauna. Hebron Streets Lake NA Hebron Peatland NA* BOONE CO. co / me Road Marsh NA* \ > ge A A DEKALB CO. Kishwaukee Rive 3 Miles eae Natural Area /\/ Stream mee Town Significant Stream AY (a State Land /\/ Highway /V/ 7/77), Federal Land County Kichiwaukee River fae | Upland Forest Fe] Cropland oe Bottomland Forest/Swamp ae Water BEM Nonforested Wetland GR Urban/Built-up es) Grassland 40+ RocK RIVER Size: 206,215 acres ROCK RIVER 322 square miles The ecological core of this RRA is the Rock River corridor from Rockford to Dixon. Significant features Location: include upland and floodplain forests, seeps, springs, North-central prairies, aquatic systems, cliffs, and bedrock outcrop- Illinois; Boone, pings. Some of the habitats support relict boreal plants Lee, Ogle, and which are more normally found farther north in Winnebago Wisconsin and Minnesota and in the Appalachian counties Mountains. Principal landcover in the area is cropland and pasture; forest cover is concentrated along the river. This site is a pilot area for efforts by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to imple- ment its local partnership program. LANDCOVER ¢@ Cropland is the predominant landcover (47%), followed by grassland (25%) and upland woods (15%). This RRA ranks 15th in percentage of upland woods. The percentages of nonforested wetland and bottomland forest are low compared to the other RRAs (24th and 28th, respectively). Landcover at a Glance NATURAL AREAS @ The 20 Natural Areas range from less than an acre (Stronghold Hill Prairie) to 2,311 acres (Lowden-Miller Forest). Nachusa Grasslands is the second largest Natural Area with 1,583 acres. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS ¢@ BSS designated streams are a nearly seven mile stretch of the Rock River and the entire length of the Kishwaukee River in this RRA. Hl upland forest 15% HERITAGE Sites @ There are 101 Heritage occurrences consisting of seven significant I bottomland forest 1% community types, 32 plants species, eight animal species, and a rookery. Gl wetland <1% grassland 25% STATE AND FEDERAL LAND @ There are three state parks within the site and one state cropland 47% forest. [__] urban built-up 10% NATURE PRESERVES @ Four Nature Preserves are present and contain such significant [_] water 2% : . oe C i features as upland forest, sandstone cliffs, gorges, and prairie. NATURAL Divisions ¢ This RRA is within the Rock River Hill County (84%), Northeastern Morainal (11%), and Grand Prairie (5%) Natural Divisions. This site has the largest acreage of the Rock River Hill Country division among the RRAs. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 206,215 Natural Areas Acreage 5,416 Number 20 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 17.5 Natural Heritage Sites 101 State Land State Parks 3 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 1 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland-nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Babson Hollow Bell Bow! Prairie Byron Dragway Prairie Castle Rock Commonwealth Edison Prairie Fearer Tract At Castle Rock Franklin Creek Grand Detour Yellow Birch Site Jarrett Prairie Kishwaukee River Lowden Memorial State Park Lowden-Miller Forest Mount Morris East Geological Area Nachusa Grasslands Oregon Geological Area Rock River Yellow Birch Stand Silver Creek Prairie Sinnissippi Cornus Canadensis Site Stronghold Hill Prairie White Pines Forest State Park BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Kishwaukee River Rock River, Honey Creek to Clear Creek NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Wetland Communities Forest Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Mammal Reptile Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Plant-Fern/Fern Ally 4,706 Bee 0 0.0 Acres % of RRA 30,458.06 14.77 2,552.41 1.24 608.75 0.30 50,586.08 24.53 96,519.14 46.81 21,146.41 10.25 4,340.92 AD sal 206,211.77 100.01 Occurrences Types/Species 3 2 4 2 3 3 a 6 | 1 yi l 47 7, 11 if it) 8 Rock RIVER: 41 astle Rock State Park is named for a large outcropping of sandstone along the Rock River. Although this type of sandstone (St. Peter) underlies most of the state, it is exposed at the surface in only a few places. A diversity of natural communities is found here, including ravine, upland and floodplain forest, prairie, stream, and sandstone outcrops. Many plant associa- tions of more northern climates exist in the deep ravines. Relict boreal plants such as native white pine, bunchberry, hairy woodrush, round- leaved shinleaf, and wild sarsaparilla are found in shaded areas with acidic sandy soil. erman Valley ee se eaf River ig _f F EE Me: CF LUE —— | _.___ Adeline RBrairie NA - Povglas E. Wade otal P Ja 1 HeNAK 44 ol D SS = 7h J rie : : & M Prairie al area Ny ras | emperance Hill Cemetery Prairie mboy Site NA* Rock River eae Natural Area /\/ Stream Town 4 Significant Stream I State Land If Highway |) Federal Land /\/ County SYS Rock River iss) Upland Forest uae | Cropland Bez! Bottomland Forest/Swamp mes Water aa Nonforested Wetland eal Urban/Built-up fea Grassland 44 + RocK RIVER he largest rem- nant of native white pines in Illinois is found at White Pines State Park. Local citizens began petitioning for the area to be saved as early as 1903. The mixed hardwood-conifer forest is unique in Illinois. NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES (continued) Geological Feature Other Rookery STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Castle Rock Lowden White Pine Forest State Conservation Areas State Forests Lowden-Miller State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Franklin Creek George B. Fell Jarret Prairie Severson Dells NATURAL DIVISIONS Rock River Hill Country Northeastern Morainal Grand Prairie Occurrences § 1 % of DUPAGE RIVER The DuPage River site is located in the highly urban- ized western suburbs of Chicago. It is comprised of the watershed of the East Branch of the DuPage River. Because of its small size, this RRA ranked relatively high among the watersheds based on percentage of forest and nonforested wetlands in the watershed. Wooded areas such as Morton Arboretum and county forest preserves contributed to inclusion of this site as a Resource Rich Area. LANDCOVER @ This RRA is the most urbanized of the sites; urban/built-up land accounts for 68% of the area. Upland woods cover 19% of the area, some of which is heavily wooded residential areas. There is little bottomland woods. The DuPage River RRA ranks sixth in percentage of nonforested wetlands; they are concentrated along the river. NATURAL AREAS @ Seven sites covering 1,576 acres occur in this RRA. They range in size from small prairie sites (10 and 33 acres) and a marsh (eight acres) to Morton Arboretum (1,423 acres). BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ There are no BSS streams in this site. HERITAGE SITES @ There are relatively few Heritage Sites; they include three commu- nity types, six plant species, and five animal species. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND @ There is no state or federal land in this site. NATURE PRESERVES ¢@ Principal natural features at the two Nature Preserves in this RRA are prairies, upland forest, savanna, and sedge meadow. NATURAL DIvisIONs ¢@ This site lies entirely within the Northeastern Morainal Division. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 51,653 Natural Areas Acreage 1,576 Number 7. Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 0 Natural Heritage Sites 17 State Land State Parks 0 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 Federal Land Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 LANDCOVER Acres % of RRA Upland forest 9,593.45 18.57 DuPaGE RIVER - 45 Size: 51,653 acres 81 square miles Location: Northeastern Illinois, western Chicago metropolitan area; DuPage and Will counties Landcover at a Glance Bl upland forest 19% Hl bottomiand forest <%1 Hl wetland 3% [i grassland 5% Gl cropland 2% [__] urban built-up 68% water 2% y ae Paina len NAW DuPage River 2 Miles Re Natural Area / Stream iT gene oe EES Town Significant Stream [IMM] state Lana /\/ Highway Gy Federal Land County eee, Bol DuPage River Brees] Upland Forest eee Cropland pas! Bottomland Forest/Swamp pe. Water ee Nonforested Wetland Faae| Urban/Built-up Grassland 48 - DUPAGE RIVER orton Arboretum, comprised of designed land- scapes, plant collec- tions, and restored natural communities, is a living museum for research and education. Originally the land was mostly forested with some prairies, wetlands, and aquatic commu- nities. The Morton family designated land from the family farm to be converted to an arboretum beginning in 1917. The Arboretum's prairie restoration site is one of the best places in Illinois to experience the prairies of presettlement times. LANDCOVER (continued) Bottomland forest Wetland-nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Belmont Prairie Churchill Prairie East Branch Marsh Lyman Woods Maple Grove Forest Preserve Morton Arboretum Swift Road Meadow * = point location, map not available BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS None NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Forest Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Reptile Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Geological Feature Other STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Belmont Prairie Churchill Prairie NATURAL DIVISIONS Northeastern Morainal 925.26 51,647.22 Occurrences 2 2 100.0 % of RRA % of RRA 0.98 2.62 5.24 2.54 68.26 tg, 100.00 Types/Species 1 2 % of Division 24 Mississippi - LOWER ROCK = 49 MIssIssIPpPI - LOWER ROCK RIVER The Mississippi - Lower Rock River RRA includes major rivers, bottomlands, upland forests, prairies, and river bluffs. This RRA has a relatively high total acreage of Natural Areas due primarily to Mississippi Rwver sites. LANDCOVER @ Cropland (54%) and grassland (18%) cover almost three-fourths of the land area. This RRA ranks 14th in percentage of bottomland woods, and 23rd in percentage of upland woods. Overall, woods accounts for almost 13% of the land area. This site has the fourth highest acreage and the ninth highest percentage of nonforested wetlands. NATURAL AREAS @ This RRA ranks third among the RRAs in terms of the Natural Area acreage. Four Mississippi River sites account for the majority of Natural Area acreage. The natural features found in the 17 Natural Areas in this RRA include prairies, marshes, aquatic features, and forests. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ Six BSS designations account for over 44 miles of BSS streams within this site. Three BSS segments occur on the Mississippi River and one on the Rock River. HERITAGE SITES @ This RRA has 74 Heritage occurrences. Of the ten significant community types, seven are prairies. Four plant species, 17 animal species, and six rookeries are found in this site. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND @ Within this RRA there are two state parks and one state fish and wildlife area. Federal land along the Mississippi River totals 15,694 acres. NATURE PRESERVES @ Three Nature Preserves occur within the site. Elton E. Fawks Bald Eagle Refuge is the largest (164 acres) and serves as an important winter roosting site for bald eagles. Black Hawk Forest is one of the few remaining areas representative of the narrow, forested bluff lines which characterizes the Middle Mississippi Border Natural Division. NATURAL Divisions @ Seven natural divisions comprise this RRA. The Upper Mississippi and Illinois River Bottomlands is the predominant Natural Division (40%), followed by the Grand Prairie Division (22%) and the Middle Mississippi Border (20%). SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 457,449 Natural Areas Acreage 18,590 Number 17 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 44.2 Natural Heritage Sites 74 State Land State Parks 2 State Conservation Areas 0 Size: 457,449 acres 715 square miles Location: Northwestern Illinois along the Mississippi and lower Rock Rivers; Bureau, Henry, Lee, Mercer, Rock Island, and Whiteside counties Landcover at a Glance Gl upland forest 9% Hl bottomland forest 4% wetland 1% {i grassland 18% {Bl cropland 54% [__] urban built-up 7% water 6% Palisades SP CARR rroley Sand ma a] : ite NA ae SCAN Edf at ord Ra —— =f = MARK TWAIN NWR- KEITHSBURG DIVISION POOL NO. 18 fs: i Rock d |! rail Praife Pa Mississippi-Lower Rock 10 Miles ee] Natural Area /\/ Stream : town 4% Significant Stream [MMM] State Land /\/ Highway Federal Land /\/ County Mississippi-Lower Rock 10 Miles oe Grassland 52 - Mississippi - LowER ROCK ald eagles once B commonly nest- ed along the large rivers in Illinois. Declines in the con- tinental population were reflected in the small number of eagles observed in Illinois from the late 1800s to the mid 1900s. Although nesting bald eagles are rare in Illinois, important wintering sites for bald eagles are found along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Eagles which nest further north migrate to this area to feed on the fish below the dams where the turbulent water remains open even in the coldest winters. One important winter roost is just upstream from the Quad Cities at the Elton E. Fawks Bald Eagle Refuge Nature Preserve. State Land (continued) State Forests State Fish & Wildlife Areas Acreage Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland Forest Wetland-nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban-Built Up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Black Hawk Forest Coon Creek Elton Fawks Eagle Refuge/Illiniwek Forest Gorham Hill Prairie Lyndon -Agnew Railroad Prairie McNeal Marsh Mississippi River - Andalusia Slough Mississippi River - Cordova Mississippi River - Moline Mississippi River - Muscatine New Boston Marsh Nussbaum Prairie Pearsall Sand Prairie Port Byron Geological Area Rock River-Carr Island Sandy Town Cemetery Prairie Wheelock Railroad Prairie BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Coon Creek County Ditch #1 Mississippi River, Andalusia Slough Mississippi River, Sylvan Slough/Arsenal Island Mississippi River, rm 501-509, Rock Island Co. Rock River, Lyndon to Indian Island NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Wetland Forest Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Fish Mammal Reptile Acres 39,064.63 18,722.26 5,834.99 84,511.77 246,919.00 33,937.74 28,449.17 457,439.56 Occurrences 2 3 10 Mme Ww Types/Species SNe ewe Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Plant-Fern/Fern Ally Geological Feature Geological Feature Other Rookery STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Hennepin Canal Parkway Prophetstown State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Big Bend Federal Land Mark Twain NWR -Keithsburg Division Pool No. 16 Pool No. 17 Upper Mississippi River Fish & Wildlife Refuge ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Black Hawk Forest Elton E. Fawks Bald Eagle Refuge Lyndon Prairie NATURAL DIVISIONS Upper Mississippi R and Illinois R Bottomlands Grand Prairie Middle Mississippi Border Rock River Hill Country Illinois R and Mississippi R Sand Areas Major Water Bodies Western Forest-Prairie Acres in RRA 182,894 99,974 90,877 35,157 26,283 19,551 1,949 22; _ Mississippi - LOWER ROCK = 53 5 Mi ussel harvesting in the rich mussel 2 beds of the upper Mississippi River has taken place since the early 1900s. Mussel shells were sold to the 1 button industry until the widespread use of —_ Acres plastics after World 325 War Il. Since the 1960s, 60 mussels have been 0 harvested for export to y Japan, where the 1.108 shells are cut up and ground into round 1,440 pellets and implanted 8,305 into oysters to produce 5,267 cultured pearls. 681 Mussels are no longer Acres abundant. Of the 97 eighty species native 164 to Illinois, more than so half are threatened, % of endangered, extirpated, or extinct. 15:5 0.8 5.8 2.3 Or 1.8 0. 54: Des PLAINES RIVER Size: 43,470 acres 68 square miles Location: Northeastern Illinois, southwest- ern Chicago metropolitan area; Cook, DuPage, and Will counties Landcover at a Glance fl upland forest 34% GM bottomiand forest 3% wetland 5% [) grassland 8% (cropland 9% [__] urban built-up 36% [9 water 5% Des PLAINES RIVER The Des Plaines River RRA is a small, highly urbanized site which forms a narrow corridor along the river from just west of Chicago to Joliet. Relatively high percentages of upland woods and nonforested wetlands occur in this site. Important natural features include prairie, savanna, river bluff, cliff, wetlands, floodplain and upland forest. LANDCOVER ¢ This site is one-third urban and one-third upland woods. The Des Plaines River RRA ranks third in percentage of upland woods and second in percentage of nonforested wetlands, although actual acreages are relatively low. Larger wooded tracts are located in county forest preserves, especially at the confluence of the Calumet Sag Channel and the Des Plaines River. Nonforested wetlands are concentrated along the river. NaTuRAL ArEAS @ Eleven Natural Areas occur in this RRA. They are predominantly woods or prairie sites and range in size from three to 675 acres. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ There are no BSS streams at this site. HERITAGE SITES #There are 61 Heritage Sites representing 15 significant community types, eight plant species, ten animal species, one large forest tract, and a rookery. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND @ There are no state or federal lands at this site. NATURE PRESERVES @ There are nine Nature Preserves. Cap Sauers Holdings, at 1,548 acres, is one of the largest preserves in northeastern Illinois. Principal natural features found in the Nature Preserves are river bluffs, ravine forests, springs, sedge meadows, marshes, fens, prairies, savannas, floodplain, and upland woods. Some of the natural features represent the last remaining examples in northeastern Illinois. NATURAL Divisions @ This RRA lies almost entirely within the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 43,470 Natural Areas Acreage 2,115 Number 11 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 0 Natural Heritage Sites 61 State Land State Parks 0 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 Federal Land Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland-nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Black Partridge Woods Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center Lockport Prairie Material Services Prairie O'Hara Woods Palos Fen Paw Paw Woods Romeoville Prairie Sagawau Canyon Santa Fe Prairie Waterfall Glen BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS None NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Floodplain Forest Wetland Forest Prairie Primary Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Mammal Reptile Insect Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Geological Feature Other Forest Block >500 Acres Rookery STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Black Partridge Woods Acres 14,695.45 1,247.40 2,072.71 3,400.80 3,985.66 15,795.73 DATE) 43,470.97 Occurrences FP okuUN _ 0.0 % of RRA 33.81 2.87 Types/Species Faw AN a or ao. Des PLAINES RIVER « 55 he Des Plaines River valley from just southwest of Chicago's Midway Airport to Joliet is remarkable for its glacial history and its resultant land- scape. Vertical cliffs were carved by torrential meltwaters from the last glaciers. Where the dolomite (a type of limestone) is exposed, a harsh environment supports a limited number of hardy plants. Low gravel ridges parallel to the river stay dry while the floodplain stays wet for long periods. The fens, marshes, and wet prairies that occur in low spots add to the variety of habitats. Dolomite prairies, like those found here, have almost completely disappeared from the Midwest. Des Plaines River Gare Natural Area es Town HATA State Land ~ Stream Significant Stream Highway County aS 4 i it bia 40 os bin meee teh ad eee “= Shy Swf s aa na Cn a ithe + a4 a t Des Plaines River bape | Upland Forest Rrexa| Cropland e. Bottomland Forest/Swamp her Water BE Nonforested Wetland GR Urban/Built-up heal Grassland 58 - Des PLAINES RIVER he habitat of the Hine's emerald dragonfly is a rare and localized wet- land type found in Illinois only along the Des Plaines River. This dragonfly is found in shallow marshes, wet mead- ows, and small streams where cal- careous water emerges between the limestone bedrock and overly- ing glacial till. Currently found at only a few sites in Illinois and Wisconsin, the Hine's emerald dragonfly is a state endangered species. In Illinois, the largest threat to this dragonfly is habitat loss due to develop- ment. ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES (continued) Cap Sauers Holdings Cranberry Slough Lockport Prairie O'Hara Woods Palos Fen Paw Paw Woods Romeoville Prairie Sagawau Canyon NATURAL DIVISIONS Northeastern Morainal Grand Prairie in RRA Acres 43,115 Se 1) 355 % of RRA 992. 0.8 % of Division BF 0.0 THORN CREEK + 59 THORN CREEK reer ,614 acres The Thorn Creek RRA is characterized as heavily 32 square miles urbanized with its natural resources confined along streams and in forest preserves. This is a relatively Location: small site. Northeastern Illinois, LANDCOVER ¢ The site is 61% urban/built-up and 24% southern Chicago upland woods. Much of the woods occurs in the county metropolitan area; forest preserves; some is wooded residential areas. Small Cook and will amounts of nonforested wetlands and bottomland forest counties acreages are located in this RRA. NATURAL AREAS @ The five Natural Areas in Thorn Creek RRA total 927 acres. The natural areas include examples of upland, bottomland and ravine woodlands, glacial potholes, prairies, and streams. Landcover at a Glance BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ There are no BSS streams in this RRA. HERITAGE SITES @ There are 13 Heritage occurrences: three significant community types, seven plants species, and three animal species. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND ¢ There is no state or federal land at this site. NATURE PRESERVES @ The two Nature Preserves located in this site feature forest, prairie, and marsh communities. NATURAL Divisions ¢@ This site lies entirely within the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division. WM upland forest 24% Hl bottomland forest 3% SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS i wetland <1% Total Acreage 20,614 [i grassland 2% Natural Areas Hi cropland 8% Acreage 927 urban built-up 61% Number 5 water 1% Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 0 Natural Heritage Sites 13 State Land State Parks 0 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 Federal Land Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 LANDCOVER Acres % of RRA Upland forest 4,904.91 23.80 Bottomland forest 673.18 3.27 Wetland-nonforested 132.87 0.64 Grassland 478.29 es) Cropland 1,669.69 8.10 IK Thorn Creek (es) Natural Area ey CO Town State Land 7 Federal Land Stream Significant Stream Highway County Por std LAL Ft Z att big a a pause a2 Thorn Creek ee Upland Forest — co) = s a E oO S i) ~~ ~ ” ® pes ° uw ne) = us E ° - ~ ie} ao GR Urban/Built-up 4 Nonforested Wetland 62 - THORN CREEK horn Creek Woods Nature preserve is a 500- acre area at the southern end of a broad woodland along Thorn Creek. Narrow ridges and deep ravines, broad uplands, shallow depressions, and the stream valley are characteristics of the area. Red oak, white oak, sugar maple, black maple, and basswood are the predominant tree species. LANDCOVER (continued) Urban/Built-Up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Monee Railroad Prairie Thorn Creek Woods Thornton-Lansing Road Volbrecht Road Woods Wampum Lake Seepage Area BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS None NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Wetland Forest Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Geological Feature Other STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS State Parks State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Thorn Creek Woods Thornton-Lansing Road NATURAL DIVISIONS Northeastern Morainal Acres % of RRA 12,511.54 60.70 242.25 1.18 20,612.73 100.01 Acres 8 631 219 z 66 Occurrences Types/Species 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 5 5) 2 2 Acres 0 0 0 0 0 Acres 513 80 Acres % of % of in RRA RRA Division 20,614 100.0 0.8 PRAIRIE PARKLANDS + 63 PRAIRIE PARKLANDS Size: The dominant feature of the Prairie Parklands RRA is Lae fos pees ; ; : quare miles the recently created Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, the nation's first federally designated tallgrass Location: prairie, at the former Joliet Arsenal. Significant natural Northeastern features in the RRA include prairies, wetlands, and Illinois south of streams. The southern border of Prairie Parklands RRA Joliet; adjoins the Kankakee-Iroquois RRA. Grundy and Will counties LANDCOVER ¢@ The landcover at this site is predominantly cropland (45%) followed by grassland (30%). This site ranks third in percentage of grassland and has the highest percentage outside of northwestern Illinois. Prairie Parklands ranks eighth for percentage of nonforested wetlands. Compared to the other RRAs, the percentages of upland and bottomland forest are low. Landcover at a Glance NaTuRAL AREAS @ More than 10,000 acres (18 sites) of Natural Areas are recognized in this RRA. Joliet Army Ammunition Plant (i.e. Joliet Arsenal) accounts for half of the acreage. The other Natural Areas include prairies, savannas, geological features, and aquatic systems. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ BSS streams in this RRA are the Illinois and Kankakee Rivers and Manhattan Creek, which total approximately 24 miles. HERITAGE SITES @ The 85 Heritage sites include 12 significant community types, eight of which are prairies. Sixteen species of plants and 17 species of animals are listed as Heritage occurrences. upland forest 8% Hl bottomiand forest 2% i wetland 2% STATE AND FEDERAL LAND @ Twenty-two percent of this RRA is state or federal [i grassland 30% land. Two state parks and a state conservation area are located in the Prairie [ cropland 45% Parklands RRA. At the time of this analysis the largest public holding, with 26,904 [_] urban built-up 7% acres, was the Joliet Arsenal; much of this land will become the Midewin National [Dy water 5% Tallgrass Prairie. NATURE PRESERVES @ The six Nature Preserves in this RRA include several prairies, as well as savannas, wet meadows, and marshes. They range in size from a prairie in a cemetery of less than an acre to Goose Lake Prairie (1,580 acres). NATURAL Divisions @ Most of the Prairie Parklands RRA is in the Grand Prairie Division; 10% is Northeastern Morainal Division. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 152,669 Natural Areas Acreage 10,037 Number 18 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 23.8 Natural Heritage Sites 85 State Land State Parks ?) puts ). \ Ses a Z Prairie Parklands Rae Natural Area | Town WA State Land G7 Federal Land a ih ri Pra | To... CBO VANaM Ltt. ANSE Ny, Highway ans nition Ss Ne Kankakee FAO f . Preserve (Alton ENT Seer 4 Miles Stream Significant Stream County Prairie Parklands Gee | Upland Forest asl Cropland fe Bottomland Forest/Swamp Re! Water ho Nonforested Wetland Sea Urban/Built-up _| Grassland 66 » PRAIRIE PARKLANDS oose Lake Prairie is the largest prairie remnant in Illinois. What remains today are prairies and marshes with a large and diverse biota; over 326 species of vascular plants are present. Several unusual birds, such as the least bittern, Henslow's sparrow, Virginia rail, and northern harrier nest or inhabit the area. State Land (continued) State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish & Wildlife Areas Acreage Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland - nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Blodgett Road Dolomite Prairie Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Collins Station Prairie Des Plaines Dolomite Prairie Goose Lake Prairie Grant Creek Prairie Hitts Siding Prairie Illinois River -Dresden Joliet Army Ammunition Plant Kankakee River Manhattan Creek Munch Area Plaines Station Geological Area Rock Run Corn Salad Site Rockdale Geological Area Schweizer West Geological Area Wilmington Geological Area Wilmington Shrub Prairie * = point location, map not available BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Illinois River, above Dresden L&D Kankankee River, Momence to Des Plaines Cons. Area Manhatten Creek NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Lake Wetland Savanna Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Fish Insect Acres 1,691.45 3,225.38 3,485.30 46,474.97 68,991.81 10,778.23 8,023.51 152,670.65 Occurrences %_ of RRA 7.66 Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Plant-Fern/Fern Ally Geological Feature Geological Feature Other STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Goose Lake Prairie Illinois & Michigan Canal State Conservation Areas Des Plaines State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land Joliet Arsenal ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Goose Lake Prairie Grant Creek Prairie Sand Ridge Savanna Short Pioneer Cemetery Prairie Wilmington Shrub Prairie NATURAL DIVISIONS Grand Prairie Northeastern Morainal % of RRA 89.7 10.3 % of Division lt 0.6 PRAIRIE PARKLANDS + 67 he upland sand- piper, a bird that inhabits prairies, pastures, and hay- fields, nests in the Prairie Parklands area. Formerly a common summer resident throughout the state, the upland sandpiper is now an endangered species in Illinois, driven to near-extinction by the loss of prairies and market hunting. The largest concentration of upland sandpipers in the state is in the Prairie Parklands area. Preservation and proper management of large grassland areas are critical for this species. 68 » KANKAKEE - IROQUOIS Size: 231,005 acres 361 square miles Location: Northern part of east-central Illinois near the Indiana border; Iroquois, Kankakee, and Will counties Landcover at a Glance Hi upland forest 5% Hl bottomland forest 2% i wetland 1% 1 grassland 19% Hy cropland 65% __] urban built-up 7% 0 water <1% KANKAKEE - IROQUOIS The Kankakee River RRA is relatively flat with low sandy ridges. Before the land was drained and culti- vated, sand prairie and marsh were common; the area is now largely agricultural. Aquatic systems and savannas are important remaining natural resources of the area. The Kankakee River forms the core of the RRA and is unusual in Illinois because it is on or near bedrock. EB a oe cS] LANDCOVER @ Cropland covers 65% of this RRA, followed by grassland (19%) and urban/built-up (7%). The Kankakee-Iroquois RRA ranks low among the RRAs in percentage of upland and bottomland woods. Nonforested wetland acreage is moderate. i] NATURAL AREAS @ There are 17 Natural Areas in this RRA. Several are associated with the Kankakee River and account for the largest acreage. Many savannas occur in this RRA. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ This site ranks fifth in terms of total BSS stream mileage with 63 miles. Approximately half the mileage is the Kankakee River. HERITAGE SITES @ Several significant community types are included in the 67 Heritage points located in this RRA. Fourteen significant community types, 17 plant species, and nine animal species are located here. STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS @ Kankakee River State Park and the Iroquois County Conservation Area are the state owned land in the RRA. There is no federal land in this site. NATURE PRESERVES # Three Nature Preserves are located in this site. Large sand savanna with dune and swale topography, and upland and bottomland forest are significant natural features in the preserves. NATURAL Divisions ¢@ This site lies entirely within the Grand Prairie Natural Division. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LAND Total Acreage 231,005 Natural Areas Acreage 6,731 Number 17 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 63.3 Natural Heritage Sites 67 State Land State Parks 1 State Conservation Areas 1 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland- nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Bourbonnais Geological Area Boy Scout Road Area Guiding Star Savanna Hooper Branch Savanna Iroquois County Conservation Area Kankakee River Kankakee River Nature Preserve (Altorf Island) Kankakee River Nature Preserve Addition Kankakee River State Park Prairie Leesville Savanna East Leesville Savanna West Little Beaver Creek Mason Area Momence Wetlands Pembroke Savanna Rock Creek Canyon Stateline Savanna BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Baker Creek, Exline to Kankankee River Beaver Creek Kankankee River, Momence to Des Plaines Cons. Area Little Beaver Cr., state line to SE of St. Anne Trim Creek, Grant Park to Kankankee River NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Floodplain Forest Lake Wetland Forest Savanna Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Fish Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Acres 12,558.11 3,603.51 1,986.61 44,240.49 149,688.50 1SeS5 12077 3,383.74 231,012.03 Occurrences 6,415 5.44 Types/Species ti NS he pe KANKAKEE - IROQUOIS : 69 n the six miles from the Illinois- Indiana border to Momence lie 1,800 acres of one of the largest wetland areas in Illinois, the Momence Wetlands. These are a remnant of a vast 400,000- acre wetland that stretched east from Momence to South Bend, Indiana. Presidents Grover Cleveland and Theodore Roosevelt, as well as European nobility, hunted in the marsh before it was drained in 1917. West of Momence, the Kankakee River is a scenic, recre- ational resource flowing on or near bedrock with numerous riffles, pools, and islands for much of its length. Le we g SY) Ca oliet Army Afnrpunition Plant NA mington Geological Area NA RS \ IROQUOIS CO. “s Manfeno Southwest Geological } N 4 Kankakee-lroquois | Natural Area ae Town ANNA State Land Yh Federal Land Stream Significant Stream Highway County 5 Miles Kankakee-Iroquois eae Upland Forest Pers Cropland er Bottomland Forest/Swamp ary Water me Nonforested Wetland i a Urban/Built-up lo a Grassland 72 + KANKAKEE - IROQUOIS O ne of the principal sand areas in Illinois is found in Kankakee and Iroquois counties. The area is the ancient bed of a large glacial lake. Dunes (some reach- ing almost 700 feet in height) and swales characterize the area. Sand savanna, sand prairie, and pin oak flatwoods are some of the interest- ing communities found here. The sandy bottom streams support fish species, such as the ironcolor shiner and weed shiner, that are rare in Illinois. The Kankakee River has one of the most diverse and abundant mussel populations in the state. Plant-Monocot Plant-Fern/Fern Ally NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES (continued) Geological Feature Geological Feature Other STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Kankakee River State Conservation Areas Iroquois County State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Hooper Branch Savanna Kankakee River Momence Wetlands NATURAL DIVISIONS Grand Prairie Acres in RRA 230,129 C ae 6 1 Occurrences 1 100.0 Acres 499 19) 59 % of Division 1.8 PEORIA WILDS Peoria Wilds encompasses the floodplain of the Illinois River, deeply dissected bluffs and hills bordering the floodplain, and relatively flat agricultural areas away from the river. A large tract of forest runs along the bluff to the west of the Illinois River. Nonforested wet- lands are concentrated next to the river. LANDCOVER ¢@ Cropland (46%) is the predominant landcover type at this site, followed by upland woods (20%) and grassland (16%). It ranks low in the per- centage of nonforested wetland and has moderate bot- tomland percentages. The relatively high percentage of water is due to the large lakes associated with the Illinois River and floodplain. NATURAL AREAS @ Woodlands, hill prairies, marshes, fens, and seeps are some of the important natural resources in the 24 Natural Areas located in this RRA. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ There are no BSS streams in this RRA. HERITAGE SITES @ Os the 51 Heritage sites, nearly half are occurrences of significant communities of wetlands, forest, savanna, and prairie. Six plant species, four animal species, one forest block greater than 500 acres, and one rookery occur in this RRA. STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS ¢@ Four state conservation areas and one fish and wildlife area comprise the state land in the RRA. A unit of the Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge is located here. These public lands are associated directly with the Illinois River. NATURE PRESERVES ¢@ Seven sites are recognized as Nature Preserves. The natural resources includes seeps, fens, hill prairies, and upland forest in deep ravines and on slopes and ridges. NATURAL Divisions @ The natural divisions occurring in the RRA are the Grand Prairie (62%), Upper Mississippi River and Illinois River Bottomlands (30%), and the Illinois River and Mississippi River Sand Areas (7.5%). SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 277,847 Natural Areas Acreage 1,859 Number 24 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 0 Natural Heritage Sites | State Land State Parks 0 State Conservation Areas 4 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 1 Acreage 9,570 Percentage of RRA 3.4 PEORIA WILDS - 73 Size: 277,847 acres 434 square miles Location: Central Illinois on the Illinois River, Peoria area; Marshall, Peoria, Putnam, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford counties Landcover at a Glance Hl upland forest 20% Hl bottomiand forest 4% fl wetland <1% (0) grassland 16% { cropland 46% [_] urban built-up 4% [py water 9% 74 + PEORIA WILDS he bluffs on the Illinois River near Peoria were a mix of oak woodlands and prairie openings in the early 1800s. One of the largest remaining oak woodland areas in Illinois is found here. The bluffs at Forest Park Nature Preserve provide a good example of the original vegetation, although the area was lumbered in the mid-1800s. White oak and shagbark hickory predominate on the drier, upper slopes and ridges; red oak and sugar maple characterize the lower slopes and ravines. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS (continued) Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland- nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water Total ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Blalock Creek Site Boyds Hollow Woods Brown Run-Billsbach Lake Caterpillar Hill Prairies Cooper Park North County Line Hill Prairie Crow Creek Marsh Detweiller Park Dickison Run Hill Prairie Fondulac Seep Forest Park Grandview Woods Hancher Woods Hopewell Estates Hill Prairie Leigh Woods Marshall County Conservation Area Hill Prairie Mossville Road Hill Prairie Partridge Creek Marsh Robinson Park Hill Prairie Root Cemetery Sparland Unit Spring Bay Fen Springdale Cemetery Wokanda Camp BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS None NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Wetland Forest Savanna Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Acres 55,789.44 10,384.24 1,205.25 44,725.80 128,441.00 11,740.22 25,567.61 277,853.56 Occurrences WONAD nA i = © 1,589 0.6 % of RRA 20.08 Geological Feature Other Forest Block >500 Acres 1 Rookery 1 STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS State Parks State Conservation Areas Marshall County Sparland-Marshall County Spring Branch-Marshall County Woodford County State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Illinois River Federal Land Chautauqua NWR Cameron-Billsbach Unit ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Bennett's Terraqueous Gardens Detweiller Woods Forest Park Forest Park South Robinson Park Hill Prairies Root Cemetery Savanna Spring Bay Fen NATURAL DIVISIONS Acres % of in RRA RRA Grand Prairie 172,861 62.2 Upper Mississippi R and Illinois R Bottomlands 84,094 30.3 Illinois R and Mississippi R Sand Areas 20,893 Ta: Cc >) oS % of ilns: Tes|| 5.4 PEORIA WILDS - 75 S everal hill prairies in this area have been included in the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory. The sun- and wind-exposed west and southwest- facing slopes of hill prairies create a harsh environment more Suited to prairie than forest. Few hill prairies have been plowed because of their steep slopes, but they are sometimes grazed. Sear Hill Sie = ma: ee Vee = en [ ye ri : a tA —P —~, Caterpillar Fy iri Peoria Wilds [| Natural Area /\/ Stream ‘Significant Stream ||/||||||||| State Land IY Highway |] Federal Land /\/ County a mc aie —_—. Wilds Peoria ao) c oO = s To o ~ ” i) — ° — c {e) Te ne] = A wn 2) oO en Oo 78 - NAUVOO Sie NAUvoo 150,316 acres 235 square miles The Nauvoo RRA is located in west-central Illinois on the Mississippi River. Sharply dissected bluffs divide Location: the low, level bottomlands along the river from the Western Illinois on higher rolling uplands. The natural resources—wood- the Mississippi lands, wetlands, and larger Natural Areas—are mainly River; Hancock associated with the river. and Henderson counties LANDCOVER ¢@ Cropland is the predominant landcover type (56%) within this site. Approximately 17% of the RRA is wooded (12% upland and 5% bottomland woods). Nonforested wetlands are not abundant. The Mississippi River accounts for the high percentage of water. NATURAL AREAS @ There are nine Natural Areas which range from a four-acre hill Landcover at a Glance prairie site to a 3,856 acre forest tract (Cedar Glen). Natural resources in these areas include aquatic systems, forested bluffs, sand hills, and geological features. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ There are no BSS streams in this RRA. HERITAGE SITES @ Thirty-six Heritage sites occur within the RRA. Seven significant community types, two plant species, 11 animal species, and two rookeries are represented. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND @ Nauvoo State Park is the only state or federal land in the RRA. [B upland forest 12% HHI bottomiand forest 5% NATURE PRESERVES @ Two Nature Preserves exist in this RRA. They protect a large HB wetland <1% forested tract surrounded by cropland and sand hills which support upland forest [i grassland 13% and prairie communities. [0 cropland 56% [__] urban built-up 2% [_] water 11% NATuRAL Divisions # This RRA is comprised of five natural divisions, approximately half lies in the Middle Mississippi Border Natural Division. The Upper Mississippi and Illinois River Bottomlands, Western Forest-Prairie, and Illinois and Mississippi River Sand Areas divisions comprise 14%, 13%, and 12%, respectively, of the RRA. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 150,316 Natural Areas Acreage 7,409 Number 9 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 0 Natural Heritage Sites 36 State Land State Parks 1 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas (0) Acreage 140 Percentage of RRA 0.1 Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland- nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Cedar Glen Area Gladstone Lake Jackson Cemetery Geological Area Mississippi River -Drew Chute Mississippi River -Pontoosuc Mt. Moriah Geological Area New Crystal Lake Club Tyson South Geological Area Waggoner Creek Hill Prairie * = point location, map not available BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS None NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Floodplain Forest Wetland Savanna Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Fish Mammal Reptile Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Monocot Geological Feature Geological Feature Other Rookery STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Nauvoo State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land Acres 18,298.16 8,029.53 516.42 19,645.11 84,511.98 2,884.98 16,423.34 150,309.52 Occurrences 1 NRW eR Types/Species me wee NAUVOO + 79 edar Glen is a large, forested tract along the bluffs of the Mississippi River. The rugged bluffs are mostly mature second growth forest dominated by oak, hickory, sugar maple, and basswood. This Nature Preserve is a significant roosting site for wintering bald eagles. eR Natural Area IAA State Land Wl Federal Land pi River- Drew Chute NA Stream Significant Stream Highway County Fa Upland Forest | | Nonforested Wetland | ewe Grassland a Bottomland Forest/Swamp ape Water oes Urban/Built-up 82 - Nauvoo auvoo is N probably most noteworthy for its history tied to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons). From 1839 to 1846 Nauvoo was the religious, govern- mental, and cultural center of the Mormons. With 12,000 inhabitants in 1844, it was one of the largest cities in Illinois. ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Cedar Glen Mississippi River Sand Hills NATURAL Divisions Middle Mississippi Border Upper Mississippi R and Illinois R Bottomlands Western Forest-Prairie Illinois R and Mississippi R Sand Areas Major Water Bodies Acres in RRA 75,445 20,353 18,802 17,266 13,800 fo") ro3) % of Division 4.9 1, MACKINAW RIVER = 83 MACKINAW RIVER a 125,008 acres The most significant feature of this RRA is the 195 square miles Mackinaw River and its tributary, Panther Creek. The waters flow clear in a series of pools and riffles over a Location: sand-gravel-silt substrate. The banks are generally Central Illinois; forested and the surrounding area is agricultural. Livingston, McLean, Tazewell, and LANDCOVER ¢@ Cropland is the predominant landcover Woodford counties (66% of the area); this site has the fourth largest percent- age of cropland of the RRAs. The rankings for percentage of upland woods, nonforested wetlands, bottomland woods, and Natural Areas acreage are relatively low. NATuRAL AREAS @ There are four Natural Areas in this RRA. The two largest sites are a wooded tract along the river and the Mackinaw River itself. Two small sites include a hill prairie and a geological area. Landcover at a Glance BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ Three stream segments totalling 27 miles are designated as BSS streams in this RRA, including a 16 mile portion of the Mackinaw River and 8.5 miles of Panther Creek. HERITAGE SITES @ Seven Heritage sites occur in the RRA. One significant community, two plant species, and one animal species are recognized. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND @ The Mackinaw River Fish and Wildlife Area is the only state land. There is no federal land within this RRA. upland forest 10% HB bottomland forest 2% NATURE PRESERVES @ Two Nature Preserves are located in the RRA. Parklands Nature Preserve was established to protect a species of aquatic vegetation in the HB wetland 1% Mackinaw River and its surrounding forest. Mehl's Bluff is a diverse site of upland [Gil grassland 20% and bottomland forest, seep, and creek communities located on a bluff of the [BB cropland 66% Mackinaw River. [_] urban built-up 1% : : : ae ae ter <1% NATURAL Divisions ¢ The Mackinaw River RRA lies within the Grand Prairie I water < Division. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 125,008 Natural Areas Acreage iils) Number 4 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 26.9 Natural Heritage Sites i State Land State Parks 0 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 1 Acreage 1,397 Percentage of RRA 1.1 Federal Land Acreage 0 Metamora De eoanoke Germantown Hills 1 all |< Ridgetop Hill Prairie’ Mackinaw River 4 Miles Reh | Natural Area /\/ Stream \ | i Significant S a own *\% Significant Stream mal HAA State Land IM Highway eeneee Y ane ////), Federal Land /\/ County 33 Mackinaw River er Upland Forest Feed Cropland ae Bottomland Forest/Swamp Bee Water || Nonforested Wetland oe Urban/Built-up eer Grassland 86 - MACKINAW RIVER ignificant S portions of the Mackinaw River and some of its tributaries are considered outstanding aquatic resources in Illinois. The Mackinaw River is characterized by a series of pools and fast riffles flowing over predominantly sand and gravel substrate and by banks which are largely forested. Water quality is high and mussel populations are diverse. Heartleaf plantain, an endangered plant in Illinois, is found here. This species occurs in gravelly streambeds and groundwater seeps and springs adjacent to streams. Federal Land (continued) Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland- nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Danvers Geological Area Log Cabin Hill Prairie Mackinaw River Parklands Site BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Mackinaw River, Alloway Creek to Mclean Co. line Panther Creek, Rte 24 to Mackinaw River unnamed, Mackinaw Twp, Tazewell County NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Geological Feature Geological Feature Other STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Mackinaw River Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Mehl's Bluff Parklands NATURAL DIVISIONS Acres in RRA Grand Prairie 125,009 { ® C Acres 12,641.40 1,924.99 2IS-29 24,501.65 82,789.90 1,672.10 1,228.53 125,011.86 Occurrences 1 % of RRA 100.0 Types/Species 1 1 1 Acres 27 40 % of Division 1.0 MIpDDLE ILLINOIS RIVER + 87 MUDDLE ILLINOIS RIVER The Middle Illinois River RRA incorporates floodplain and upland landscapes along the Illinois River from just below Peoria to Florence. The Middle Illinois River site is the third largest of the RRAs. The bound- ary was modified for this site to include watersheds with sand prairies. Significant amounts of state land occur in this RRA. LANDCOVER ¢@ Cropland is the predominant land cover, accounting for half the land area in this RRA. Approximately 22% of the Middle Illinois River RRA is either upland or bottomland woods. This site has the third highest acreages of nonforested wetlands and bottomland forest. NATURAL AREAS @ Thirty-eight Natural Area sites are located in the RRA, totalling the sixth highest percentage of natural area acreage among the RRAs. Prominant natural features include sand prairies, hill prairies, springs, seeps, savannas, ponds, lakes, woods, and habitats for herons, eagles, and the Illinois Mud Turtle. Forty-three percent of the total acreage occurs at Meredosia Refuge Natural Area. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ There are no BSS streams within this RRA. HERITAGE SITES @ There are 134 Heritage sites within this RRA. Nine significant community types, 19 plant species, 22 animal species occur here. Three large forest tracts and three rookeries are located in this RRA. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND @ Approximately 9% (53,129 acres) of the RRA is in state (5.5%) or federal (3.7%) ownership. This site ranks first for acreage in state ownership. There are nine state holdings—one state park, five conserva- tion areas, one forest, and two fish and wildlife areas. Emiquon, Chautauqua and Meridosia National Wildlife Refuges are federal lands located here. NATURE PRESERVES @ The six Nature Preserves located in the Middle Illinois River RRA protect sand prairie, hill prairie, wet prairie, and savanna communities. The largest is the Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak Nature Preserve, an approximately 1,400 acre site of sand prairie, sand savanna, and sand forest. NATURAL Divisions @ The site encompasses five natural divisions. Most of the RRA is comprised of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois River Bottomlands (42%), Illinois and Mississippi River Sand Areas (26%), and Western Forest-Prairie (24%) Divisions. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDs Total Acreage 5759515 Natural Areas Acreage 13,474 Number 38 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 0 Natural Heritage Sites 134 Size: 575,515 acres 899 square miles Location: Central Illinois, the Illinois River from Peoria to Florence; Brown, Cass, Fulton, Mason, Morgan, Pike, Peoria, Schuyler, Scott, and Tazewell counties. Landcover at a Glance y GB upland forest 16% HB bottomiand forest 7% fj wetland 1% {09 grassland 17% [Bl cropland 52% [__] urban built-up 1% [D) water 7% DC iderwort Site NA -? REDOSTA NATIO sia Refuge NA ~ Rattlesnake Den Ared INA PIKE co. /\/ Stream /\~ Significant Stream IY Highway IN, County Federal Land Middle Illinois River Ea Upland Forest eee Cropland ee) Bottomland Forest/Swamp nee Water oy Nonforested Wetland espa Urban/Built-up Grassland go - MIDDLE ILLINOIS RIVER he plant communities of the sand prairies are a mix of native tallgrass species and plants more commonly associated with the western U.S. The sand deposited by glacial meltwaters favors survival of plants that can tolerate dry and sometimes shifting environ- ments. One such plant is the prickly pear cactus. This native cactus is found in several habitats in Illinois, but is most abundant in sand prairies. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS (continued) State Land State Parks State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish & Wildlife Areas Acreage Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland Grassland Cropland Urban/Built/up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Anderson Lake Site Barkhausen Woods Bath Lake Springs Beardstown Fimbristylis Site Beardstown Marsh Beardstown Railroad Prairie Bluff Springs Hill Prairie Bluff Springs Sand Pond Burns Sand Prairie Clear Lake Heron Colony Duck Club Road Duck Soup Woods Eckard Railroad Prairie Frederick Road Site Henry Allan Gleason Knuppel Woods Long Branch Sand Prairie Manito Prairie Matanzas Prairie Matanzas Sand Prairie Meredosia Hill Prairie Meredosia Refuge Oakford Spiderwort Site Pike County Conservation Area Eagle Roost Quiver Prairies Rice Lake Eagle Roost Rountree Nature Preserve Sand Lake Sand Prairie--Scrub Oak Sand Ridge Savanna Sand Ridge State Forest Illinois Mud Turtle Sanganois Landing Acres 89,583.27 37,775.68 5,911.26 95,049.35 298,972.80 6,095.51 42,106.16 _ 575,494.03 —= One 2 31,630 Sey 21,499 37 % of RRA 15.57 SIO OWN Me 6 coon —_ mow Snicarte Bulrush Area MIpDLE ILLINOIS RIVER « 91 istorically, the Snicarte Sand Area 3 Illinois River Snyder Hill Prairie 5 Valley has been one Sparks Ponds aes of the most impor- Spring Lake Seeps 186 eee White Oak Creek Woods 105 tao ype * = point location, map not available BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS None NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES for waterfowl in North America. During spring and fall migrations, waterfowl are ieee River Occurrences _Types/Species Aeaead baer aotiial Wetland D 1 abundance of food Forest 2 2 available in the Savanna 3 1 shallow bottomland Prairie 9 5 lakes, sloughs, Threatened and Endangered Animals marshes, ponds, Amphibian 9 1 Bird 29 13 and forests. Early Bish 2 1 accounts of the area Mammal 4 3 describe vast num- Reptile 5 2 bers of waterfowl. Insect 3 2 The Illinois River Threatened and Endangered Plants Valley has been Beato 8 . | Geological Feature ase Geological Feature 1 1 wetlands and Other sedimentation of the Forest Block >500 Acres 3 1 river. Aquatic Rookery 5 1 vegetation has STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS disappeared from State Parks Acres the lakes and the Dickson Mounds 26 numbers of some State Conservation Areas waterfowl species sealed rie began to decline in ouis H. Barkhausen : Rice Lake 5,249 ee Sanganois 8,779 Spring Lake 1,785 State Forests Sand Ridge 7,428 State Fish and Wildlife Areas Banner Marsh 4,203 Pike County (Ray Norbut) 888 Federal Land Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge 4,809 Emiquon NWR -Approved Boundary 9,859 Emiquon NWR -Current Holdings 92 Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge 6,739 ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Acres Henry Allen Gleason Nature Preserve 93 92+ MippLe ILLINOIS RIVER he Illinois chorus ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES (continued) frog is restricted Long Branch Sand Prairie to sandy floodplains, Manito Prairie Matanzas Prairie Meredosia Hill Prairie Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak NATURAL DIVISIONS and the sand prairies adjacent to the Illinois River provide ideal habitat. In Illinois, this frog Upper Mississippi R is found exclusively and Illinois R Bottomlands in three widely Illinois R and Mississippi R Sand Areas separated regions. Western Forest-Prairie A state-threatened Middle Mississippi Border species, it is Grand Prairie dependent on the protection of its habitat. The chorus frog has the unusual habit of burrowing into the sand with its front feet (the vast majority of frogs use their hind feet). It also feeds under- ground, a behavior unknown in any other frog species. The Illinois chorus frog can only be seen in the spring, when it comes out of the ground to mate. Acres in RRA 238,406 151,631 136,059 39,876 9,543 Pn) te % of VERMILION RIVER The Vermilion River RRA is located on a level glacial plain originally covered with prairie vegetation with occasional savannas on the uplands and forests along the streams. This RRA is comprised of two nonadjoining watersheds. The upstream water- shed, the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River, is separated from the lower Vermilion River watershed by the city of Danville. LANDCOVER @ The site is 69% cropland and ranks fifth in percentage of cropland. Grassland accounts for 18% and woods for 9% of the area. This RRA ranks low in upland woods, bottomland woods, and nonforested wetlands percentages. NATURAL AREAS @ Fourteen sites cover nearly 2,000 acres of this RRA. Communities considered significant in the RRA include numerous seeps, prairies, savannas, forests, and aquatic systems. The beech-maple forests in this area are significant in the state because they represent the western edge of this community type in the U.S. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ This site ranks sixth in terms of the total miles of BSS streams. The lower 46 miles of the Middle Fork and 12 miles of the Vermilion River below Danville are recognized as high quality streams. HERITAGE SITES @ There are 44 Heritage sites within this RRA representing six significant communities, three plant species, 18 animal species, and a rookery. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND ¢ Kickapoo State Park and the Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area are located in this RRA. There is no federal land within this site. NATURE PRESERVES @ Important natural features in the nine Nature Preserves within this RRA include seeps, savannas, prairies, and beech-maple forests. NaTuRAL Divisions # The Vermilion River RRA is approximately two-thirds Grand Prairie Division and one-third Wabash Border Division. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 132,252 Natural Areas Acreage 1,998 Number 14 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 58.0 Natural Heritage Sites aA State Land State Parks l State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas I Acreage 5,944 Percentage of RRA 4.5 VERMILION RIVER - 93 Size: 132,252 acres, 207 square miles Location: East-central Illinois bordering Indiana; Champaign, Ford, and Vermilion counties Landcover at a Glance BB upland forest 8% Hl bottomiand forest 2% Hl wetland <1% {i grassland 18% { cropland 69% [__] urban built-up 1% water 2% 94 + VERMILION RIVER he clear, gravel- bottomed Middle Fork of the Vermilion River is a high quality stream which sup- ports a rich diversity of aquatic species. Numerous species of fish, mussels, and other invertebrates occur in its boulder riffles, sand and gravel raceways, and clear pools. A segment of the Middle Fork is Illinois’ only stream designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. Unusual terrestrial features of this area include seeps, beech-maple forests, and hill prairies. Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland- nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Fairchild Cemetery Prairie and Savanna Forest Glen Seep Harmattan Stripmine Kennekuk Cove County Park Kinney's Fork Seeps Middle Fork Seeps Middle Fork of the Vermilion River Middlefork Woods Orchid Hill Prospect Cemetery Prairie Russell M. Duffin Nature Preserve Vermilion River Willow Creek Seep Windfall Prairie * = point location, map not available BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Middle Fork Vermilion River Salt Fork Vermilion R., Co line to Middle Fork Vermilion River NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Wetland Forest Savanna Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Amphibian Bird Fish Mammal Insect Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Monocot Geological Feature Geological Feature Other Rookery 19,744.46 77,140.77 1,445.70 1,947.67 111,130.89 Occurrences mee Rew — 0 0.0 % of RRA TIL 1.70 0.29 LTT 69.41 1.30 175) 99.99 Acres 5) 12 Types/Species — STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Kickapoo State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Middle Fork Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Fairchild Cemetery Savanna Forest Glen Seep Horseshoe Bottom Howard's Hollow Seep Middle Fork Woods Prospect Cemetery Russell M. Duffin Tomlinson Pioneer Cemetery Prairie Windfall Prairie NATURAL DIVISIONS Grand Prairie Wabash Border Acres in RRA 82,463 48,819 fe") [o9) %of RRA 62.8 Si) % of Division 0.6 2.8 VERMILION RIVER + 95 otable among the abundant and diverse fish fauna of the Vermilion basin is the bluebreast darter. The breeding male has a colorful olive- green body with a bright blue breast, orange dorsal fins, and red spots along the sides. The blue- breast darter lives in fast riffles of large, clear streams. Adults are almost always found near large boulders. Illinois is on the western edge of its range. The only known location of this species in Illinois is in the Vermilion River basin. | JjimaowiscoS~S~*~*d ¢ Paxton pees - Clprence Spoon River NA N \ i unty Park ® Brownfield Woods NA Vermilion River Stream Significant Stream Highway Sa County muted J] Vermilion River ae | Upland Forest es Cropland ae | Bottomland Forest/Swamp FRE Water BE Nonforested Wetland BB Urban/Built-up Grassland 98 - BiG RIVERS Size: 626,795 acres 979 square miles Location: Western Illinois, upriver of the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers; Adams, Calhoun, Greene, Jersey, Madison, Pike, and Scott counties Landcover at a Glance ( upland forest 24% bottomiand forest 8% (wetland <1% [9 grassland 15% ( cropland 42% [__] urban built-up 4% [() water 8% BIG RIVERS Big Rivers is the largest of the RRAs. The area is characterized by a narrow band of bluffs and rugged topography that borders the floodplains of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. Forest is the pre- dominant natural vegetation; hill prairies are com- mon on western facing bluffs. Sinkholes and sinkhole ponds occur here. LANDCOVER ¢@ Cropland is the predominant landcover type (42%) of the site, followed by upland woods (24%). Big Rivers has the highest bottomland woods acreage and the third highest upland woods acreage among the RRAs; it ranks seventh in percentages of both bottomland and upland woods. It has moderate nonforested wetlands resources. NATURAL AREAS @ Sixty-one Natural Areas, totaling 10,514 acres, are located in this RRA. The largest is Gardner Woods with 4,468 acres. Significant features include hill prairies, aquatic systems, woods, geological areas, glades, and caves. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ Twenty miles of Hadley Creek and nine miles of the Mississippi River are designated BSS. HERITAGE SITES @ There are 150 Heritage sites within this RRA representing seven significant community types, 11 plant species, 23 animal species, and eight rookeries. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND@ The state and federal governments own 47,448 acres. Most is federal land divided among Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge and the pools of the rivers. Pere Marquette State Park and Calhoun County Conservation Area are state land located in this RRA. NATURE PRESERVES @ There are five Nature Preserves in this RRA. Communities protected in the preserves are bluffs, sink holes, ravines, bedrock outcrops, upland forest, and hill prairie. NATURAL Divisions @ This site contains five natural divisions, predominantly the Middle Mississippi Border and Upper Mississippi and Illinois River Bottomlands. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LAND Total Acreage 626,795 Natural Areas Acreage 10,514 Number 61 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 28.9 Natural Heritage Sites 150 State Land State Parks l State Conservation Areas l State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland- nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Alton Geological Area Atlas South Geological Area Beebe Creek Site Belleview Site Brainerd Cave Brewster Hill Prairie Browning Hill Prairie Cap Au Gris Chautauqua Prairie Cincinnati Landing Site Clarksville Island Deer Lick Hollow Geological Area Del Air Area Distillery Hollow Glade Drift Island Eldred Caves Emma Brown Hill Prairie Gardner Woods Gilbert Lake Golden Eagle Geological Area Grubb Hollow Prairie Hadley Creek Hamburg Southeast Geological Area Horton Creek Hill Prairie Jennings Hill Prairie Jimtown Branch Geological Area John Craig Hill Prairie Kamp's Glade Kinderhook Hill Prairie Krause Woods Lead Hollow Glade McAdams Peak Hill Prairie McNabb Hollow Mississippi River -Cap Au Gris Mississippi River -Pike Monterey School Geological Area Mortland Glade Acres 147,380.80 48,335.94 3,943.51 LUC) Ls yao)7/ 263,995.60 MSS 7) 49,085.98 626,783.19 in) i) RUAN oO = CNNSEUNPROUN SHE _ . P= w _ Bic RIVERS - 99 he three areas in Illinois that were not covered by glaciers are the northwest corner, the far south, and the area where the Illinois River joins the Mississippi River. Glaciers did, however, influence these nonglaciated areas. In addition to rock and sand, melt- water deposited a finely ground silt which dried to a dust called loess. Windblown loess deposits along the lower Illinois River are among the thick- est in the state. Several loess hill prairies occur in Big Rivers. A layer of loess, sometimes 150-feet thick, forms steep slopes and vertical cliffs. 100 + BiG RIVERS verlooking the Mississippi River north of Alton is a forested tract that includes three nature preserves: John M. Olin, Oblate Father’s Woods, and Mississippi Sanctuary. Limestone bluffs, bedrock outcrops, sink holes, dry-to- mesic upland forest, and loess hill prairie characterize this area. Bald eagles have used the area as a winter roosting site. ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES (continued) Motley Hill Prairie Mozier Slough North New Canton Hill Prairie Olin Tract Osterman Hill Prairie Pearl Limestone Quarry Pearl Prairie Geological Area Pere Marquette Bald Eagle Habitat Pilot Knob Limestone Glade Pleasant Hill Hill Prairie Principia Hill Prairies East Principia Hill Prairies West Quincy Geological Area Riprap Landing Woods Royal Landing Shaffer Hollow Hill Prairie Shewhart Hollow Hill Prairie Swarnes Hill Prairie Teneriffe School Geological Area Twin Culvert Cave Two Branch Hollow Hill Prairie Walnut Grove Hill Prairies West Point Landing Geological Area Wildcat Hollow North Geological Area * = point location, map not available BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Hadley Creek, upstream of McCraney Creek Mississippi River, below L&D 25 NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Floodplain Forest Cave Forest Prairie Primary Threatened and Endangered Animals Amphibian Bird Fish Mammal Reptile Insect Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Geological Feature Geological Feature Other Rookery Occurrences ii) nAkhrR HD a oOoMwr~ant fe Types/Species — Ree tO bh ww N DER ww _ STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Pere Marquette State Conservation Areas Calhoun County (Rip Rap Landing) State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land Mark Twain NWR -Gilbert Lake Division Mark Twain NWR Mark Twain NWR -Gardner Division Mark Twain NWR -Calhoun Division Pool No. 21 Pool No. 22 Pool No. 24 Pool No. 25 (Inc. Reds Landing and Batchtown FWMA Pool No. 26 -Calhoun Point Pool No. 26 -Fuller Lake Pool No. 26 -Glades Hembold Pool No. 26 -Godar Diamond Pool No. 26 -Stump Lake ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Grubb Hollow Prairie John M. Olin Mississippi Sanctuary Oblate Father's Woods Pere Marquette NATURAL DIVISIONS Acres in RRA Middle Mississippi Border B25 M/Z. Upper Mississippi R and Illinois R Bottomlands 209,421 Western Forest-Prairie 35,421 Major Water Bodies 34,200 Lower Mississippi R Bottomlands 11,348 Illinois R and Mississippi R Sand Areas Seed? ce oD % of 21.0 Bic RIVERS + 101 L arge tracts of mature, bottom- land forest for nesting, interspersed with openings for foraging, are habitat requirements of the state-endangered Mississippi kite. Formerly common in some localities in the large river valleys of Illinois, the current population of this bird is small, with as few as 60 nesting pairs. These are limited to a few areas in southern Illinois and along the Mississippi River, including the Big Rivers area. 7, JL F6CTON CO doteron G4 Sugar Creek Site i} Mill Creek Aeiogical Area - BNA Ck a Shick Shack ‘2 ffedosia Refuge N | a 1] Ps el POOL NO. 25 (INC. REDS LANDING AND BATCHTOWN WFI Lead Hollow Glade NA} Mortland Glade NAZ Kamp's Glade NAZ Monterey School Geological Area NAS z West Point Landing Geological Area NA Ke -Brainerd McAdams Peak Hill Prairie NA¢-—— a Kier we ~~ MARK TWAIN NWR - GILBERT LAKE DIVISION Mississippi River - Cap Au Gris NA Krause Woods NA’ MISSOURI Big Rivers 10 Miles | Natural Area /\/ Stream : eae Town ~~ Significant Stream IA State Land /\/ Highway GW Federal Land /\/_ County Big Rivers ae Nonforested Wetland aa Grassland H plete’ ad Lars 104 - EMBARRAS RIVER Size: 447,925 acres 700 square miles Location: East-central Illinois; Champaign, Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Jasper, Lawrence, and Richland counties. Landcover at a Glance Hl upland forest 12% Hl bottomland forest 3% Hl wetland <1% [9] grassland 12% cropland 69% [__] urban built-up 2% water <1% EMBARRAS RIVER The Embarras River RRA includes the entire length of the river from the headwaters south of Champaign- Urbana to its confluence with the Wabash River near Lawrenceville. The Embarras River itself is the pre- dominant natural resource responsible for this area’s inclusion in the Resource Rich Area inventory. Rich species diversity and a wide variety of habitats such as gravel bars, gravel-sand raceways, sandbars, riffles, and deep pools are the outstanding features of the river, particularly the middle sections. The area is one of the most agricultural among the RRAs. The Embarras River RRA shares common boundaries with the Upper Wabash River and Southern Till Plain RRAs. LANDCOVER @ Cropland occupies 69% of the land area at this site. The Embarras River RRA has the second highest cropland acreage and the second highest percent- age of cropland. Approximately 15% of the RRA is wooded. Nonforested wetland resources are relatively low. NATURAL AREAS @ Fifteen Natural Areas cover 5,009 acres, or approximately 1%, of this RRA. These sites include prairie chicken habitat, marshes, aquatic features, and hill prairies. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ This site ranks second in terms of BSS stream mileage with 112.5 miles of the Embarras River so designated. HERITAGE SITES @ There are 50 Heritage sites within this RRA including five community types, three plant species, and 14 animal species. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND ¢ State land consists of three state parks; no federal land occurs in this RRA. NATURE PRESERVES @ Significant natural features in the three Nature Preserves that occur here are marsh, prairie, bottomland forest, old growth forest, and grasslands that support prairie chickens and other grassland-dependant species. NATURAL Divisions ¢ This RRA traverses three Natural Divisions—Grand Prairie (40%), Southern Till Plain (39%), and Wabash Border (21%). SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 447,925 Natural Areas Acreage 5,009 Number 15 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage L125 Natural Heritage Sites 50 State Land State Park 3 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas Acreage Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland Forest Wetland- nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban-Built Up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Center School Geological Area Chauncey Marsh Embarras River Embarras River -Camargo Five-Mile Hill Prairie Hillside Marsh Hutton Geological Area Jasper County Prairie Chicken Habitat Lawrenceville Airport Sargent's Woods Steber's Woods Stevens Hill Prairie Stoddard Hill Prairie Walnut Point Water Works Hill Prairie BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Embarras River, Lake Charleston to Jasper/Richland Embarras River, Rte 36 to Little Embarras River NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Floodplain Forest Wetland Forest Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Fish Reptile Insect Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Geological Feature Geological Feature Other Acres SWI Mise) 14,086.30 1,160.49 52,677.86 310,970.20 9,040.50 4,204.43 _ 447,917.37 Occurrences Nw e ao_ EMBARRAS RIVER + LO5 100-mile stretch of the midsection of the Embarras River is designated as a Biologically Significant Stream. The extensive sand- and-gravel substrate of the midsection of the river provides habitat for a number of rare species, such as the harlequin darter, eastern sand darter, bigeye shiner, and blue sucker. Mussel diversity is high and historically the river has support- ed eleven state- threatened or state- endangered species. a Horse#foe Bagg Saft Forkw#ermilion River N& Homer ~ \ a a ( \ ( | ra ay isvile Gis { 3 TM State Land Federal Land Wabash River Mount Carmel NA ey, ¢ Palestine Iresine VS Site NA — "pICHLAND CO! f t qf \ wy) Red i ta 5 \ ‘\/ Stream ues «Significant Stream /\j Highway /\/ County Embarras River ee) Upland Forest he Nonforested Wetland oa Grassland hse) Bottomland Forest/Swamp Be Water ee Urban/Built-up To8 - EMBARRAS RIVER M illions of prairie chickens existed in Illinois in the mid to late 1800s. In the spring of 1994, the native population numbered about 50. Two sanctuaries were established in east- central Illinois to provide grassland habitat for the remaining birds. The restored grassland ecosystem has benefitted other rare grassland birds as well, including Henslow's sparrow, grasshopper spar- row, dickcissel, upland sandpiper, short-eared owl, and northern harrier. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Fox Ridge Sam Parr Walnut Point State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Chauncey Marsh Jasper Co. Prairie Chicken Sanctuary Upper Embarras Woods NATURAL DrvisiIons Grand Prairie Southern Till Plain Wabash Border % of SANGAMON RIVER + 109 SANGAMON RIVER ms A : 53,734 acres The major natural features of the Sangamon River 84 square miles RRA are the forest tract at Robert Allerton Park and the Sangamon River. The area is highly agricultural. Location: This RRA is relatively small. Central Illinois; Macon and Piatt LANDCOVER @ Nearly three-fourths of the Sangamon counties. River RRA is cropland, the highest percentage among the RRAs. Fourteen percent of the RRA is grassland and 10% is wooded. Upland and bottomland wood percentages are moderately low. This site has the lowest acreage and lowest percentage of nonforested wetlands of the RRAs; there are only 49 acres of nonforested wetland identified in this site. NATURAL AREAS @ The two Natural Areas are Robert Allerton Park and the Landcover at a Glance Sangamon River. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ A 15.5 mile stretch of the Sangamon River is designated as a BSS stream. HERITAGE SITES @ There are eight Heritage sites in this RRA representing four communities types, three animal species, and one large forest tract. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND ¢ No state or federal land occurs in this RRA. NATURE PRESERVES # No Nature Preserves occur in this RRA. Hl upland forest 6% Hl bottomiand forest 4% NaTurRAL Divisions @ This RRA lies entirely within the Grand Prairie Natural GB wetland <1% Division. (grassland 14% SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS [H cropland 73% Total Acreage 53,734 [_] urban built-up 2% Natural Areas Gl water <1% Acreage 880 Number 2 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage Is) Natural Heritage Sites 8 State Land State Parks 0 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests (0) State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 Federal Land Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 LANDCOVER Acres % of RRA Upland forest Sse 2.05 5.98 Bottomland forest 1,892.48 3.52 Wetland- nonforested 29.30 0.05 Sangamon River Res Natural Area aes Town IAA State Land Gy Federal Land /\/ Stream /\ Significant Stream IY Highway PI County C| | mes [ SL IA rl tr] STU Sangamon River ei] Upland Forest sebel Cropland Bes) Bottomland Forest/Swamp rate Water Bae Nonforested Wetland ie a] Urban/Built-up eer Grassland I12 * SANGAMON RIVER t the center of the forested corridor along the Sangamon River in this area is Allerton Park. The natural area is an example of a relatively undisturbed stream- valley ecosystem. It includes bottomland forest, upland forest, reclaimed prairie, and wetlands. LANDCOVER (continued) Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Robert Allerton Park Sangamon River BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Goose Creek Sangamon River, source to Piatt/Macon county line NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Floodplain Forest Forest Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Reptile Threatened and Endangered Plants Geological Feature Other Forest Block >500 Acres STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES None NATURAL DIVISIONS Acres in RRA Grand Prairie 53,735 Acres 7,604.83 39,445.37 1,213.08 SS 7192 53,734.78 Occurrences D, 2 % of RRA 100.0 % of RRA 14.15 73.41 2.26 0.63 100.00 Acres 719 161 Miles 0.0 15.5 Types/Species 2 2 2 1 ooocco % of Division 0.4 Uprer WABASH RIVER = 113 UPPER WABASH RIVER The Upper Wabash River RRA encompasses the Wabash River mainstem from where it enters Illinois south to just above Lawrenceville and the narrow band of small tributaries to the river. The Wabash River is wide and slow flowing with sand-gravel substrate in this area. This is one of the last relatively unaltered big rivers in the Midwest. LANDCOVER ¢@ This RRA is predominantly agricultural (63%), followed by wooded (22%). Moderate percentages of upland and bottomland woods occur in this site. Nonforested wetlands are not abundant. NATURAL AreEaS ¢@ A total of 2,212 acres comprise four Natural Areas. The largest is the 1,929 acre stretch of the Wabash River at Mount Carmel. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ A 76-mile stretch of the Wabash River is designated as a BSS stream in this RRA. HERITAGE Sires @ There are few Heritage sites in this RRA. One community type, one plant species, and four animal species are represented by the eight Heritage occurrences in this site. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND ¢ Part of Lincoln Trail State Park occurs in this RRA. NATURE PRESERVES @ Robeson Hills is the only Nature Preserve in this RRA. It is a remnant upland forest with a beech-maple community as its most significant feature. NATURAL Divisions @ This RRA lies almost entirely within the Wabash Border Division. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LAND Total Acreage 170,654 Natural Areas Acreage DpDAL Number 4 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 76.4 Natural Heritage Sites 8 State Land State Parks 1 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage 3 Percentage of RRA 0.0 Federal Land Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 LANDCOVER Acres % of RRA Upland forest 30,079.33 17.62 Bottomland Forest 6,753.63 3.96 Wetland- nonforested 415.27 0.24 Size: 170,654 acres 267 square miles Location: Eastern Illinois along the Indiana border; Clark, Crawford, Edgar, and Lawrence counties Landcover at a Glance GB upland forest 18% Hl bottomiand forest 4% fj wetland <1% { grassland 12% {i cropland 63% [__] urban built-up 1% water 2% whi Geologi Upper Wabash River Ras =| Natural Area /\/ Stream Town /\Y Significant Stream AAA State Land /\/ Highway ///\ Federal Land /\/ County ical Area NA INDIANA \ Wabash River- Mt. Carmel NA Palestine lresine Site N INDIANA Upper Wabash River ae) Upland Forest | Nonforested Wetland fee | Grassland 116 + UppER WABASH RIVER he transition zone between the beech-maple forests of the eastern U.S. and the prairie and oak-hickory forests of the west occurs on the eastern edge of Illinois. American beech, sugar maple, and tulip trees are common species of the eastern forests. Beech trees are distinctive with their pearl-gray bark and their tendency to occur in clumps as new trees grow from the surface roots of older trees. A mature, beech- maple forest is found in Robeson Hills Nature Preserve. LANDCOVER (continued) Grassland Cropland Urban-Built Up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORIES SITES Palestine Iresine Site Robeson Hills Wabash River-Mount Carmel West Union Site BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Wabash River, Clark Co. to White River NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Forest Threatened and Endangered Animals Mammal Reptile Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Geological Feature Other STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Lincoln Trail State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Robeson Hills NATURAL DIVISIONS Wabash Border Southern Till Plain Grand Prairie Acres 20,958.54 108,361.70 1,155.08 2,940.57_ 170,664.12 Occurrences 1 1 1 4 % of RRA 12.28 63.49 Types/Species 1 1 1 2 % of Division 9.0 0.1 0.0 SOUTHERN TILL PLAIN + 117 SOUTHERN TILL PLAIN see The Southern Till Plain RRA is the second largest RRA. 91 pipet ines oe In presettlement times rolling prairies between broad woodlands following stream corridors characterized Location: the region. The area is now largely agricultural. The South-central soils have a high clay content and are fairly poor. Of Illinois; Clay, tL the five watersheds that comprise this RRA, four drain Clinton, Edwards, rafal to the Little Wabash River and one drains to the Effingham, Fayette, L Kaskaskia River. Jasper, Jefferson, rs Marion, Richland, a LANDCOVER ¢@ The Southern Till Plain RRA is predomi- and \ nantly cropland (58%), followed by grassland (21%). It Wayne counties. has the highest acreage of cropland and the second highest acreage of grassland among the RRAs, but due to its large size, the percentages of these landcover types rank eighth and tenth, respectively. Approximately 19% of the site is wooded. There are moderate amounts of upland Landcover at a Glance and bottomland woods. Bottomland woods are concentrated along the lower por- tion of the Little Wabash River. The acreage and percentage of nonforested wetlands are low. NATURAL AREAS ¢ Prairie chicken habitat at three separate locations accounts for most of the Natural Area acreage in this site. Notable features at the 15 Natural Areas in this site include grasslands, prairies, aquatic systems, springs, swamps, and forests. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS ¢ A single 50-mile stretch of the Little Wabash Hl upland forest 13% River is designated as a BSS stream. Hl bottomiand forest 6% wetland <1% { grassland 21% [BM cropland 58% [__] urban built-up 1% STATE AND FEDERAL LAND ¢ A state fish and wildlife area and Carlyle Lake, an water <1% impoundment, comprise the public land within this site. HERITAGE Sites @ There are 31 Heritage sites within the Southern Till Plain RRA. This is a low number given the size of the site. Six significant community types, two plant species, and five animal species are located here. NATURE PRESERVES @ Miller Shrub Swamp, a spring-fed wetland, is the only Nature Preserve in this RRA. NATURAL Divisions @ Ninety percent of this site lies in the Southern Till Plain Division and ten percent lies in the Wabash Border Division. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LAND Total Acreage 584,788 Natural Areas Acreage 6,903 Number 15 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 48.8 Natural Heritage Sites 31 State Land State Parks 0 State Conservation Areas 0 Lf bea CUMBERLAND-GO. JA | NS ¢ ailrolad Prdiri ean Hills NA ; NY ont LS x\\\5 abash River Lost Lake ; y Ey | ee ep ; Pa aa Southern Till Plain 9 Miles ee Natural Area Stream : Sass Town Significant Stream A LF a) State Land /\/ Highway //\ Federal Land County Southern Till Plain eae Upland Forest eee Cropland ae! Bottomland Forest/Swamp io Water eae Nonforested Wetland (rae | Urban/Built-up Grassland 120 - SOUTHERN TILL PLAIN ile oday about 2,000 acres of high- quality, relatively undisturbed prairie, or about .01% of the original native prairie, exists in Illinois. Many rem- nants persist along railroad rights-of-way. Twelve Mile Prairie is an example of a dry-mesic prairie along a railroad line. The lack or abandon- ment of cultivation has helped to maintain the native prairie vegetation. State Forests SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS (continued) State Fish & Wildlife Areas Acreage Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland- nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban-Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Clay County Prairie Chicken Habitat Jasper County Prairie Chicken Habitat Little Wabash River Marion County Prairie Chicken Habitat Miller Shrub Swamp Mt. Erie Springs Salem Leckrone Airport Railroad Prairie Sandy Branch Woods Twelve Mile Prairie (Tract No. 1) Twelve Mile Prairie (Tract No. 2) Twelve Mile Prairie (Tract No. 3) Twelve Mile Prairie (Tract No. 4) Twelve Mile Prairie (Tract No. 5) Twelve Mile Prairie (Tract No. 6) Xenia Railroad Prairie BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Little Wabash River, Rte 50 to mouth NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Lake Wetland Forest Prairie Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Mammal Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Geological Feature Other STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS State Parks Acres TI 222 33,609.18 981.86 121,895.50 341,724.90 6,193.05 23087229. 584,784.69 Occurrences 1 2 1 8 Types/Species i) Acres State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Carlyle Reservoir Federal Land Carlyle Lake ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Miller Shrub Swamp NATURAL DIVISIONS Southern Till Plain Wabash Border 0 0 554 682 Acres 30 % of Natural Division 7.4 3.4 SOUTHERN TILL PLAIN - 121 pen areas of agriculture interspersed with grasslands are the preferred habitat for the loggerhead shrike in Illinois. This species has the interesting behavior of impaling its prey—larger insects, small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians—on thorns and fences. The loggerhead shrike is most numerous in the southern third of the state. Populations in north and central Illinois declined steadily and were almost eliminated by 1972 due in part to the loss of hedgerows. The loggerhead shrike is a state-threatened species. 122 - KARST/CAVE AREA Size: 291,305 acres 455 square miles Location: Southwestern Illinois along the Mississippi River near St. Louis; Madison, Monroe, Randolph, and St. Clair counties. Landcover at a Glance [Bi upland forest 20% HB bottomland forest 6% Gii-wetland 3% ") grassland 13% ( cropland 52% [__] urban built-up 1% [I] water 5% .LANDCOVER @ This RRA is half cropland and one-fourth KARST/CAVE AREA The Karst/Cave Area RRA includes Mississippi bottomlands and part of the Ozark plateau. Exceptional features are its limestone bedrock, numerous caves and sinkholes, old growth forest, and unique flora and fauna. The area originally contained large areas of forest, prairie, and wetland. wooded. It has relatively moderate percentages of upland and bottomland woods. This site ranks second in acreage and seventh in percentage of nonforested wetlands among the 30 RRAs. NATURAL AREAS @ The Karst/Cave RRA has the second highest acreage of Natural Areas. Over nine percent of this large site is covered by Natural Area sites. Of the 27 Natural Areas, seven sites are larger than 1,000 acres. Significant natural features are caves, hill prairies, springs, marshes, herpetological areas, and rookeries. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ Designated BSS streams in this RRA include a short length of the Mississippi River and a tributary to Horse Creek, which total 2.9 miles. HERITAGE SITES @ A moderate number of Heritage sites (92) occurs here. Eight significant communities types occur here along with nine plant species, 18 animal species, and two rookeries. There are 14 cave occurrences. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND @ Horseshoe Lake State Park and Kaskaskia State Fish and Wildlife Area are the only state or federal land in this site. NATURE PRESERVES @ There are four Nature Preserves in this site. High quality terrestrial cave and aquatic cave communities, hill prairies, and old growth forest remnants are important natural features of these preserves. NATURAL Divisions @ Five natural divisions comprise this RRA. Most of the area is Lower Mississippi River Bottomlands (43%), Ozarks (28%), and Southern Till Plain (18%). Over a third of the state’s Lower Mississippi River Bottomlands Division and 20% of the Ozark Division occurs in this RRA. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PuBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 291,305 Natural Areas Acreage 26,230 Number 27 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 2.9 Natural Heritage Sites 92 State Land State Parks l State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 1 Acreage Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland- nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water Total ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Bradley Branch Woods Chalfin Bridge Hill Prairie Chouteau Catchfly Site Columbia Hill Prairie Demint Prairie/Prairie Du Rocher Herpetological Site Dry Run Cave System Dupo Prairie Eagle Park Marsh East St. Louis (Alorton) Heron Colony Falling Spring Fogelpole Cave Fults Hill Prairie--Kidd Lake Marsh Illinois Caverns Cave System Madonnaville Cave Miles Prairie Mississippi River -Mudds Landing Modoc Northwest Geological Area Monroe City Hill Prairie Potato Hill Hill Prairie Prairie Du Rocher-south Renault Cave System Renault Geological Area Renault Herpetological Area Saltpeter Cave Area Stemler Cave Area Stemler Cave Woods Sugar Loaf Hill Prairie BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Mississippi River, rm 114-119, Randolph Co. Tributary to Horse Creek NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Cave Forest Prairie Primary Acres % of RRA 38,763.36 20.37 11,214.97 5.89 5,383.39 2.83 24,700.95 12.98 99,215.85 oyZql ls) 2,155.40 itl: 8,818.51 190,252.43 99.99 53 Miles 1.9 1.0 Occurrences Types./Species 14 2 5 4 11 I 4 l Karst/CAVE AREA + 123 M ore than 480 caves occur in Illinois. The caves of the Sinkhole Plain in Monroe and St. Clair counties are the most numerous and interesting in the state. In Illinois, caves are found in areas of major lime- stone or dolomite outcrops called karsts. A few animals have adapted to the dark, cool, and humid environment of the deep caves. Some are both blind and colorless, such as isopods, amphipods, pseudo- scorpions, and springtails. Eagle Park Marsh NA Columbia Hill Prairieeh Potato Hill Hill Pratrie NY Monfog-City Hil_Prairie NA : GH MISSOURI Karst/Cave Area ‘ 7 Miles ee Natural Area Stream ’ jeune Town HN State Land Significant Stream Highway Yj LEK Federal Land County MISSOURI Karst/Cave Area Phas} Upland Forest ees Bottomland Forest/Swamp ese Water inc ola Nonforested Wetland orl Urban/Built-up | Grassland 126 > KARST/CAVE AREA f the twelve species of bats that occur in Illinois, nine are called cave bats because they generally hibernate in caves or aban- doned mines. A Monroe County cave is one of two known hibernation sites for the federally endangered Indiana bat. Gray bats, also a federally endangered species, are limited in Illinois to southern and west-central parts of the state where there are numerous caves. Two other species, the south- eastern bat and Rafinesque's big- eared bat, are endangered in Illinois and are found only in the southernmost part of the state. NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES (continued) Threatened and Endangered Animals Amphibian Bird Fish Mammal Reptile Crustacean Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Geological Feature Geological Feature Other Rookery STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Horseshoe Lake State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Kaskaskia Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Armin Krueger Speleological Fogelpole Cave Fults Hill Prairie Stemler Cave Woods NATURAL DIVISIONS Lower Mississippi R Bottomlands Ozarks Southern Till Plain Middle Mississippi Border Major Water Bodies Occurrences Types/Species | OS el el 118 % of Natural Division 34.7 LOWER WABASH RIVER The Lower Wabash River RRA includes the mainstem of the Wabash River below Lawrenceville to its confluence with the Ohio River and its small tributaries. The lower Wabash River watershed encompasses bottomland forest with wet prairie, sloughs, oxbows, and marshes. The lower reaches of the river have a sand, gravel, and rock substrate and feature pools and riffles. LANDCOVER @ Cropland is the predominant landcover in this RRA; two-thirds of the area is cropland. This site has the third highest percentage of cropland among the RRAs. Eighteen percent of this site is wooded. Bottomland forest is a significant natural resource in this RRA; this RRA ranks second in percentage of bottomland forest. Moderate amounts of nonforested wetlands are present. NATURAL AREAS @ Twelve Natural Areas are located in this RRA. Most of the acreage is in Wabash River sites. Other features include woods, sloughs, and ponds. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ The Lower Wabash River RRA ranks fourth in BSS streams mileage (75.5 miles), most of which is the Wabash River. HERITAGE SITES @ Thirty-four Heritage sites occur here. Five community types, two plant species, and 13 animal species are represented. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND ¢ Beall Woods State Park and Beall Woods Conservation Area are the only state or federal land which occurs in this RRA. NATURE PRESERVES @ Beall Woods is the only Nature Preserve within this RRA. It is the largest and best remnant of the immense forests which originally occurred along the Wabash. NATURAL Divisions ¢ The site lies almost entirely within the Wabash Border Natural Division. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDs Total Acreage 163,894 Natural Areas Acreage 4,639 Number 12 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 75.5 Natural Heritage Sites 34 State Land State Parks I State Conservation Areas | State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage 1,261 Percentage of RRA 0.8 Federal Land Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 LOWER WABASH « 127 Size: 163,894 acres 256 square miles Location: Southeastern Illinois along the Indiana border; Edwards, Gallatin, Lawrence, Wabash, and White counties. Landcover at a Glance Hl upland forest 7% Hl bottomiand forest 11% HB wetland <1% (i grassland 7% cropland 67% [_] urban built-up 2% (i water 5% Sam Dale Lake SCA FWA : MeL dagsboro Beall Woods SP Beall Woods NA Wabash River-Lost Lake NA Lower Wabash River eee) Natural Area (ae Town [{]] State Land Federal Land Wabash River NA Beaver Pond NA INDIANA KENTUCKY 8 Miles Stream /\/ 4S Significant Stream UW Highway County Lower Wabash River ee) Upland Forest eae Cropland fore Bottomland Forest/Swamp | Water We Nonforested Wetland Pal Urban/Built-up 130 + LOWER WABASH he bottomlands of the lower Wabash River are the last strongholds of the eastern deciduous forests in Illinois. Fertile, deep, and moist soil has promoted dense growth. The immense size of the trees (some are over 130 feet tall and six feet in diameter) as well as the diversity of species are remark- able features of the woods. Many of the trees have been harvested and the remaining forests in the area were con- sidered remnants as early as 1876. Beall Woods Nature Preserve is the largest and best example of the original forests that occurred along the Wabash River; several state tree champions are present in this preserve. SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS (continued) LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland- nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Beall Woods Beaver Pond Brushy Slough Goose Pond Little Rock Farm Little Wabash River Mount's Woods Oral Harris Woods Wabash River Wabash River-Lost Lake Wabash River-Mount Carmel Wabash River-Grayville * = point location, map not available BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Brushy Slough Little Wabash River, Rte 50 to mouth Wabash River, Clark Co. to White River Wabash River, New Harmony to Ohio River NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Floodplain Forest Lake Wetland Forest Primary Threatened and Endangered Animals Amphibian Fish Mammal Reptile Crustacean Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Geological Feature Other STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Beall Woods State Conservation Areas Beall Woods Acres 12,030.65 17,885.50 1,447.51 12,246.01 109,717.10 3,183.43 7,385.06 _ 163,895.26 Occurrences ne Lower WABASH RIVER - 131 State Forests 0 he Wabash State Fish and Wildlife Areas (0) River, the second Federal Land 0 largest tributary to ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Acres the Ohio River, Beall Woods 348 forms almost 200 NATURAL DIVISIONS Acres % of % of miles of the lower in RRA RRA Division border between _ Wabash Border 159,587 99.6 oF Illinois and Indiana. Southern Till Plain 591 0.4 0.0 Historically, the & Wabash River has supported 27 state- threatened or state- endangered mussel species, including eight which are federally endangered. Mussel populations are greatly reduced in numbers of individuals and species in the Wabash, as is the case in the rest of Illinois and the U.S. 132 - KASKASKIA BOTTOMS ok Plot ose KASKASKIA BOTTOMS ait miles The predominant natural features of the Kaskaskia ry Bottoms RRA are the large tracts of bottomland forest | | Location: associated with the river and the river itself. The river JL South-central in this area is fairly wide (up to too feet) with a sand, e Fe. Illinois; Clinton, gravel, cobble, and silt substrate. we Monroe, St. Clair, Bix and Washington LANDCOVER @ The principal landcover is cropland (58%), | counties. followed by bottomland woods (18%). Overall the site is 21% forested. The Kaskaskia Bottoms site ranks first in percentage of bottomland woods and last in percentage of upland forest. Moderate amounts of nonforested wetlands are present. —“) NATURAL AREAS @ Most of the ten Natural Area sites in this RRA are notable for Landcover at a Glance their forest resources. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ The upper portion of the Kaskaskia River is designated a BSS stream for 31 miles of its length within this RRA. HERITAGE SITES @ Seven community types, one plant species, five animal species, and three large forest tracts are included in the 28 Heritage sites within this RRA. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND ¢@ State land in this RRA includes the Kaskaskia Fish and Wildlife Area (6,911 acres) and a portion of South Shore State Park (5 acres). Federal land consists of a portion of Carlyle Lake. [BB upland forest 3% Hl bottomland forest 18% NATURE PRESERVES @ There are no Nature Preserves within this RRA. (Bj wetland <1% NATURAL Divisions @ This site lies entirely within the Southern Till Plain Natural [5 grassland 16% Dion (§ cropland 58% urban built-up 2% SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS (J water 1% Total Acreage 197,654 Natural Areas Acreage 1,681 Number 10 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage $11 Natural Heritage Sites 28 State Land State Parks 1 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 1 Acreage 6,916 Percentage of RRA SS) Federal Land Acreage 494 Percentage of RRA 0.2 LANDCOVER Acres % of RRA Upland forest 6,743.79 3.41 Bottomland forest 35,538.79 17.98 KASKASKIA BOTTOMS = 133 Wetland- nonforested 1,447.51 0.73 complex of Grassland 31,688.60 16.03 | a aetlaccic ta Cropland HA Ss1535210 58.26 floodplain forests, oe re a wetlands, and flat- TOTAL 197,644.54 99.99 woods characterize ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Acres ibe cet Baer Brothers Woodlot 25 BEvenUanee, pele Eversgerd Flatwoods 53 contiguous forest Freeburg Rod and Gun CLub 91 stands are rare in Jackson Slough Woods 184 Illinois, and the Lively Branch Woods 70 largest tract in the Lost Creek Marsh 714 state is located in a ee eo ae this area. Large, ipple Slough Woods West End Sportsman's Club Woods 58 HO bes fore Wirth Island 92 is critical for ; the successful BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Miles reproduction of Kaskaskia River, Rte 50 to Shoal Creek 31.1 : many woodland bird Se ee etrAGE Ee coe . species. Declines in Communities Occurrences Types/Species A Floodplain Forest 7 2 population of some Wetland 1 1 neotropical migratory Forest 10 4 songbirds have been Threatened and Endangered Animals attributed in part to Bird 1 1 forest fragmentation, Mammal 1 which is widespread awe : q in the Midwest. Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot 2) 1 Geological Feature Other Forest Block >500 Acres 3 1 STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Acres South Shore 5 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish and Wildlife Areas Kaskaskia 6,911 Federal Land Carlyle Lake 489 South Shore State Park - Carlyle Lake 5) ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES None NATURAL DIVISIONS Acres % of % of in RRA RRA Division Southern Till Plain 197,654 100.0 2.8 fe") Los) arlyleReservoir CLINTON CO. / sl “Het i Silver Creek Marsh Nf Julius J. Knobgloch i 2 Free | ! RANDOLPH CO. @ Behre Bluff NA oe Kaskaskia Bottoms 7 Miles [Pere Natural Area LY he A State Land /\/ Highway //\ Federal Land sa 2 Kaskaskia Bottoms fax: Upland Forest ees Cropland ee Bottomland Forest/Swamp ae Water = Nonforested Wetland fete ty Urban/Built-up fires | Grassland 136 + MrpDLE Fork OF THE BiG Muppy Soe MIDDLE FORK OF THE BIG MuDDy j 80 square miles The Middle Fork of the Big Muddy River RRA is a small, single watershed site. The significant natural features Location: are the large tracts of forest located along the river. LIT Southern Illinois; ata Franklin, Hamilton, LANDCOVER @ Approximately half the landcover in this — and Jefferson RRA is cropland. It ranks fifth in percentage of grassland, == counties. which accounts for 27% of the land area. Nineteen __ per- cent of the area is wooded. This RRA ranks eighth for percentage of bottomland woods and 15th for percent- age of nonforested wetlands. NATURAL AREAS @ The Freeman Coal Company Forest is the only Natural Area. vandeaueratie Glance BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ There are no BSS streams. HERITAGE SITES @ Two Heritage sites, a floodplain forest and one animal species, are located in the RRA. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND ¢@ A 22-acre site, Ten Mile Creek Fish and Wildlife Area, is the only state or federal land. NATURE PRESERVES @ No Nature Preserves are located in the site. NATUuRAL Divisions ¢ The Middle Fork of the Big Muddy River RRA is entirely within the Southern Till Plain Division. 1B upland forest 12% Hl bottomiand forest 7% SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS [Hl wetland <1% Total Acreage 114,908 [Gi grassland 27% Natural Areas Acreage 388 i cropland 49% 4 - Number 1 phe ila ae Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 0 pave Natural Heritage Sites 2 State Land State Parks 0 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 1 Acreage 22 Percentage of RRA 0.0 Federal Land Acreage 0 Percentage of RRA 0.0 LANDCOVER Acres % of RRA Upland forest 13,903.45 12.10 Bottomland forest 8,404.05 7.34 Wetland- nonforested 832.34 0.72 Grassland 31,218.95 ths fa lk Cropland 56,449.57 49.13 Urban/Built-up 3,164.97 Je) 934.30 Water _—__ 734.30 114,907.63 TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Freeman Coal Company Forest BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS None NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Occurrences Floodplain Forest 1 Threatened and Endangered Animals Mammal 1 Threatened and Endangered Plants Geological Feature Other STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Ten Mile Creek (Tva) Federal Land ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES None NATURAL DIvIsIONS Acres % of in RRA RRA Southern Till Plain 114,908 100.0 MIDDLE ForK OF THE BiG Muppy - 137 Types/Species 1 % of Division 1.6 he marsh rice rat is semiaquatic, inhabiting marshes, swamps, and shores of lakes and ponds. Because of the loss of many natural wetlands, rice rats make use of available areas of standing water with emergent, herbaceous vegetation found in areas such as road- side ditches, farm ponds, and railroad rights-of-way in Illinois. Despite its extensive range in the U.S., the rice rat is uncommon in Illinois (it is a state- threatened species) and limited to the southern part of the state. = ee Lr i Hie hy ae é | i antl (| —— ra oe nt ¥ Nene Patt : = = ea a— ey Natural Area Pee Town IA State Land GZ Federal Land ) Be a . SY hase lle river | 1 I {2 gisstas | ; Ay pe pel ta Af ae Ly bi NATIT ia Avan ile FRANKLINGOS le Sesser™ a ss RS /\/ Stream “SY Significant Stream /\/ Highway /\/ County Ter ian iva) id ve (Ss C] By 4 vat ty i nen 1] HY B an 1s a AJ i 2 a 500 Acres Rookery STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Giant City State Conservation Areas Union County State Forests Trail of Tears State Fish and Wildlife Areas Turkey Bluffs Federal Land Shawnee National Forest Proclamation Boundary Shawnee National Forest Ownership ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Berryville Shale Glade Brown Barrens Fern Rocks La Rue Swamp Mcclure Shale Glade Ozark Hills Piney Creek Ravine NATURAL DIVISIONS Lower Mississippi R Bottomlands Shawnee Hills Ozarks Major Water Bodies Coastal Plain Southern Till Plain Acres 4,580 6,504 55232 D352 204,416 81,266 % of ILLINOIS OZARKS + 143 O ne of the few remaining strongholds of the eastern woodrat in Illinois is La Rue-Pine Hills. This animal was at one time distributed across southern Illinois from the Ohio River to the Mississippi. The eastern woodrat is a true pack rat, collecting and storing nuts, acorns, pods, twigs, leaves, and other small items in their nests. The nests are added to by each successive owner. { FRANKLINCO. Chester So. Geo Area NA Fountain Bluff Site NA Mississippi River - Grand Tower NA Grand Tower Clear Springs Geological) LaRue-Pine Hills Re Natural Area MISSOURI ‘ Union County ay himedes Caye WA Union County State Conservation Areq i ers We A, Little Black Devil's Island NA* Dongola Hollow Geolo E. Cap Burnham Island NA Horseshoe Lake NA Horseshoe Forest NA Horseshoe Lake South Bumgard Island NA Brown's Bar NA \Wlinois Ozarks (ead Natural Area /\/ Stream | Town YS Significant Stream IANA State Land If Highway Federal Land /\/_ County MISSOURI KENTUCKY Illinois Ozarks 8 Miles Upland Forest (aes Cropland ' | Bottomland Forest/Swamp i Water || Nonforested Wetland od Urban/Built-up Eas Grassland 146 +» SHAWNEE HILLs Size: 477,112 acres 745 square miles Location: Southeastern Illinois; Gallatin, Massac, Hardin, Johnson, Pope, Saline, and Williamson counties. Landcover at a Glance HB upland forest 54% Hl bottomland forest 4% i wetland <1% HS] grassland 24% ( cropland 16% urban built-up <1% water 1% SHAWNEE HILLS The Shawnee Hills RRA is a scenic wooded area in an unglaciated part of the state. An escarpment of sand- stone runs east to west in this area. Bluffs, rugged hills, deep ravines, and clear streams support distinctive flora and fauna. This area was originally forested, and considerable amounts of forested land remain. LANDCOVER @ Woodlands cover 58% of this RRA (54% upland woods and 4% bottomland woods). It ranks first in total acreage and percentage of upland woods. Grassland and cropland account for 24% and 16% of the area, respectively. This is one of the few nonurban RRAs where cropland is not the predominant landcover. Moderate amounts of bottomland woods and low amounts of nonforested wetlands are found at this site. NATURAL AREAS @ The Shawnee Hills RRA has the greatest number of Natural Areas (83) among the RRAs. Principal natural features include bluffs, springs, caves, aquatic systems, barrens, hill prairies, woods, hollows, and geological features. BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ The highest total BSS mileage occurs in this RRA. Seventeen streams have been given BSS designation. Most are small, clear streams which run over sand, gravel, and rock substrates. HERITAGE SITES @ The Shawnee Hills RRA ranks third in number of Heritage occurrences with 255 sites. Ten community types, 49 plants species, and 25 animal species are located in the RRA. There are four large forest tracts and two rookeries. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND @ The Shawnee Hills RRA has the highest percentage of state and federal ownership of the RRAs. The total acreage of state and federal land is 138,877 acres, or 29% of the RRA, most of which is in the Shawnee National Forest. State land consists of two state parks and one conservation area. NATURE PRESERVES # Lusk Creek Canyon, the only Nature Preserve in this site, is a large canyon with high sandstone cliffs and a high quality stream. NATURAL Divisions ¢ The Shawnee Hills Natural Division is the predominant division in this RRA (82% of the RRA). SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 477,112 Natural Areas Acreage 8,638 Number 83 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 125.9 Natural Heritage Sites 255 State Land State Parks 2 State Conservation Areas 1 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage 2,060 Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland- nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Abbot Geological Area Barker Bluff Battery Rock Bell Smith Springs Big Creek Big Grand Pierre Creek Site Big Sink Limestone Glade Brown's Hole Cave Brownfield Bluff Camp Ondessonk Cane Creek Area Caney Branch Glade Cave Hill Cave Spring Cave System Chimaphila Site Collier Limestone Glade Copperous Branch Hill Prairie Crow Knob Sandstone Barrens Double Branch Hole Eagle Creek-robinette Creek East Fork Oxalis Site Flick Hill Frailey's Landing Geological Area Frieze Cave Garden of the Gods Gibbons Creek Barrens Grantsburg Swamp Griffith Cave Gyp Williams Hollow Haney Creek Hayes Creek Sites Herman Hill Site Hicks Dome Plug Geological Area Hicks Geological Area Homberg Spring Horseshoe Geological Area Hosick Creek Jackson Hole Barrens Jackson Hollow Acres 256,155.00 18,882.62 1,833.27 114,612.20 76,954.51 2,415.12 6,261.69 477,114.41 0.4 136,817 PET) % of RRA 53.69 3.96 0.38 24.02 16.13 0.51 3 100.00 Acres 9 125 * 546 395 27, i 4 459 4 47 305 1,161 SHAWNEE HILLs + 147 S andstone canyons are one of the outstanding features of the Shawnee Hills. Luxuriant vegetation grows in the cool, humid ravines, which are shaded by dense forest canopy and high canyon walls. Sphagnum moss, ferns, and club mosses grow on the moist, sandstone cliff faces. Lusk Creek Canyon is a large gorge where a high-quality stream flows between vertical, sandstone cliffs that are 100 feet high in places. Several rare and unusual plants are found here, including 13 species of wild orchids. 148 - SHAWNEE HILLs rench's shooting F star is a wild- flower restricted to a 10-mile band across southern Illinois called the Shawneetown Ridge. The plant grows under the dripline of sandstone ledges, where the sandy soil stays moist during the growing season. Kaskaskia Woods Keeling Hill Lamb Site Layoff Cave Leisure City Glade Little Grand Pierre South Glade Little Saline River Lusk Creek Lusk Creek Canyon Lusk Creek North Manson Ford Martha's Woods Site Melcher Hill Limestone Glade Millstone Bluff Old Stone Face -Dennison Hollow Old Zion Cemetery Geological Area Orr's Landing Geological Area Panther Hollow Peters Creek Pine Hollow Pleasant Valley Hill Prairie Pounds Hollow Quarrel Creek Area Reddick Hollow Reddick Hollow Amphipod Site Reid's Chapel Sandstone Glades Robnett Creek Barrens Rock Creek Rocky Branch Battle Ford Creek Russell Cemetery Glade Saline Landing Saline River Geological Area Sand Cave Simmons Creek -Hurricane Hollow Area Simpson Township Prairie Soward Limestone Glade Split Rock Hollow Sulphur Springs Area Teal Pond Trig Tower Sandstone Glades Wamble Mountain Werner Tract Whoopie Cat Mountain Wise Ridge * = point location, map not available BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Big Creek drainage Big Grand Pierre Creek, Rte 146 to Pinhook Cr. Burden Creek Clifty Creek Copperous Branch Eagle Creek Honey Creek oy ii) se) _ Ore Uns) #00 # eM _ a ed NwhM Hosick Creek Little Saline River, Allen Branch to South Fork Lusk Creek, Flick Branch to Little Lusk Creek Ohio River, Elizabethtown to Cave-in-Rock Peters Creek Robinette Creek, Pounds Lake to Eagle Creek Rock Creek Three Springs Hollow unnamed trib, Cedar Creek unnamed trib, Wallace Branch, Cave Spring Cave NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Cave Forest Savanna Primary Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Fish Mammal Reptile Crustacean Insect Threatened and Endangered Plants Lichen Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Plant-Fern/Fern Ally Geological Feature Geological Feature Other Forest Block >500 Acres Rookery STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Cave-In-Rock Dixon Springs State Conservation Areas Saline County State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land Shawnee National Forest Proclamation Boundary Shawnee National Forest Ownership ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Lusk Creek Canyon NATURAL DIVISIONS Acres Shawnee Hills Wabash Border 45,371 Coastal Plain 39,415 Major Water Bodies Southern Till Plain Occurrences % of RRA 82.0 9.5 8.3 0.2 0.0 Acres 204 799 1,057 0 0 418,276 136,817 129 % of Division 43.1 25. 8.5 0.0 0.0 SHAWNEE HILLs + 149 W ith more than one-quarter million acres, the Shawnee National Forest is the largest public land holding in Illinois. Located in the southern part of the state, it is bordered on the east and south by the Ohio River and on the west by the Mississippi River. The Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture manages Shawnee for multi- ple uses, including camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, tim- ber harvest, mining, and grazing. Within the boundaries of the Shawnee are many high-quality natural areas and rich assemblages of species unique to Illinois. - 7 WILLIAMSON CO. _—/| SALINE CO—_ SS rea NA KENTUCKY Wiig Ae Fag CAC COD a RUS Gn aye OS U eK pa NAA ii yy ‘Mis Fy ailey’s Landini Hézot Area NA : éne Glade NA ave-In-Rock SP Cave-In-Rock —t off Cave NA : tea ts Landing Geological Area NA I ipfestone Glade NA Rosiclare Big Grand Pierre Creek Site NA* Herman Hill Site NA Little Grand Pierre South Glade NA KENTUCKY \ Dog Creek Barrens NA* ‘ WARS a Swer Springs NA Lino Laird : ickas : \ P an pie earrels East NA Ravine NA ; Ss a8arrens North NA* 7 Miles a ae Natural Area /\/ Stream “\.~ Significant Stream ||| State Land /\/ Highway Federal Land /\/_ County KENTUCKY KENTUCKY Shawnee Hills Upland Forest eee Cropland sia Bottomland Forest/Swamp aes Water | | Nonforested Wetland peel Urban/Built-up | Grassland 152 + CACHE RIVER Size: 443,616 acres 693 square miles Location: Southern Illinois along the Cache River; Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pulaski, and Union counties. Landcover at a Glance upland forest 27% Bl bottomiand forest 8% Gl wetland <1% (9 grassland 29% ( cropland 32% urban built-up 2% [J water 1% CACHE RIVER The Cache River RRA is located at the southern tip of Illinois. The upper reach flows through the hills of the Ozark plateau; the lower Cache flows through flatter coastal plain where drainage is slow and wetlands become more abundant. Unique features include bald cypress-tupelo gum swamps and several species associated with the southern U.S. The Cache River RRA shares a common border with the Illinois Ozarks RRA; the large, contiguous forests that occur along the boundary are split into the two RRAs. LANDCOVER ¢@ The landcover is fairly evenly divided among three categories—cropland (32%), grassland (29%), and upland woods (27%). In terms of percentage of the site, the Cache River RRA ranks fourth for grassland, fifth for upland woods, and sixth for bottomland woods. This site has the eighth highest acreage of nonforested wetlands. NATURAL AREAS @ Sixty-three Natural Areas totalling 18,444 acres are located in this RRA. This RRA ranks third in number of Natural Areas and fourth in acreage of Natural Areas. Significant features include caves, springs, barrens, ponds, lakes, swamps, woods, and geological features. The largest Natural Areas are Heron Pond- Little Black Slough (6,613 acres) and the Lower Cache River Swamp (6,561 acres). BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ Six stream segments totalling 53 miles have been designated as BSS. Horseshoe Lake and Lake Creek support a number of species that are extremely rare in Illinois. HERITAGE Sires @ There are 298 Heritage occurrences, the second highest number among the RRAs. There are 17 community types, 41 plant species, and 43 animal species represented. Seven large forest tracts and two rookeries are located here. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND ¢ The total acreage of public land in this RRA is 65,665 acres, or 15% of the land area. There are three state parks and two state conserva- tion areas. The majority of public land is federally owned and consists of Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge and Shawnee National Forest. NATURE PRESERVES @ Eight Nature Preserves are located in the Cache River RRA. Principal natural features include glades, upland forests, floodplain forests, bluffs, ravines, ponds, and cypress-tupelo swamps. NATURAL Divisions ¢ The Natural Divisions of the Cache River RRA are the Coastal Plain (58%), Shawnee Hills (35%), and Ozarks (7%). SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS Total Acreage 443,616 Natural Areas Acreage 18,444 Number 63 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 52.8 Natural Heritage Sites 298 State Land State Parks State Conservation Areas State Forests State Fish & Wildlife Areas Acreage Percentage of RRA Federal Land Acreage Percentage of RRA LANDCOVER Upland forest Bottomland forest Wetland-nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Archimedes Cave Badlands Geological Area Big Brushy Ridge Black Powder Hollow Geological Area Britten Spring Cache Valley Geological Area Cave Creek Barrens Cedar Bluff Cedar Bluff Cave Chestnut Hills Cooper Creek Hollow Mine Cypress Pond Deer Pond Diswood Site Draper's Bluff Dusky Salamander Sites Ethridge Limestone Glade Firestone Creek Cave Fort Massac Area Goreville Interchange Geological Area Halesia Horseshoe Forest Horseshoe Lake Horseshoe Lake Nuttall's Oak Site Horseshoe Lake South Horseshoe Lake State Conservation Area Indian Point Jug Spring Lake Creek Lick Creek Geological Area Lino Laird Ravine Little Black Slough--Heron Pond Area Acres 117,758.90 35,327.44 2,508.85 130,500.20 143,676.50 7,187.96 6,646.45 443,606.30 % of RRA 26.55 7.96 0.57 29.42 82539 1.62 CACHE RIVER = 153 t the extreme southern tip of Illinois, the land flattens and is poorly drained. Southern flora is present in this area, the north- ernmost extent of the coastal plain that stretches to the Gulf of Mexico. Swamps, dominated by bald cypress (some of the largest and oldest trees in Illinois) and tupelo, are reminiscent of Louisiana bayous. The Heron Pond- Little Black Slough Nature Preserve is a significant natural area with high-quality swamp and flood- plain forest as well as upland forest and glade communities. 154 + CACHE RIVER he green treefrog is one of the most colorful frogs in North America. Its bright green-to-olive coloration protects it from predators as it perches on vegeta- tion in swamps, floodplain sloughs, and marshes. In Illinois, the green treefrog is limited to the extreme southern tip of the state. ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES (continued) Lower Cache River Swamp Magazine Mine Hollow Mason Cave Mermet Lake East Mermet Lake Flatwoods Mermet Swamp Mounds West Geological Area Ohio River-Hillerman Olmsted Geological Area Open Pond Opossum Trot Trail Post Creek Cutoff Geological Area Post Creek Cutoff Site Provo Cemetery Rich's Cave System Roaring Spring Area Round Bluff Scout Cave Sielbeck Forest Tract Sielbeck Q Ditch Area Silverbell Site Teal's Cave Thalia Site Thebes Area Thornton Ravine Unity Area Weaver's Woods West Vienna Woods White Hill Cave White Hill Quarry Wolf Creek Area * = point location, map not available BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Cache River, Big Creek to Karnak Horseshoe Lake Lake Creek Limekiln Slough Ohio River, L&D 52 to Metropolis Ohio River, L&D 53 to Mound City NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Floodplain Forest Lake Wetland Cave Forest Prairie Primary Threatened and Endangered Animals Amphibian Bird Fish Occurrences 10 3 11 7 10 Types/Species Mammal Reptile Crustacean Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Lichen Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Plant-Fern/Fern Ally Geological Feature Geological Feature Other Forest Block >500 Acres Rookery STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Ferne Clyffe Fort Defiance Fort Massac State Conservation Areas Horseshoe Lake Mermet Lake State Forests State Fish and Wildlife Areas Federal Land Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge Shawnee National Forest Proclamation Boundary Shawnee National Forest Ownership ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Cave Creek Glade Chestnut Hills Halesia Heron Pond-Little Black Slough Horseshoe Lake Mermet Swamp Round Bluff Section 8 Woods NATURAL DIVISIONS Coastal Plain Shawnee Hills Ozarks Major Water Bodies % of 55.4 CACHE RIVER « 155 ignificant natural features that represent forest, wetland, and aquatic habitats are found at Horseshoe Lake, an old oxbow of the Mississippi River. Near-virgin woods of beech, sugar maple, swamp chestnut oak, and American elm grow on the island in the middle of the lake. Bald cypress, tupelo, swamp cottonwood, willow, and button- bush are found in the shallow water. Several interesting and rare species are known from here, including the spotted gar, pugnose min- now, green treefrog, mole salamander, broad-banded water snake, green water snake, prothonotary warbler, red-shoul- dered hawk, big- eared bat, and rice rat. z SS EEE Gey” ai Co Pols th Y mae £4 5 08 Silverbell Site NE eas WTI KENTUCKY Fort Massac Area “aad Fort Massac$P MISSOURI . Gort Defiance SP Cache River 6 Miles Natural Area /\/ Stream ' | Town Significant Stream CN State Land J/\/ Highway Federal Land /\/_ County Cache River ee) Upland Forest ager Cropland S———=C~S ee) Bottomland Forest/Swamp ieee: Water ae: Nonforested Wetland ees Urban/Built-up Grassland 158 - CRETACEOUS HILLS Size: A ee CRETACEOUS HILLS 137 square miles The Cretaceous Hills RRA encompasses the southeastern tip of the state. The area is characterized by rolling Location: hills of sand, gravel, and clay and bottomlands along Southeastern tip of the Ohio River. Illinois along the — Ohio River; LANDCOVER ¢@ Predominant landcover types are cropland = Massac and Pope (32%), upland woods (31%), and grassland (24%). This a counties. site ranks fourth in percentage of upland woods, ninth for = grassland, and fifth for bottomland woods. It has one of the lowest acreages for nonforested wetlands. NATURAL AREAS @ There are 19 Natural Areas. Important natural features include barrens, springs, lakes, ponds, and flatwoods. Landcover at a Glance BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS @ Two stretches of the Ohio River totalling 14 miles are designated as BSS streams. HERITAGE SITES @ There are 74 Heritage occurrences. Seven community types, 25 plant species, ten animal species, and two rookeries are located in this RRA. STATE AND FEDERAL LAND ¢@ Fort Massac State Park is the only state land in this RRA. Federally owned land consists of 12,000 acres in the Shawnee National Forest. NATURE PRESERVES @ Significant features in the two Nature Preserves are slope, ridge, and ravine forests, seep springs, cypress swamp, floodplain forest, and [ upland forest 31% flatwoods. HH bottomiand forest 9% Gl wetland <1% NAaTuRAL Divisions ¢ This RRA is 89% in the Coastal Plain Division and 10% in _|S GES EN Tei the Shawnee Hills Division. ( cropland 32% [] urban built-up <1% SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS [ water 3% Total Acreage 87,928 Natural Areas Acreage 1,940 Number 19 Biologically Significant Stream Mileage 14.1 Natural Heritage Sites 74 State Land State Parks 1 State Conservation Areas 0 State Forests 0 State Fish & Wildlife Areas 0 Acreage 619 Percentage of RRA 0.7 Federal Land Acreage 11,999 Percentage of RRA 13.6 LANDCOVER Acres % of RRA Upland forest 27,471.32 31.24 Bottomland forest 8,315.74 9.46 Wetland-nonforested Grassland Cropland Urban/Built-up Water TOTAL ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES Burke Branch Research Natural Area Caney Creek Site Cave Creek Barrens Clear Lake Cretaceous Hills Dean Cemetery East Barrens Dog Creek Barrens Fort Massac Area Kickasola Cemetery Barrens and Springs Klondike Spring Lewis Estate Lewis Estate North Lewis Estate South Massac Tower Springs McGhee Flatwoods Poco Cemetery Barrens East Poco Cemetery Barrens North Round Pond Snow Springs * = point location, map not available BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS Ohio River, L&D 52 to Metropolis Ohio River, at mouth of Cumberland River NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES Communities Floodplain Forest Lake Wetland Savanna Threatened and Endangered Animals Bird Fish Mammal Reptile Mollusk Threatened and Endangered Plants Plant-Dicot Plant-Monocot Plant-Fern/Fern Ally Geological Feature Other Rookery STATE AND FEDERAL LAND State Parks Fort Massac 412.86 20,896.33 28,118.41 357.46 2353.70 87,925.82 Occurrences in) Types/Species NNHYRhN hee Nh CRETACEOUS HILLs - 159 C retaceous Hills is an area of low, gravel hills. Acidic seeps, which support some of the most interesting natural communities in the state, are found in this area. Seeps are caused when groundwater, percolating through the gravel, flows to the surface where it meets underlying sandstone. An abundant and diverse flora grows in these moist areas, including many unusual and rare species of orchids, mosses, and ferns, some with four foot- long fronds. CALA W/; 7) orton Ravine NA \ Badlands Geo Cretaceous Hills Bas toal Natural Area [asa Town ll State Land ///) Federal Land LLL act NA Yo SS rower A ey Creek Site NA* Stream Significant Stream Highway County h Natural Area NA 5 Miles Cretaceous Hills eS) Upland Forest aac] Bottomland Forest/Swamp ms Water Be Nonforested Wetland | Grassland eee Cropland eae Urban/Built-up 5 Miles C} be, ir} aco el | rae 162 » CRETACEOUS HILLS n the Ohio River STATE AND FEDERAL LAND (continued) Acres floodplain are State Conservation Areas 0 areas of cypress State Forests 0 State Fish and Wildlife Areas 0 swamp, floodplain forest, and flatwoods. Red=sat iad Shawnee National Forest Proclamation Boundary 30,851 Flatwoods ate Shawnee National Forest Ownership 11,999 oe es a ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES Acres oF pan . ay; a a0! Cretaceous Hills 272 that is wet in spring Massac Forest 156 and dry and hard tn NATURAL DIVISIONS Acres % of % of summer. The trees in RRA RRA Division are relatively small, Coastal Plain 78,285 89.3 16.9 reflecting the harsh Shawnee Hills 8,824 10.1 0.9 soil conditions, and they tend to blow ost over because of their shallow root systems. The nature preserve in Fort Massac State Park has a large flatwood forest comprised of pin oak, swamp white oak, and post oak. METHODOLOGY « 163 METHODOLOGY The identification and characterization of areas rich in biological resources, or Resource Rich Areas (RRA), used an analysis of natural resource data utilizing GIS technology that was guided by scientists with extensive knowledge of ecosystem concepts and Illinois biota. The process of identification of RRAs was begun by meeting with scientists at the Illinois Natural History Survey to develop a list of ecological characteristics and functions of large ecological reserves, and to develop criteria to be applied in identification and evaluation of RRAs. A landscape level approach envisions the existence of a system of areas that would protect, maintain, and enhance the living natural resources of Illinois. From an ecological perspective these areas need to be large enough to provide habi- tat for area-sensitive species and to allow management practices to reasonably simulate natural forces (e.g. fire). Further, the areas need to be distributed in a way that the various ecotypes in Illinois are adequately represented. The specific ecological roles of sites were determined to be the following: 1. provide areas large enough to allow for the natural dynamic nature of ecosystems and to allow management to simulate natural forces to meet the needs of various communities and species. 2. protect, restore, and enhance areas to provide the ecological requirements for animals and plants that need large areas. 3. include representative examples of the natural communities of Illinois. 4. protect areas with significant habitat and species diversity. 5. protect habitat types that are diminishing at an alarming rate, such as wetlands, forests, prairies, and biologically significant streams. Watersheds, as identified by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), were used as the geographic unit for evaluation and analysis. These watersheds have the advantage of being an ecologically identifiable unit and are impor- tant administratively within the state. They have the disadvantage of being irregular in shape and variously sized. The average area covered by an IEPA watershed, of which there are 816, is 69 square miles (44,000 acres). RRA boundaries are derived directly from watershed boundaries. Criteria for the evaluation and characterization of RRAs were selected because they (1) emphasized ecologically important characteristics; (2) were available as digital statewide databases; and (3) were suitable for analysis using IEPA watersheds. The criteria, analysis, maps, and sum- maries in this report are based upon ecological characteristics; econom- ics, recreational interests, and other considerations were not explicitly accounted for in this effort. Watersheds were evaluated using the fol- lowing variables: 1. Forest - percent of the watershed 2. Wetlands - percent of the watershed 3. Illinois Natural Areas Inventory - total area 4. Biologically Significant Streams - total length The sources of data for the four variables are discussed later in this sec- tion. Time limitations made it impossible to acquire new field data and required that decisions be based upon the best data available for the entire state. The Illinois Natural Areas Inventory and Biologically Significant Streams digital datasets were updated and enhanced for use in the analysis. Other datasets, including boundaries of state and feder- ally owned land in Illinois, were created or improved to provide sup- plemental information. The four variables were given equal weight in the analysis. Each water- shed was ranked against all other watersheds for each variable. Watersheds were placed into 10% quantiles for each variable and given _ Figure 14. RRA Watershed Scores < 26 a score of 10 points if they were in the top quantile, 9 points in the 81-90 % quantile, 8 points in the 71-80 % quan- tile, etc. Watersheds in which a variable did not occur were given a 0 score for that variable. The scores for each vari- able in each watershed were summed; the maximum possible cumulative score was 40. Watersheds were defined as 164 - METHODOLOGY resource rich if their cumulative score ranked in the top 10%. This qualification resulted in inclusion of watersheds having a score of 26 or greater (actually the top 12% of all watersheds due to tie scores). Spatially adjacent watersheds were grouped to form RRAs. All watersheds with scores of 26 or above were included in the RRAs and none were excluded. Review of the selections and additional information and advice regarding inclusion of additional adjacent watersheds and determination of boundaries was provided by an advisory group of four INHS scientists. Some RRAs were modified by the addition of adjacent watersheds with cumulative scores of less than 26 in order to accommodate (1) contiguous landcover; (2) watersheds of the three current IDNR project areas (i.e. Rock River, Cache River and Prairie Parklands; and (3) important natural features that were known by INHS scientists (Figure 14). Boundaries of RRAs with shared borders were determined based on consideration of such factors as nat- ural divisions and drainage basins. RRAs were named for the predominant natural feature, usually the major stream. They are ordered by geographic location from north to south in the tables of this report. RRAs were collectively and individually described by the occurrence and composition of several characteristics. These include information about landcover classes, Natural Areas, and Biologically Significant Streams, which were used in the screening process. Supplemental data about Natural Heritage communities, state and federally owned land, Illinois Nature Preserves, and natural divisions are also reported. These datasets are described below. Landcover information was derived from the Critical Trends Assessment Project Landcover Database produced by the Illinois Natural History Survey from satellite imagery acquired from 1991 to 1995. Seven landcover classes were uti- lized in this project—upland forest, bottomland forest, nonforested wetland, grassland, cropland, urban or built-up, and water. For the screening process, forests were defined as the combination of upland forest and bottomland forest landcover classes, and wetlands as nonforested wetland and bottomland forest classes. Upland forests consists of any wooded, nonbottomland area; these may be relatively small and the term "forest" is applied loosely. The grassland class was not used in the screening because "natural" grassland habitats such as prairies and savannas are not distin- guished from grassland impacted by farming and other human uses. The landcover data has a ground resolution of 93.5 feet (28.5 meters) on a side. Each pixel covers 0.2 acres although a filter with a threshold of up to S pixels (1 acre) was applied to the database for this analysis. Area calculations reflect the use of the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection, zone 16, North American datum of 1927. The Illinois Natural Areas Inventory is a dynamic listing of approximately 1,200 sites known to possess important natural qualities within the state. The INAI database includes sites based on the presence of (a) high quality natural communities, (b) habitats for endangered species, (c) habitats for relict species, (d) outstanding geologic features, (e) natural community restoration and endangered species relocations, approved natural areas and restoration sites, (f) unique natural features, and (g) outstanding streams and rivers (McFall, pers. comm; White 1978). Outstanding streams and rivers were included in the analysis under this category if they were not included under Biologically Significant Streams. The INAI data are maintained by the Division of Natural Heritage of IDNR (DNH-IDNR). The digital database was created and is maintained at INHS and was updated through November 1995. Biologically Significant Stream designation is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the state's aquatic resources. BSS designation indicates the presence of high quality aquatic systems (Page, et al. 1991). The criteria included fish popula- tions, water quality, macroinvertebrates, endangered and threatened species, and mussel diversity. The database is maintained at INHS and was current as of November 1995. The Natural Heritage database provided information about significant communities, endangered and threatened species locations, geological features, and nesting bird colonies. INHS maintains this DNH-IDNR database in its digi- tal form and was updated in November 1995. Because information about state and federally owned land may be important in planning management strategies, a comprehensive GIS database of these resources was developed for this project. IDNR owns the largest acreages of state-owned land in Illinois. The state owned lands database consists of State Parks, Forests, Conservation Areas, and Fish and Wildlife Areas. Illinois Nature Preserves are areas that retain a high degree of their presettlement character or have significant ecologi- cal, geological, or archaeological features (McFall and Karnes 1995). They are dedicated by law to being maintained in their natural state. The digital database at INHS was current as of November 1995 with 236 Nature Preserves (from data provided by IDNR). Natural Divisions is a classification of the natural environments in Illinois based on topography, soils, bedrock, glacial history, and distribution of plants and animals (Schwegman 1973). Fourteen natural divisions are defined in Illinois. REFERENCES + REFERENCES Ambrose, D. 1992. These hills are alive. Outdoor Highlights 20(4):3-5. Bohlen, H.D. 1989. Birds of Illinois. Indiana University Press, Bloomington and Indianapolis, IN. 221 pp. Bolin, J.A., editor. 1990. The I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor. The Nature of Illinois 5(1):1-32. Dearinger, L.A. 1970. The Morton Arboretum. Outdoor Illinois 9(6):8-14. Evans, M., D. Harker, S. Evans, and K. Harker. 1995. Kaskaskia River corridor stewardship plan. Submitted to the Kaskaskia River Private Lands Initiative Commission and Southwestern Illinois RC & D, Inc. 79 pp. + appendices. Evers, R.A. and L.M. Page. 1977. Some unusual natural areas in Illinois. Ill. Nat. Hist. Surv. Biol. Note 100. 47 pp. Havera, S.P. 1993. A historical perspective on wetlands and waterfowl populations and their importance in the Illinois valley. Pages 101-111 in: Governor’s Conference on the Management of the Illinois River System. Univ. of Illinois Water Resources Center Special Report No. 20. Havera, S., L. Suloway, J. Taft, J. Hofmann, M. Morris, A. Nutgeren, and P. Malmborg. 1994. Wetlands. Pages 87-153 in: Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources. The Changing Illinois Environment: Critical Trends, vol. 3. Springfield, IL, ILENR/RE-EA-94/05/. Herkert, J.R., editor. 1992. Endangered and threatened species of Illinois: status and distribution, vol. 2- animals. Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board, Springfield, IL. 142 pp. Hofmann, J. 1992. Illinois rice rats. Ill. Nat. Hist. Surv. Reports No. 313:1-2. Hofmann, J. 1994. Masters of the night- Illinois' misunderstood bats. Illinois Steward 3(4):11-15 Illinois Department of Conservation. Castle Rock State Park. Brochure. Illinois Nature Preserves Commission. 1996. Minutes of the 151st Meeting, May 7, 1996. Jeffords, M.R. 1994. Living labyrinths. The Nature of Illinois 2(1):1,3. Jeffords, M.R., S.L. Post, and K.R. Robertson. 1995. Illinois Wilds. Phoenix Publ., Urbana, IL. 153 pp. Killey, M.M. 1975. Ancient dust storms in Illinois. Geogram 5 Ill. State Geol. Surv., Champaign, IL. 2pp. Lunn, E.T. 1982. Plants of the Illinois Dunesland. Illinois Dunesland Preservation Society. 118 pp. McFall, D. 1996. Personal communication. Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, 600 West Grand Avenue North, Springfield, IL. McFall, D. and J. Karnes, editors. 1995. A Directory of Illinois Nature Preserves, vols. 1 and 2. Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Springfield, IL. 195 pp. and 327 pp. Mendelson, J. 1994. Age structure of trees in Thorn Creek Woods. Pages 103-105 in: Fralish J.S., R.C. Anderson, J.E. Ebinger, and R. Szafoni, editors. Proc. of the North American Conference of Savannas and Barrens at Illinois State University, Normal, IL. 407 pp. Page, L. M., K.S. Cummings, C.A. Mayer, S.L. Post, and M.E. Retzer. 1991. Biologically significant Illinois streams: an evaluation of the streams of Illinois based on aquatic biodiversity. Project Completion Report, Illinois Department of Conservation and Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources. 485 pp. Post, S.L. 1990. Threads of wilderness. The Nature of Illinois 5(1): 9-12. Post, S.L. 1994. Twilight mammals. The Nature of Illinois 2(1): 4-S. Post, $.L. 1994. The Vermilion River. The Nature of Illinois 2(2):1,4—-5. Post, S.L. 1995. Green tree frog. Ill. Nat. Hist. Surv. Reports No. 332:6. Post, $.L. 1995. Pitcher plants. Ill. Nat. Hist. Surv. Reports No. 331:6. Post, S.L. 1996. No place like Volo Bog. The Illinois Steward 5(1):14-19. Post, S.L. 1996. Shooting stars. Ill. Nat. Hist. Surv. Reports No. 339:6. Post, S.L. and M.R. Jeffords. 1992. Beall Woods. Ill. Nat. Hist. Surv. Reports No. 317:4-S. Reuter, M. 1995. Rediscovering a sense of place in the Illinois River valley. Illinois Steward 4(3): 18-22. Rice, T.E. 1990. The grand Kankakee. The Nature of Illinois 4(2):4-6. Richardson, J.W. 1996. The bandits of the Shawnee Forest. Illinois Steward 5(2):4-7. Schwegman, J.E. 1986. Algific (cold producing) slopes in Illinois and their vascular plants. Erigenia 7:3-14. 166 - REFERENCES Schwegman, J.E. 1973. Comprehensive plan for the Illinois nature preserves system, part 2 - the natural divisions of Illinois. Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, Rockfod, IL. 32 pp. Schwegman, J. 1994. Heart-leaf plantain: an endangered Illinois plant. Illinois Steward 3(1):22-24. Smith, P.W. 1979. The Fishes of Illinois. University of Illinois Press. 314 pp. University of Illinois. Robert Allerton Park. Brochure. Westemeier, R. and R. Jansen. 1995. Nonresident prairie chickens in Illinois. Ill. Nat. Hist. Surv. Reports No. 332:1,9. White, John. 1978. Illinois natural areas inventory technical report, vol. I. Report to the Illinois Department of Conservation. 426 pp. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS - ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project was funded by the Office of Realty and Environmental Planning, Division of Energy and Environmental Assessment, Illinois Department of Natural Resources. We thank Bob Lieberman and Tom Heavisides for their support and input throughout the project. We thank several of the scientists at the Illinois Natural History Survey, particularly Larry Page, Scott Robinson, John Taft, and Steve Kohler, for their input and advice in the selection process. Kate Hunter, Will Hinsman, John Bishop, Don McFall, Jean Karnes, Randall Collins, and Anne Mankowski provided invaluable assistance, particularly with the databases used in this project. Sue Post and Michael Jeffords of the Illinois Natural History Survey staff were most generous in sharing their extensive knowledge of the natural resources of the state. Jim Krohe contributed the Introduction and we thank him for providing this overview of the program. Bill Glass, Fran Harty, Michael Jeffords,Bob Lindsay, Randy Nyboer, Larry Page, Todd Strole, and Bob Szafoni reviewed the RRA material and provided valuable comments. 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