Restoring the Illinois River--The Nature Conservancy's Spunky Bottoms and Emiquon Projects

Dr. K. Douglas Blodgett

Illinois River Project Director

The Nature Conservancy

Illinois River Project Office at Emiquon

Lewistown, IL

Abstract

The Illinois River sustained over 600 generations of Native Americans and as recently as a century ago was well known for its waterfowl,  fish, and mussel resources.  The phenomenal biological productivity and diversity of the Illinois River resulted from its broad floodplain and a predictable flood pulse hydrology to which native plant and animal communities were well adapted.  During the first half of the last century, numerous changes negatively impacted the river ecosystem.  Approximately one-half of the river's floodplain was leveed and drained.  Dramatic changes throughout the watershed (including pollution, wetland destruction, stream channelization, installation of impervious surfaces, conversion of prairies and timbers to row crop agriculture, and construction and operation of navigation dams) altered the river's hydrology and water quality.  More recently there has been growing interest in restoring the river and the multitude of benefits it can provide.

With partners, The Nature Conservancy is working to re-establish functional river floodplain habitat as one strategy for restoring and the biological productivity and diversity of the Illinois River.  The Conservancy's 1200-acre Merwin Preserve at Spunky Bottoms Project in Brown County and the 7100-acre Emiquon Preserve in Fulton County are science-based restoration projects that will serve as models for the restoration and management of floodplain lands.  Restoration and management at these two sites will include the re-establishment of key ecological processes (such as a more natural hydrology) to rehabilitate these formerly diverse habitats that contributed to the health of the Illinois River.  Project monitoring will provide feedback for adaptive management and to facilitate sharing of lessons learned.