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W ILLINOIS 



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General description: In the glaciated northern portion of the state a few 

 remnant bogs exist of which Volo and Wauconda may be the best. In the central 

 prairies the open marshland at Goose Lake is the only habitat of this type re- 

 ported. In the south several splendid wooded bottomland swamps exist, which 

 are subject to periodic flooding and some of which are also fed by large springs. 

 Two wooded wetlands — Long Spring and Cove Spring — are not subjected to 

 these seasonal fluctuations in water level. 



Status of the wetlands: The following encroachments are mentioned as taking 

 place: strip mining, lumbering, flooding to produce a lake, draining for 

 mosquito control, and development for housing and industrial parks. 



Sources of data: Illinois has been well inventoried by its very active Illinois 

 Natural History Survey. The legislature has also established the Illinois Nature 

 Preserves Commission. Two publications giving data on natural areas have been 

 received (Evers 1963: 1-32; Illinois Nature Preserves Commission 1967:1-21). 

 Personnel from both of these agencies have provided information and additional 

 reports have come in from academic biologists. 



Recommendations: Of the two bogs reported, both Volo and Wauconda should 

 probably be considered for landmark status after review in the light of current 

 encroachments. Volo may be the better of the two. Neither are outstanding in 

 the national perspective, but as outliers they represent a unique habitat within 

 the state. They have been acquired by the state through the activity of TNC. 

 Goose Lake should be examined carefully as the only open marshland reported, 

 especially in conjunction with the adjacent prairie types said to be present. The 

 wooded wetlands at Long Spring and Cove Spring, that are presumably not sub- 

 ject to substantial seasonal fluctuations in water level, support a rich and unique 

 herbaceous flora and should be preserved. The riverbottom swamps and sloughs 

 (La Rue Swamp, Little Black Slough, Horseshoe Lake, Grantsburg Swamp) are 

 all fine areas and should probably be reviewed for landmark status in the above 

 listed order. Little Black Slough and Heron Pond are in private ownership and 

 action here may be most urgent. 



Literature cited 



Evers, R. A. 1963. Some unusual Natural Areas in Illinois and a few of their 

 plants. State of III. Dept. of Registration and Education, Natural History Div., 

 Biological Notes, No. 50. 



Illinois Nature Preserves Commission. 1967. Illinois Nature Preserves. Three- 

 year Report. 



