PREFACE 



The 1974 electrof ishing survey, the preparation of the report, and the 

 publication of the first edition were sponsored by the U. S. Army Engineer 

 District, St. Louis, through the U. S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment 

 Station, Vicksburg, Mississippi, as part of an overall investigation entitled 

 "Environment Inventory and Assessment of Navigation Pools 24, 25, and 26, 

 Upper Mississippi and Lower Illinois Rivers: An Electrof ishing Survey of the 

 Illinois River." 



The Water Resources Center with partial support from the Illinois 

 Institute for Environmental Quality, is pleased to reprint this valuable 

 inventory and assessment since the document should be useful to other people 

 interested in the Illinois River. The original distribution was quite limited 

 due to a small initial printing, limited funds of the contract, and a loss in 

 the mailing of a number of copies to the sponsor. 



The report demonstrates the importance of the long-term sampling program 



of the State Natural History Survey in evaluating the changing environmental 



conditions of the Illinois River. It also illustrates the magnitude of man's 



influence on the river, and the complexity of water problems. 



Glenn E. Stout 



Director 



Water Resources Center 



