The removal of vast acreages of bottomland forest in preparation 

 for impounding waters in Pools 24, 25, and 26 resulted in the loss of 

 much potentially important deer range. The greatest single area of loss 

 occurred between Grafton and Hardin in Pool 26. 



In Missouri the largest population of deer occurs in the southern 

 portion of the state, but sizeable numbers are found in the bottomlands 

 adjacent to Pools 24, 25, and 26. Deer kill figures for the counties 

 bordering Pools 24, 25, and 26 were obtained from Wayne Porath, deer 

 biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation (Table 55 ) . Like 

 the figures from Illinois, they include deer killed in both upland and 

 bottomland areas but represent the distribution of deer killed along 

 the Mississippi valley. It was estimated that from 30-40 deer per 

 square mile occupy the bottomland timber of Pools 24, 25, and 26. The 

 continued clearing of bottomland timber throughout Illinois and Missouri 

 as a result of intensified agricultural practices has reduced deer habitat 

 and increased the value of the remaining Illinois and Mississippi River 

 bottomland forest. Further destruction of bottomland timber through 

 clearing or inundation would adversely affect the deer population. 



Squirrels 



Two species of squirrels occupy the floodplain forest of the 

 Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The fox squirrel, usually the most 

 numerous, occupies both extensive and small tracts of woods, while the 

 grey squirrel, which is often less abundant, usually occurs only in ex- 

 tensive tracts of mature woodlands. The main food source of both species 

 is mast of hardwood trees and flowers, fruits, and buds of elms and 

 maples. Mature trees also provide hollows for breeding and protection. 

 The nine-foot channel project adversely affected squirrel populations 

 in two ways: (1) logging of mature trees in preparation for inunda- 

 tion, and (2) increased water levels which affected survival of mature 

 trees. 



The Illinois River bottomland can support a density of up to two 

 squirrels per acre, depending on the quality of the habitat (personal 

 communication, January 24, 1978, S. Havera, squirrel biologist, Illinois 



185 



