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Goose 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. |
SIZE: 152,669 acres; 239 square miles
LOCATION: Northeastern Ilinois south of Joliet; Grundy and Will counties
The dominant feature of the Prairie Parklands RRA is the recently created Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, the nation's first federally designated tallgrass prairie, at the former Joliet Arsenal. Significant natural features in the RRA include prairies, wetlands, and streams. The southern border of Prairie Parklands RRA adjoins the Kankakee-Iroquois RRA.
The upland sandpiper, a bird that inhabits prairies, pastures, and hayfields, 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.
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.
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.
STATE AND FEDERAL LAND: Twenty-two percent of this RRA is state or federal land. Two state parks and a state conservation area are located in the Prairie Parklands RRA. At the time of this analysis the largest public holding, with 26,904 acres, was the Joliet Arsenal; much of this land will become the Midewin National 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 |
2 |
|
State Conservation Areas |
1 |
|
State Forests |
0 |
|
State Fish & Wildlife Areas |
0 |
|
Acreage |
7,324 |
|
Percentage of RRA |
4.8 |
| Federal Land | |
|
Acreage |
26,904 |
|
Percentage of RRA |
17.6 |
| LANDCOVER |
Acres |
% of RRA |
| Upland forest | 1,691.45 | 7.66 |
| Bottomland forest | 3,225.38 | 2.11 |
| Wetland - nonforested | 3,485.30 | 2.28 |
| Grassland | 46,474.97 | 30.44 |
| Cropland | 68,991.81 | 45.19 |
| Urban/Built-up | 10,778.23 | 7.06 |
| Water | 8,023.51 | 5.26 |
| TOTAL | 152,670.65 | 100.00 |
| ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES |
Acres |
| Blodgett Road Dolomite Prairie | * |
| Braidwood Dunes and Savanna | 298 |
| Collins Station Prairie | 15 |
| Des Plaines Dolomite Prairie | 9 |
| Goose Lake Prairie | 1,674 |
| Grant Creek Prairie | 117 |
| Hitts Siding Prairie | 244 |
| Illinois River -Dresden | 847 |
| Joliet Army Ammunition Plant | 5,831 |
| Kankakee River | 698 |
| Manhattan Creek | 29 |
| Munch Area | 142 |
| Plaines Station Geological Area | 5 |
| Rock Run Corn Salad Site | 3 |
| Rockdale Geological Area | 4 |
| Schweizer West Geological Area | 3 |
| Wilmington Geological Area | 2 |
| Wilmington Shrub Prairie | 115 |
| * = point location, map not available |
| BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS |
Miles |
| Illinois River, above Dresden L&D | 7.1 |
| Kankankee River, Momence to Des Plaines Cons. Area | 8.4 |
| Manhatten Creek | 8.4 |
| NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES | ||
| Communities |
Occurrences |
Types/Species |
|
Lake |
1 | 1 |
|
Wetland |
3 | 2 |
|
Savanna |
1 | 1 |
|
Prairie |
17 | 8 |
| Threatened and Endangered Animals | ||
|
Bird |
23 | 10 |
|
Fish |
6 | 4 |
|
Insect |
5 | 2 |
|
Mollusk |
1 | 1 |
| Threatened and Endangered Plants | ||
|
Plant-Dicot |
13 | 9 |
|
Plant-Monocot |
7 | 5 |
|
Plant-Fern/Fern Ally |
4 | 2 |
| Geological Feature | ||
|
Geological Feature |
4 | 1 |
| STATE AND FEDERAL LAND | |
| State Parks |
Acres |
|
Goose Lake Prairie |
2,412 |
|
Illinois & Michigan Canal |
260 |
| State Conservation Areas | |
| Des Plaines | 4,652 |
| State Forests | 0 |
| State Fish and Wildlife Areas | 0 |
| Federal Land | |
|
Joliet Arsenal |
26,904 |
| ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES |
Acres |
| Braidwood Dunes and Savanna | 244 |
| Goose Lake Prairie | 1,580 |
| Grant Creek Prairie | 69 |
| Sand Ridge Savanna | 158 |
| Short Pioneer Cemetery Prairie | 1 |
| Wilmington Shrub Prairie | 157 |
| NATURAL DIVISIONS |
Acres in RRA |
% of RRA |
% of Division |
| Grand Prairie | 136,906 | 89.7 | 1.1 |
| Northeastern Morainal | 15,763 | 10.3 | 0.6 |