CHAIN O' LAKES - FOX RIVER
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Because of its glacial history, wetlands are particularly concentrated in northeastern Illinois. A variety of wetland types, such as marshes, sedge meadows, fens, and bogs, support a unique and sometimes rare flora and fauna. Bogs in Illinois are limited to glacial depressions in the northeastern part of the state. Acidic conditions created by the lack of drainage and accumulation of layers of peat support uniquely adapted flora, such as leatherleaf, blueberry, cranberry, ferns, orchids, pitcherplant, sundew, poison sumac, and tamarack. |
Size: 285,844 acres; 447 square miles
Location: Northeastern Illinois; Lake, McHenry, Cook, and Kane counties
The Chain O' Lakes-Fox River RRA encompasses the area of most recent glaciation in Illinois. Significant natural features in this poorly drained area include glacial landforms, natural lakes, and wetlands. Many wetland types are found in this RRA, such as bogs, fens, seeps, and shallow and deep marshes. Some rare species and community types are limited in their distribution to this area of the state. Urban expansion from the Chicago metropolitan region continues to put severe pressure on the natural resources in this region.
LANDCOVER - The predominant landcover in this RRA is urban/built-up
(30%). This site has the highest urban/built-up acreage and ranks fifth
in percentage of urban-built up area. Twenty percent of this site is wooded
and 20% is cropland. Chain O' Lakes - Fox River has the most nonforested
wetlands acreage (20,839 acres) and ranks first for percentage of nonforested
wetlands among the RRAs.
NATURAL AREAS - This site has the second highest number of Natural Areas. The 72 Natural Areas include bogs, fens, seeps, marshes, sedge meadows, natural lakes, glacial features, and prairies.
BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS - The Chain O' Lakes - Fox River RRA has 15 BSS locations, 14 of which are lakes.
HERITAGE SITES - This site has 476 Heritage occurrences, the highest number among the RRAs. There are 23 significant community types, 73 plants species, 23 animal species, and five rookeries in this area.
STATE AND FEDERAL LAND - State land in this RRA consists of two state parks: Chain O' Lakes and McHenry Dam & Lake Defiance. There is no federal land in this site.
NATURE PRESERVES - There are 34 Nature Preserves within this RRA. Principal natural features are bogs, fens, marshes, glacial lakes, sedge meadows, and prairies.
NATURAL DIVISIONS This site is entirely within the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division.
SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS
| Total Acreage |
285,844 |
| Natural Areas | |
| Acreage | 9,442 |
| Number | 72 |
| Biologically Significant Stream Mileage | 35.6 |
| Natural Heritage Sites | 476 |
| State Land | |
| State Parks | 2 |
| State Conservation Areas | 0 |
| State Forests | 0 |
| State Fish & Wildlife Areas | 0 |
| Acreage | 5,338 |
| Percentage of RRA | 1.9 |
| Federal Land | |
| Acreage | 0 |
| Percentage of RRA | 0.0 |
| LANDCOVER |
Acres |
%of RRA |
| Upland forest |
53,844.17 |
18.84 |
| Bottomland forest |
3,548.32 |
1.24 |
| Wetland-nonforested |
20,839.32 |
7.29 |
| Grassland |
43,652.61 |
15.27 |
| Cropland |
58,220.21 |
20.37 |
| Urban/Built-up |
86,778.57 |
30.36 |
| Water |
18,956.48 |
6.63 |
| TOTAL |
285,839.68 |
100.00 |
| ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES |
Acres |
|
| Algonquin Geological Area | 10 | |
| Antioch Bog | 85 | |
| Baker's Lake | 207 | |
| Barrington Bog | 46 | |
| Bates Fen | 50 | |
| Black-crown Marsh | * | |
| Boone Creek Fen and Seep | 71 | |
| Carpentersville White Fringed Orchid Site | 1 | |
| Cary Junior High Prairie | 7 | |
| Cary Main Street Prairie | 4 | |
| Cary Old Water Tower Prairie | 50 | |
| Cedar Lake | 344 | |
| Channel Lake | 320 | |
| Chicago Junior School Area | 23 | |
| Cotton Creek Marsh | 294 | |
| Crabtree Nature Center | 601 | |
| Cross Lake | 22 | |
| Cuba Marsh | 32 | |
| Deep Lake | 225 | |
| Deer Lake--Redwing Slough | 129 | |
| Delta Kames | 699 | |
| Dunn's Lake | 62 | |
| Elizabeth Lake | 229 | |
| Exner Marsh | 299 | |
| Fairfield Road Marsh South | 34 | |
| Fox River Fen | 27 | |
| Gavin Bog and Prairie | 41 | |
| Genoa City Sedge Meadow | 126 | |
| Gladstone Fen | 11 | |
| Grass Lake Wetlands | 557 | |
| Hebron Peatland | * | |
| Helm's Woods | 83 | |
| Hillside Prairie | 17 | |
| Hollows Conservation Area | 37 | |
| Intern Seep | * | |
| Kettle Moraine | 443 | |
| Lac Louette | 167 | |
| Lake-in-the-Hills Fen | 147 | |
| Lange Road Marsh | * | |
| Larsen Prairie | 20 | |
| Lily Lake | 88 | |
| Loon Lake | 166 | |
| Lyons Prairie and Marsh | 451 | |
| Nippersink Marsh | 270 | |
| Nippersink Prairie | 22 | |
| North Branch of Nippersink Creek | * | |
| Parker Fen | 8 | |
| Pistakee Bog | 291 | |
| Rivers Bend Marsh | 5 | |
| Roberts Road Fen | 24 | |
| Round Lake | 227 | |
| Round Lake Marsh | 222 | |
| Schreiber Lake Bog | * | |
| Ski Hill Prairie | 5 | |
| Sleepy Hollow | 22 | |
| Spring Creek Prairie | 18 | |
| Spring Grove Fen | 61 | |
| Stanley Road Bog | 16 | |
| State Line Marsh | 15 | |
| Sterne's Fen | 51 | |
| Stickney Run Conservation Area | 445 | |
| Streets Lake | 88 | |
| Sun Lake | 25 | |
| Tower Lake Fen | 74 | |
| Trout Park | 26 | |
| Turnberry Fen | 40 | |
| Turner Lake | 140 | |
| Veteran's Acres Park | 5 | |
| Volo Bog | 324 | |
| Wauconda Bog | 623 | |
| Weingart Road Sedge Meadow | 73 | |
| Windance Acres Marsh | 93 | |
| * = point location, map not available |
| BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS |
Miles |
| Bangs Lake | 3.3 |
| Cedar Lake | 3.1 |
| Cross Lake | 0.5 |
| Crystal Lake | 3.1 |
| Deep Lake | 2.6 |
| East Loon Lake | 2.4 |
| Grays Lake | 1.3 |
| Lily Lake | 1.7 |
| McCullom Lake | 2.3 |
| N. Br. Nippersink Cr., WI border to Nippersink Cr | 7.1 |
| Round Lake | 2.3 |
| Sullivan Lake | 1.4 |
| Turner Lake | 1.1 |
| West Loon Lake | 1.9 |
| Wooster Lake | 1.6 |
| NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES | ||
| Communities | Occurrences | Types/Species |
| Lake | 11 | 2 |
| Wetland | 65 | 12 |
| Forest | 2 | 2 |
| Savanna | 2 | 2 |
| Prairie | 10 | 5 |
| Threatened and Endangered Animals | ||
| Bird | 84 | 15 |
| Fish | 33 | 5 |
| Insect | 2 | 2 |
| Mollusk | 2 | 1 |
| Threatened and Endangered Plants | ||
| Plant-Dicot | 117 | 32 |
| Plant-Gymnosperm | 9 | 2 |
| Plant-Monocot | 133 | 39 |
| Geological Feature | ||
| Geological Feature | 1 | 1 |
| Other | ||
| Rookery | 5 | 1 |
| STATE AND FEDERAL LAND | Acres |
| State Parks | |
| Chain-O-Lakes | 3,669 |
| McHenry Dam & Lake Defiance | 1,669 |
| State Conservation Areas | 0 |
| State Forests | 0 |
| State Fish and Wildlife Areas | 0 |
| Federal Land | 0 |
| ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES | Acres |
| Bakers Lake | 170 |
| Barrington Bog | 46 |
| Bates Fen | 229 |
| Carl&Claire Marie Sands-Main St. Prairie | 75 |
| Cary Prairie | 7 |
| Cedar Lake Bog | 25 |
| Cotton Creek Marsh | 252 |
| Elizabeth Lake | 99 |
| Exner Marsh | 115 |
| Farm Trails North | 23 |
| Fox River Fen | 8 |
| Gavin Bog and Prairie | 103 |
| Glacial Park | 446 |
| Gladstone Fen | 4 |
| Helm Woods | 106 |
| Julia M. & Royce L. Parker Fen | 11 |
| Kemper Park | 13 |
| Kettle Moraine | 281 |
| Kishwaukee Fen | 50 |
| Lake-in-the-Hills Fen | 184 |
| Lyons Prairie and Marsh | 237 |
| Oakwood Hills Fen | 11 |
| Pistakee Bog | 87 |
| Spring Grove Fen | 30 |
| Spring Lake | 535 |
| Stern's Fen | 196 |
| Tower Lakes Fen | 8 |
| Trout Park | 18 |
| Turner Lake Fen | 86 |
| Volo Bog | 151 |
| Wagner Fen | 46 |
| Wauconda Bog | 67 |
| Weingart Road Sedge Meadow | 47 |
| Wingate Prairie | 64 |
| NATURAL DIVISIONS |
Acres in RRA |
% ofRRA |
% of Division |
| Northeastern Morainal | 285,845 | 100.0 | 11.6 |