|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||
|
|
The Nature Conservancy in Illinois Illinois Contact Places We Protect Field Trips & Events Press Releases Volunteer Ways of Giving |
|
|
|
||||
The Mackinaw River
|
|
Increasing urban development and changing agricultural practices, resulting in pollution and habitat loss, have damaged this once clear river. Despite a decline in wildlife from pollution and habitat loss, the Mackinaw River watershed is one of the state's finest examples of a restorable watershed.
Should conservation efforts be successful, the information gathered will help communities in similar situations protect their most important resource.
Location
North of Bloomington in central Illinois
Animals
Although the channelization of smaller tributaries has caused a severe loss of habitat at the Mackinaw River, you still can find the state-threatened slippershell mussel and the great blue heron here.
Plants
Sumacs, hickories and oaks line the banks of the river. Although many species of plants have disappeared, treasures like the heart-leaved plantain, purple coneflower and wild columbine still can be found here.
What the Conservancy Is Doing/Has Done
The Mackinaw River watershed contains some of the most productive agricultural land in the nation. The rich soils here produce abundant crops, primarily corn and soybeans. The Conservancy is working with numerous partners, including local farmers, to help guide and influence the use of conservation-oriented agricultural techniques.
The Conservancy has conducted a five-year Paired Watershed Study within the Mackinaw River watershed. Funded by a generous grant from the Kellogg Foundation, the study is showing that focused outreach efforts - meetings and agricultural demonstrations - can persuade farmers to use suggested conservation-oriented agricultural practices. The study also is showing that such practices can benefit water quality in local streams and wetlands.
The results of the Paired Watershed Study have potentially far-reaching implications on landowner behavior and agricultural policy. If replicated in multiple river systems throughout the Upper Mississippi River Basin, the suggested conservation-oriented agricultural practices, in concert with other preservation and restoration activities, have the potential to significantly improve water quality throughout the Midwest.
The Conservancy's work along the Mackinaw River contributes to the Great Rivers Partnership's efforts to share science among organizations working protect the tributary streams of the Mississippi River and other large river systems around the world.
