Ducks Unlimited (DU) is working to protect and restore a large delta where the Sangamon River joins the Illinois River near Beardstown, Illinois. This unique region, covering nearly 30 square miles, contains the largest expanse of undeveloped wetland habitat remaining in the Illinois River valley.
Historically, the Sangamon River flowed through winding braided river channels, wetland sloughs and backwater lakes that together formed a natural delta with the Illinois River. Stately pin oaks and pecans grew along the banks of the Sangamon River and its adjacent wetlands. In the spring and during most falls, waters of the Sangamon River would slowly rise, flooding thousands of acres of wetland and timber, creating a virtual paradise for both ducks and duck hunters.
In the 1950s, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers channelized a 70-mile reach of the lower Sangamon River in an effort to help reduce flooding and to make the fertile river bottomlands more productive to agriculture. Changes to the river’s natural hydrology resulted in rapid sedimentation of Muscooten Bay, where the Sangamon River was rerouted to join the Illinois River. Over time, silt and sand filled the excavated ditch, and eventually most of the bay, forcing the sediment-laden river to start flowing back into its original channels.
Today, thousands of acres of wetlands and lakes scattered throughout the Sangamon River delta are slowly filling with sediment and are threatened by further degradation. More intensive and longer duration flooding also has killed most of the native pin oaks and pecans that once thrived on Sangamon River ridges and delta islands. At the same time, several historic duck clubs in the area are looking to disband, creating uncertainty as to what will happen to their property.
With help from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation (ICECF), DU has taken an important first step in protecting and restoring the Lower Sangamon River Ecosystem. DU is using a grant from the ICECF to purchase key parcels through which braided channels of the Sangamon River now flow. As part of this strategy, DU purchased 332 acres from the Bushnell Rod and Gun Club in 2006 and secured an option to purchase an adjoining 40-acre parcel. DU also has been exploring the protection of other key properties in the delta. DU hopes to eventually transfer these parcels to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to be added to Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area.
DU’s short-term conservation objective is to allow the Sangamon River to flow naturally to the Illinois River thereby reducing the impact of sedimentation and protecting access to public lands and waters. The long-term objective is to work with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and other partners to improve management capabilities on large, strategically located wetlands, such as Crane Lake, to reduce sedimentation and restore their natural productivity through carefully planned water level management.