Several forest habitat improvement projects are underway at Ducks Unlimited’s Wightman Lake property located along the Illinois River near Sparland, Illinois. In 2006, DU worked with Illinois Forestry Consulting to develop and implement a forest management plan to improve habitat for waterfowl, songbirds and other wildlife. As part of this plan, DU contracted with Illini Hardwood, a local commercial timber company, to harvest approximately 200 mature silver maple and cottonwood trees to create small openings within the existing bottomland forest. At the same time, DU planted a mix of swamp white oak, pecan and other hardwood tree species on approximately 12 acres of adjacent retired cropland that is frequently flooded.

Plans for 2007 call for additional timber stand improvement work around the forest openings by girdling and cutting poor quality trees and inter-planting oaks and other more desirable tree species within the openings. DU is working with the Great Rivers Research and Education Center to monitor resulting changes in forest habitat at Wightman Lake. These changes in turn can be compared to bird surveys also being conducted on DU’s property that are tracking prothonotary warblers, redheaded woodpeckers and other bird species of concern that use the area during the summer breeding season. In addition to benefiting forest songbirds, a healthy and more diverse bottomland forest also provides better habitat for waterfowl, especially when flooded during spring migration.

Funding for forest habitat work at Wightman Lake is supported by a $21,250 grant from the Upper Mississippi River Forestry Partnership and complements additional wetland habitat restoration work which is underway at the site. Eventually, DU plans to donate the Wightman Lake property to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.