The Rock River watershed originates in Horicon Marsh, Wisconsin, and joins the Mississippi at Rock Island. Land use in the majority of the watershed is either livestock operations or crop production that negatively affect the water quality of rivers, streams, and lakes in the watershed. Approximately 90% of the wetlands in the Illinois portion of this watershed have been ditched, drained, or altered.
Conservation Work
The opportunities for conservation within this priority area need to be explored. Along the Mississippi River, restoration and protection opportunities likely exist for migration habitat, mostly inside protective levees. In the upper reaches of the watershed in Boone, DeKalb, and McHenry Counties, opportunities for restoration of breeding habitat are possible, but not developed. The overriding objective here is to do the background work and develop a program specific to the focus area needs for waterfowl.
Waterfowl Benefits
Historically, the area between Burlington Iowa and Keokuk Illinois served as an important migration site for lesser scaup, canvasbacks, and other diving ducks.
