"Bringing Back a Complex Landscape" Sign, Dixon Waterfowl Refuge - Hennepin, IL - Flora and Fauna Information Signs on Waymarking.com

Near Hennepin, off IL Route 26, is the Sue and Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge, which has several flora and fauna signs within the refuge, including this one about the restoration of habitat here.

The refuge is located south of Hennepin and a few miles south of the intersection of IL Route 26 and IL Route 71/I-18. If traveling south, there is a sign where you take a right (west) fork. Follow the fork to another fork, where you take a right and enter the refuge. Park in the lot and walk the short distance to the observation tower. There is no entrance fee.

The sign is one of several at the tower. This sign is specific to how the habitats were restored at this location to provide wetlands that can help manage the water levels of the mighty Illinois River at this location. Rather than specify plants that are here, the sign shows a map of the refuge with colored areas representing specific habitats created, both wetland and upland. There are four types of prairie here - one upland and three wetland, woodlands, emergent marsh, open water and more. The sign doesn't describe any of them in detail, but by lining up the area with the map, you might be able to identify such places from the tower. The map also points out angular features in the lake which were former drainage canals, and the levee. The river is beyond the levee.

In addition to the observation tower, which stands 30 ft above the surface, there is a nature trail about a 1/2 mile long in one direction. There are signs along this trail as well. There is also a boat launch where you can put in a canoe, kayak, or like boat and venture out into the lake.

The Wes and Sue Dixon Waterfowl Refuge was created over 10 years ago and owned by the Wetland Initiative to created and preserve natural habitats for bird migrations and rare plant-animal ecosystems.

Source:

Wetlands Initiative (Dixon Waterfowl Refuge):
(visit link)

Visit Instructions:
Take a photo of yourself (and others) at the waymark and feel free to share any additional information or that is not contained on the sign or your experience generally.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.