[BCNnet] SunTimes article on Emiquon restoration
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Tue, 16 Dec 2003 08:11:22 EST
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FYI: from today's Sun-Times - Randi Doeker, Chicago
Conservationists to restore major Illinois wetland
December 16, 2003
BY GARY WISBY Environment Reporter
It's the largest wetland restoration project in the United States outside the
Florida Everglades.
Under way on the Illinois River south of Peoria, 3-1/2 hours from Chicago,
the work embraces 10,000 acres known as Emiquon.
"This is rare on a global scale," said Michael Reuter, chief conservation
officer for the Nature Conservancy, which paid $18.4 million for 7,600 acres. The
federal government owns the rest.
The Illinois is one of only three large floodplain rivers in the world that
are recoverable.
"Six hundred generations of Native Americans lived there because the land was
so rich and plentiful," Reuter said. "It's the crown jewel of the Illinois
River valley."
Near Dixon Mounds, the famous Indian burial ground, the river flooded often,
leaving behind fertile topsoil. But about 1920, during a time Emiquon was
owned by salt tycoon Joy Morton, it was drained to create farmland.
The Emiquon project, involving 40 scientists from around the country, will
"add water and stir."
Work on a 2,000-acre area nearby called Spunky Bottom provides a model. In
2000 it attracted up to 16,000 waterfowl, twice as many as the year before.
"It's as close as you get to instant gratification in the conservation
business," Reuter said.
Nature Conservancy staffer Jo Skoglund, who lives in Havana, Ill., across the
river from Emiquon, said, "We had so many eagles in the bay yesterday that I
couldn't get any work done. I had two immatures clashing talons right over my
backyard about 30 feet in the air."
One day recently ducks were as closely packed as in an M. C. Escher print.
"They had to take off in waves because there were so many they would bump into
each other," Nature Conservancy spokeswoman Genie Ehnis-Lester said.
"We take doubters to see Spunky Bottom," Reuter said. "Then we go back to
Emiquon and they see the scale and they say, 'This is too cool.' "
Emiquon once was one of the biggest fishing sites in the nation, producing 12
million pounds in 1908. Still, it supports 100 different species, including
sturgeon, gar and the big-nosed paddlefish.
The restoration is expected to be completed by 2005. The current
"guesstimate" of the cost is $6 million.
In September, Reuter attended a Large Rivers Rehabilitation Conference in the
Netherlands. "They were astounded at the scale and opportunity of what we
have here," he said.
"What we hope to do is to be able to influence how lands all up and down the
Illinois River, the Mississippi and large rivers around the world are managed."
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<H2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT face=3D"Comic=20=
Sans MS" color=3D#800080 size=3D2>FYI: from today's Sun-Times - Randi Doeker=
, Chicago</FONT></SPAN></H2>
<H2><FONT size=3D3><B><FONT face=3DArial><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FON=
T-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3D3></FONT></SPAN></FONT></B></FONT> </H2>
<H2><FONT size=3D3><B><FONT face=3DArial><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FON=
T-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3D3>Conservationists to restore major</FONT> </S=
PAN></FONT></B><FONT face=3DArial><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Illinoi=
s</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial><SPAN style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> wetlan=
d </SPAN></FONT></FONT></H2>
<P><I><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-STYLE=
: italic; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">December 16, 2003</SPAN></FONT></I><FONT face=
=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPA=
N></FONT></P>
<P><B><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZ=
E: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">BY <A title=3Dmailto:gwisby@suntimes.com href=
=3D"mailto:gwisby@suntimes.com">GARY WISBY</A> Environment Reporter </SPAN><=
/FONT></B><!-- Empty line is needed --></P>
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DING-TOP: 3pt">
<P class=3DMsoNormal><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3><SPAN style=3D"=
FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P><!--publication CST --><!--pub_section NWS page 14 last modified 12/15/03=
9:36 PM--><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT=
-FAMILY: Arial"><!--deck Scientists will 'add water and stir' to rejuvenate=
Emiquon -->It's the largest wetland restoration project in the </SPAN></FO=
NT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">United States</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=
=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> outside the Florida Everglades. </=
SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">Under way on the </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN styl=
e=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Illinois River</SPAN></FONT><FONT=20=
face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> s=
outh of </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=20=
10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Peoria</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><S=
PAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">, 3-1/2 hours from </SPAN>=
</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMI=
LY: Arial">Chicago</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"F=
ONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">, the work embraces 10,000 acres known a=
s Emiquon. </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">"This is rare on a global scale," said Michael Reuter, chief conserva=
tion officer for the Nature Conservancy, which paid $18.4 million for 7,600=20=
acres. The federal government owns the rest. </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">The </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZ=
E: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Illinois</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=
=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> is one of only thr=
ee large floodplain rivers in the world that are recoverable. </SPAN></FONT>=
</P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">"Six hundred generations of Native Americans lived there because the=20=
land was so rich and plentiful," Reuter said. "It's the crown jewel of the <=
/SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FON=
T-FAMILY: Arial">Illinois River</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SP=
AN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> valley." </SPAN></FONT></P=
>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">Near Dixon Mounds, the famous Indian burial ground, the river flooded=
often, leaving behind fertile topsoil. But about 1920, during a time Emiquo=
n was owned by salt tycoon Joy Morton, it was drained to create farmland. </=
SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">The Emiquon project, involving 40 scientists from around the country,=
will "add water and stir." </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">Work on a 2,000-acre area nearby called Spunky Bottom provides a mode=
l. In 2000 it attracted up to 16,000 waterfowl, twice as many as the year be=
fore. </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">"It's as close as you get to instant gratification in the conservatio=
n business," Reuter said. </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">Nature Conservancy staffer Jo Skoglund, who lives in </SPAN></FONT><F=
ONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial=
">Havana</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=20=
10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">, </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20=
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Ill.</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=
=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">, acro=
ss the river from Emiquon, said, "We had so many eagles in the bay yesterday=
that I couldn't get any work done. I had two immatures clashing talons righ=
t over my backyard about 30 feet in the air." </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">One day recently ducks were as closely packed as in an M. C. Escher p=
rint. "They had to take off in waves because there were so many they would b=
ump into each other," Nature Conservancy spokeswoman Genie Ehnis-Lester said=
. </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">"We take doubters to see Spunky Bottom," Reuter said. "Then we go bac=
k to Emiquon and they see the scale and they say, 'This is too cool.' " </SP=
AN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">Emiquon once was one of the biggest fishing sites in the nation, prod=
ucing 12 million pounds in 1908. Still, it supports 100 different species, i=
ncluding sturgeon, gar and the big-nosed paddlefish. </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">The restoration is expected to be completed by 2005. The current "gue=
sstimate" of the cost is $6 million. </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">In September, Reuter attended a Large Rivers Rehabilitation Conferenc=
e in the </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Netherlands</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=
=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">. "They were astoun=
ded at the scale and opportunity of what we have here," he said. </SPAN></FO=
NT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial">"What we hope to do is to be able to influence how lands all up and d=
own the </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=20=
10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Illinois River</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial siz=
e=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">, the </SPAN></FON=
T><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: A=
rial">Mississippi</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN style=3D"FO=
NT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> and large rivers around the world are ma=
naged."</SPAN></FONT></P></BODY></HTML>
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