Agencies
Services
Nature Preserve Area
2
County
Cook
Location And Access
From Elgin, take Villa Street southeast to Liberty Street, then turn and go south 0.8 mile to Bluff City Blvd., then turn and go east 0.6 mile to Bluff City Cemetery, then turn south into the cemetery. The nature preserve is south of the cemetery.
Description
Located in the Morainal Section of the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division, Bluff Spring Fen contains many unique natural features. The plant communities, dry gravel prairie, mesic black soil prairie, bur oak savanna, fen, sedge meadow and marsh, support a variety of threatened and endangered plant species. The fen is of particular interest because this community occurs only where highly calcareous water continually seeps up through the soil. In Illinois fens are limited to the northern third of the state. The preserve provides breeding habitat for bird species such as willow flycatcher, woodcock, wood duck and yellow-breasted chat.
Ownership
Forest Preserve District of Cook County and City of Elgin
Dedicated
January 1987
Size
95.17 acres
Topographic Quad
Elgin
Topo Map
For Further Information
Contact: Forest Preserve District of Cook County, 536 North Harlem Avenue, River Forest, IL 60305 (800/870-3666)
1/2009 - R. Heidorn