Agencies
Services
Nature Preserve Area
2
County
Lake
Location And Access
From the intersection of Richardson Road and Highway 12 in Spring Grove, take Highway 12 east 2.5 miles to a county road (State Park Road). Take this road 1.75 mile north to the entrance to Chain O'Lakes State Park. The road turns east at the entrance to the park. Follow the park road east and then north for a little more than 0.5 mile to another park road. Turn north on this park road and take it for 0.25 mile to the Turner Lake South camping area. Park in the parking lot. The preserve is west and south of Turner Lake.
Description
Turner Lake Fen is situated along the Fox Lake Moraine representing the western termination of the Valparaiso Morainal System. Calcareous springs and marl deposits are associated with these glacial features creating highly alkaline areas in low peat filled depressions. Communities present are calcareous floating mat, graminoid fen, pond, sedge meadow and mesic savanna. Pitcher plant and beaked spikerush are found in the essentially undisturbed calcareous floating mat communitiy. The graminoid fen is dominated by sterile sedge, big bluestem and wild marsh timothy with pitcher plant, dwarf birsh, hoary willow and several different rushes also present. Sandhill cranes and other wetland dependent birds nest here. This area is known to be an outstanding example of wetlands associated with the glacial lakes and ponds of northeastern Illinois.
Ownership
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Dedicated
September 1988
Size
95 acres
Topographic Quad
Fox Lake
Topo Map
For Further Information
Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL 62702
217-785-8686
or Site Superintendent, Chain O'Lakes State Park, 39947 N. State Park Rd., Spring Grove, IL 60081 (708/587-5512)