Agencies
Services
Nature Preserve Area
4
County
McDonough
Location And Access
This nature preserve is located within Lake Argyle State Park north of Colchester. Illinois Route 136 travels west from Macomb to Colchester where visitors can follow signs north to the park. The park brochure shows the location of the nature preserve on the east side of the lake.
Description
Barrens, a type of plant community characterized by gnarled, stunted, open-grown trees, scattered shrubs and an herbaceous understory composed of prairie plants, occur on thin soil over bedrock. Scattered, open-grown individuals of white and black oak plus shagbark hickory are present in the woody overstory of the Argyle Hollow Barrens. The shrubs hazelnut and aromatic sumac and the prairie plants little bluestem grass, leadplant, white prairie clover, showy goldenrod and poverty grass are the dominant plants of the herbaceous understory. Outcrops of sandstone are present throughout the barrens. Barrens were once very common in Illinois, but they are now very rare.
Ownership
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Dedicated
March 1993
Size
15.4 acres
Topographic Quad
Colchester
Topo Map
For Further Information
Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Biologist, Jubilee College State Park, 13921 West Route 150, Brimfield, IL 61517 (309/446-8181)