Agencies
Services
Land and Water Reserve Area
5
County
Macoupin
Location
Beaver Dam Glacial Drift Hill Prairie Land and Water Reserve is in central Macoupin County. The City of Carlinville and State Route 108 are about six miles northeast, and the Village of Shipman and Illinois State Route 16 are about nine miles southwest. The state-maintained Carlinville-Shipman Blacktop connects the two towns and passes the entrance to Beaver Dam State Park.
Description
Beaver Dam Glacial Drift Hill Prairie Land and Water Reserve encompasses the northwest corner of Beaver Dam State Park. The Park land cover dominated by Dry-mesic Upland Forest and Dry-mesic Woodland is an important example of the natural communities of the Carlinville Section of the Western Forest-Prairie Natural Division. The site protects the high-quality natural communities and listed species that are found within the Beaver Dam Glacial Drift Hill Prairie Illinois Natural Areas Inventory site (INAI#1536). The site was added to the INAI in 1997 under Category II due to the presence of specific suitable habitat for state-endangered species. In 2011, resulting from survey work conducted during the INAI Update Project, the INAI was expanded to include a Category I designation for the high-quality Grade B Glacial Drift Hill Prairie and Grade C Best of Kind Dry-mesic Woodland. The site contains habitat supporting at least eight bird species and one reptile identified as Species of Greatest Conservation Need from the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan.
Ownership
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Natural Division
Carlinville Section of the Western Forest-Prairie Natural Division (#7b)
Registered
September 2023
Size
40 acres
Access
Public access to the site is allowed via a gravel parking area off Ridge Road. Unimproved hiking trails though the uplands are available for public recreational use.
Topographic Quad
Plainview
For Further Information
Visit the State Park Website or Contact the INPC
Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL 62702
217-785-8686
DNR.INPC@illinois.gov