Agencies
Services
Land and Water Reserve Area
2
County
McHenry
Location
Black-Crown Marsh is in northeastern Illinois along the common boundary of Lake and McHenry counties and situated within the resource rich area of the Fox River watershed. It is managed as part of Moraine Hills State Park.
Description
There are precious few wetland sites remaining in northern Illinois where conservation opportunities exist at the scale found at Black-Crown Marsh. Here, most of the wetland basin and surrounding uplands are owned by conservation agencies. The juxtaposition of the site as a headwater feature to the high-quality wetlands and protected lands located at Moraine Hills State Park make this site even more important for maintaining water quality and restoring natural hydrology. The wetland basin has been documented to support a diverse suite of wetland dependent birds, and while their populations have been in decline over recent years, there is consensus among biologists that this wetland basin can be managed with a water control structure to re-establish hemi-marsh conditions. Once hemi-marsh conditions are re-established, it is anticipated that the basin will once again attract a diverse array of wetland dependent birds – including those state-listed species that flocked to the site in the late 1990s. The Black-crown Marsh basin is a category II INAI site recognized for suitable habitat supporting 7 state-listed bird species. It is also recognized as an Advanced Identification Wetland by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The site is also a significant feature within the Lake-McHenry Wetlands Conservation Opportunity Area as part of the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan.
Ownership
Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Private Ownership
Natural Division
Morainal Section of the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division (#3a)
Registered
August 2001
Size
371 acres
Access
The site is open to the public only on the Illinois Department of Natural Resource owned portion. Access is on north side of the site off Wagner Road.
Topographic Quad
Wauconda
For Further Information
Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL 62702
217-785-8686
DNR.INPC@illinois.gov