Agencies
Services
Land and Water Reserve Area
4
County
Hancock
Location
The site is in east-central Hancock County, just north of US Route 136, 18 miles west of Macomb, and 9 miles east of Carthage.
Description
Cecil White Prairie Land and Water Reserve consists of dry-mesic upland forest and mesic upland forest with scattered ridges of loess hill prairie and heavily wooded ravines leading to an intermittent creek boarded by a successional field. The Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI #0155) recognizes the site for having 1-acre of high-quality Grade B loess hill prairie. There is additionally one-acre of Grade C loess hill prairie. The hill prairies contains a mix of conservative forbs such as goat’s rue, leadplant, pale purple coneflower, and rough blazing star. Native grasses include poverty oats, little bluestem, and Indian grass. Bordering the hill prairie and extending to the west in the understory of the lightly timbered woodlands are mountain mints, Carolina rose, smooth petunia, and wood mint. The canopy trees are dominated by white oaks and shagbark hickory. The north-facing forested slopes include patches of maidenhair ferns and Christmas ferns. The site has been undergoing extensive management in the form of tree clearing and prescribed fire meant to gradually thin out the tree cover on the south/southwest facing slopes (facing the road).
Ownership
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Natural Division
Galesburg Section of the Western Forest-Prairie Natural Division (#7a)
Registered
October 2002
Size
33 acres
Access
The site is open to the public. Primary access to the reserve is from North County Road 2880. There is not a dedicated parking lot, however, the road receives light traffic allowing parking along the roadside. While there is no formal trail system the best way to access the site is straight up the hill from the entrance sign in the southeast corner. It is a gradual slope up the ridge across the hill prairie.
Topographic Quad
Fountain Green
For Further Information
Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL 62702
217-785-8686
DNR.INPC@illinois.gov