Agencies
Services
Land and Water Reserve Area
3
County
Grundy
Location
The site is approximately 7 miles east of Morris, IL in northeastern Grundy County. It lies approximately 1.25 miles south of the Illinois River. The Jugtown Road right-of-way forms the eastern border, Heidecke Lake is directly north, the Midwest Generation LLC plant is to the west, and the south boundary is a line 100 feet north and parallel to the centerline of Pine Bluff Road.
Description
Collins Station Prairie Land and Water Reserve is composed of mesic, wet-mesic, and wet prairies as well as sedge meadow, old field, and degraded early successional woodland. The key feature of this site is the 1.9-acre Grade B mesic prairie included on the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory. The mesic moisture conditions of this remnant prairie allow for maximum plant species diversity and plant height. Dominant species of the mesic prairie include big bluestem, Indian grass, and prairie dropseed. A smaller portion of the site is considered Grade C (dominated by forbs such as prairie dropseed and copper-shouldered oval sedge) and Grade D due to damage by past grazing. Majority of the site is mixed wet-mesic prairie, wet prairie, and sedge meadow. Dominant species of wet-mesic prairie are big bluestem, bluejoint grass, switch grass, Indian grass, and prairie cord grass; characteristic species include whorled loosestrife, prairie sundrops, marsh phlox, balsam ragwort, Culver’s root, and golden Alexanders. The wet prairies and sedge meadow communities are Grade C and appear in areas with poorly drained soils or slight depressions in the landscape that collect water. Wet prairies are dominated by bluejoint grass, sedge species, and prairie cord grass. Sedge meadow contains similar species to those of wet prairies; however, sedge species are primarily dominant. The reserve also serves to buffer Goose Lake Prairie Nature Preserve and provides contiguous habitat for several grassland interior bird species which nest in the large complex.
Ownership
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Natural Division
Grand Prairie Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division (#4a), Kankakee Sand Area Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division (#4e)
Registered
May 2015
Size
638 acres
Access
The site is open to the public. There are currently no maintained trails.
Topographic Quad
Coal City
For Further Information
Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL 62702
217-785-8686
DNR.INPC@illinois.gov