Upper Sangamon River

Description

Upper Sangamon River Land and Water Reserve protects a segment of the Sangamon River and the native aquatic life that depended upon the river. It additionally protects the associated riparian corridor and upland habitat, and all native plants and animals dependent on these forested areas. The Sangamon River is recognized by the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI #1449) as a biologically significant stream that provides important habitat for a relatively high diversity of mussels, including a state threatened species. The river is bordered by bottomland forest in flood-prone areas and by upland forest on slopes and bluffs. Bottomland forest is characterized by silver maple, cottonwood, sycamore, hackberry, and box elder. Typical trees of the mesic-upland forest include red oak, sugar maple, and green ash found on lower and mid-slopes. Upper slopes and ridges host dry-mesic upland forest dominated by white oak, black oak, shagbark hickory, shingle oak, and hop hornbeam. The site, in conjunction with Allerton Park, comprises one of the largest remaining forests in central Illinois. The forest provides important habitat for numerous types of native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, habitat fragmentation sensitive bird species, and other plants and wildlife including many songbirds. Protecting the forest in its natural condition also contributes to the high natural quality of the river by reducing run off and sediments entering the river.