Agencies
Services
Land and Water Reserve Area
6
County
Coles
Location
The site is on the east side of the Embarras River and west of IL-130, about 2.5 miles south of the city of Charleston in Coles County. It is adjacent to Woodyard Memorial Conservation Area Land and Water Reserve, Ambraw Woods Land and Water Reserve, and Warbler Woods North Land and Water Reserve.
Description
Warbler Bottoms North protects a biologically diverse segment of the Embarras River and associated early successional woodland and habitat for several state-threatened or endangered animals. It includes a 0.98-mile segment of the Embarras River, recognized as a high-quality stream by the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI #1427) and the associated riparian corridor. The natural communities include dry-mesic upland forest, mesic upland forest, and wet-mesic floodplain forest. Dry-mesic upland forest occurs along the tops of the ridges at the highest points of the reserve. Characteristic plants are white oak, red oak, shagbark, hickory, and flowering dogwood. Mesic upland forest occurs along the ravine slopes, and is dominated by sugar maple, red oak, pawpaw, Ohio buckeye, and American columbo. Wet-mesic floodplain forest occurs along the Embarras River, and its characteristic plants include Ulmus sp., silver maple, hackberry, and bur oak.
Ownership
Grand Prairie Friends
Natural Division
Grand Prairie Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division (#4a)
Registered
October 2019
Size
232 acres
Access
The site is open to the public. There are maintained trails and a parking lot at the end of East Country Road. It is open from dawn to dusk.
Topographic Quad
Charleston South
For Further Information
Visit the Grand Prairie Friends Website or Contact the INPC
Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
One Natural Resources Way
Springfield, IL 62702
217-785-8686
DNR.INPC@illinois.gov