2 / OutdoorIllinois December 2007

An insiders view of growing up amid18,000 acres of wild Illinois.

Home on the…State Fishand Wildlife

Area

Story By Rachel MahanPhotos By Adele Hodde I

f you’d asked me as a kid aboutthe Kaskaskia River State Fishand Wildlife Area—if you’dasked me to show you wherethe minnows pool like water

itself or where the fireflies blink likeChristmas lights in summer—I wouldhave said: “You’re too late,” stampingmy 5-year-old (or 8-year-old or 12-year-old) foot possessively.

We lived next to Baldwin Lake, myyounger sister, Emily, and I. We had

already staked our claim on the area.We explored it, mapped it and evennamed it ourselves. Never mind thisland already had been named and cer-tainly mapped and explored.

Our names included “Bone Island,”which wasn’t even an island; “TheCreek,” which was too ubiquitous tonecessitate another name; and “TheLake” whose presence, if not seen, wasalways known because of tell-tale sea-gulls adrift on air currents.

Now, if you’d twist my arm, I’d haveto admit that you’re really not too late.After all, the site is far too big to havebeen mapped by a couple of kids. Soread carefully, take notes: Here’s an

Accessible fishing areas provide

hours of family fun throughout

the year.

December 2007 OutdoorIllinois / 3

insider’s view of Kaskaskia River StateFish and Wildlife Area.

Roughly 35 miles southeast of St.Louis, the sprawling site contains 36

miles of Kaskaskia River and the landon either side from Fayetteville in thenorth to the Kaskaskia River Lock andDam in the south, near the confluencewith the Mississippi River. The State ofIllinois began piecing together the site’simpressive expanse—18,000 acres ofland and water—in the late 1960s.

Contained within its thousands ofacres is a spectrum of habitats. TheDepartment of Natural Resources, whichmanages much of the site, describes thearea in more than a few words as “acomplex of channelized river, oxbows,sloughs, backwater lakes, bottomlandtimber, cultivated fields, native grasspatches, brushy areas and fallow fields”in one of its brochures.

Cultivated fields? To manage one ofthe largest state-owned sites in Illinoistakes much collaboration and thatincludes renting land to tenant farm-ers. Farmers grow corn, wheat, soy-beans, and other crops in the drierregions on site, said site superinten-dent Mic Middleton.

“You have to have a mixture of habi-tat,” Middleton said, in order to managewildlife populations.

In return, the farmers leave part oftheir crops as food for wildlife, givingthe fields an endearing Mohawk “hair-cut,” in the form of unharvested swaths,in the fall. Deer, turkeys, doves, quail,rabbits and waterfowl all benefit fromthis method. If a hard spring freeze dam-

Thousands of snow geese can be

found each winter on the site’s

designated waterfowl rest area.

Baldwin Power Plant is responsible

for the longer growing season that

is producing record-sized fish.

A full complement of habitats

are present at Kaskaskia River

State Fish and Wildlife Area.

4 / OutdoorIllinois December 2007

ages the nut crop, these swaths providea back-up source of food.

Corn makes up one-fourth of allcrops planted, providing a stable foodsupply for Canada geese that winter insouthern Illinois. But because ofchanges in migration patterns, fewer ofthese geese migrate to the area than inthe past. Instead, a resident populationhelps maintain area goose-hunting andviewing traditions.

A great place to see some of the resi-dent Canada geese close-up is the Bald-win Lake Waterfowl Rest Area, locatedat the boat ramp on the northwest cor-ner of Baldwin Lake.

Because it’s a waterfowl rest area,during peak times in the winter, asmany as 10,000 snow geese can congre-gate on shore. Unlike the Canada geese,they fly up at each disturbance as a furi-ously honking white cloud.

Across the main road from the boatramp, be sure to look in the winter forrabbit tracks disappearing into thefrozen grasses of the restored tall-grassprairie, a relic of ancient Illinois habitat.

While driving south through the parkpast Baldwin Lake, watch for coots orother waterfowl swimming in the shal-low coves along the shoreline. In thespring, pull over and listen for song-birds, and in the summer, take a break

from air conditioning to hear the sym-phony—thousands of insects strong—and to breathe in the heavy scent of thegrowing season in full- swing.

The drive ends at a wildlife-viewingarea overlooking a slender field andseemingly endless woods. This is afavorite spot for white-tailed deer andthe occasional wild turkey to wander.

On other areas of the site, bobcatshave been spotted by both workers andvisitors; there have been reports ofriver otters; and a pair of bald eagleshas nested in a live cottonwood on thebanks of one of the numerous oxbowsclose to the river. Osprey are notuncommon and can be seen catchingfish from Baldwin Lake.

Burr and pin oaks, silver maples, andother bottomland trees make up thewoods, along with upland hardwoodsspecies, such as black cherry and whiteand red oaks. Many of the bottomlandtrees were killed in the floods of 1993and 1995 and in some areas, the Kaskask-ia River claimed 90 percent of the trees,according to local DNR personnel.

Middleton described the phenome-non as like a 500-year flood that hap-pened twice.

“As long as it doesn’t happen again,”he said, “the woods are starting to healthemselves.” The wildlife has long sincereturned, thanks to the hoards of herba-ceous plants and young trees that havesprouted in the vacant sunny patchesalong the river.

DNR also restores habitat that hasbeen eliminated not by floods but bymodern life. Most recently, DNR collab-orated with Ducks Unlimited and usedDuck Stamp Fund monies to restorewetlands near the southern tip of thesite. Many species of waterfowl benefit,including mallards, teal, pintails, gadwalland other puddle ducks. Occasionally,Middleton said, so-called diver ducksmake an appearance in the 45-acre wet-land area, which is due to be completedthis waterfowl hunting season.

Waterfowl aren’t the only wildlifespecies that can be hunted there. Mostof the site, a full 14,000 acres, is hunt-able and much of it during statewidehours and seasons. Hunters can takeanything from rabbits to squirrels andwoodcocks to skunks. Trapping by per-mit with water sets also is allowed.

While hunters can enjoy the normalfirearm and archery deer seasons, spe-cial deer hunts take place during threeof the four seasons—firearm, youth andlate-winter—on a small part of the Bald-win Lake Waterfowl Rest Area. Thenumber and location of hunters isassigned in advance in order to monitorthe safety and quality of the hunt.

The same logic is used on the publicwaterfowl hunting area, Doza CreekWaterfowl Management Area, which

Deer and wild turkey are

commonly seen along roadsides.

Observant wildlife- watchers may

be rewarded with a bobcat or river

otter sighting.

Prairie grasses provide dramatic

backdrops for winter tourists.

December 2007 OutdoorIllinois / 5

consists of the land and water south ofDoza Creek and east of the KaskaskiaRiver. For the “Duck Draw,” hunters’locations during the first four days of thewaterfowl season are determined by adrawing to prevent overcrowding, whilelocations throughout the rest of the sea-son are on a first-come, first-served basis.

The miles of river and oxbows con-tained within the site provide space forrecreational boating and fishing. Boatramps are available at Fayetteville, NewAthens, the Baldwin area on Highway154 and Evansville. Horse Creek, a trib-utary of the Kaskaskia, has canoe accessvia Prairie Road off of Highway 154,and the site contains 8 miles of eques-trian trails and 12 miles of hiking andbirding trails.

Baldwin Lake,which is fed by the river,has a reputation forgreat fishing: Thestate record chan-nel catfish, weigh-ing more than 45pounds, was caughtthere in 1987, and itscousin, the blue catfish,attains even larger sizes.Although straightened fornavigation some 35 years ago,the river is still connected to more thantwo dozen remnant meander bends, oroxbow lakes. In this complex of riverineand backwater habitat, trophy catfishabound, along with a bass fishery that isenjoying a recent rebirth due to DNRstocking efforts. Fishing from shore andmotorboats of 50 horsepower or less areboth popular.

Good catches may be due to a longergrowing season since January watertemperatures can reach into the 60s inportions of the 2,000-acre cooling lakebecause of the Baldwin Power Plant,perched on its southeastern shore.

A fishing tip from the site superinten-dent: In the winter, walk down to theend of the north levee, near the hot-water discharge. As the weather warms,follow the migration of the fish to cool-er water closer to the parking lot.

However, if the wind just isn’t fromthe west some day, as the saying goes,you can simply enjoy the different habi-tats and wildlife to be seen right there,even from the parking lot.

Some 20 years after my first acquain-tance with the site, as I pondered what

to write, I sat near the lake with mytruck windows rolled down.

Everything I could see was eithergreen or slate blue. The cornfields, thecattails…the lake, the sky.

It was summer, so even in the morn-ing, in the rising heat, the adjacent fieldglowed a deep, living, palpable green.Insects droned. Flowers called QueenAnne’s lace bowed their heads in thebreeze. A pair of Canada geese waddledpast, pecking seemingly indiscriminately.

I realized that the landscape had not changed.

I thought back to my youth spentplayfully stalking coots and bullfrogs,enduring mosquito bites to explore andmap and name.

I understood how I could be tornbetween wanting to keep it to myself—and yet wanting to share it all.

Facts at a glanceAddress: 10981 Conservation Road,Baldwin, IL 62217.Phone: (618) 785-2555.Website: www.dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R4/kaskas.htm.Directions to Baldwin LakeArea: The site is located 4 miles northof Baldwin on Route 154 or 6 milessouth of New Athens on Route 13.Baldwin Lake Area Hours: Nov. 1to Feb. 15, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Feb. 16 toApril 15, 6 a.m.-7 p.m.; April 16 to Oct.31, 6 a.m.- 9 p.m.

Rachel Mahan is a graduate student inNew York University’s Science,Health, and Environmental ReportingProgram. She thanks her lucky stars,and a few favorite climbing trees, forher former childhood home in thewoods by Baldwin Lake.

A two-lane launching ramp,

boat docks and parking lot provide

access to the 2,000-acre

Baldwin Lake.

In addition to Baldwin Lake,

miles of the Kaskaskia River await

anglers and boaters.

KaskaskiaRiver State

Fish andWildlife

Area

KaskaskiaRiver State

Fish andWildlife

Area