Illinois River NW&FR
Midwest Region

Illinois River
National Wildlife and Fish Refuges

 

Contacting the Refuge:

Refuge Manager: Matt Sprenger
e-mail: IllinoisRiver@fws.gov or MidwestNews@fws.gov

19031 E CR 2110N
Havana, IL 62644

Phone: 309-535-2290
Fax: 309-535-3023
TTY: 1-800-877-8339 (Federal Relay)

The Refuge Complex Headquarters is located eight miles north of
Havana, Illinois, on the Illinois River

Refuge Complex Facts

The complex is composed of four areas located within the Illinois River floodplain:

  • Chautauqua NWR, established in 1936, consisting of 4,488 acres;
  • Meredosia NWR, established in 1973, consisting of 3,852 acres;
  • Emiquon NWR, established in 1993, consisting of 1,305 acres; and
  • Cameron/Billsbach Unit, established in 1958, consisting of 1,709 acres
  • The southeast refuges extend 125 river miles between the north and south boundaries

Financial Impact of Refuge

  • Five person staff

  • 50,000 visitors annually

  • FY 2006 Budget: $641,186

Natural History

  • Each refuge area is a mix of backwater lakes, bottomland forests, floodplain wetlands and a small amount of upland forest

  • The refuge has been designated an “Important Bird Area” and accepted into the “Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network”

  • Provides habitat for 60-70 percent of the waterfowl migrating along the Illinois River

  • The backwater lakes of the refuge serve as spawning and nursery habitat for a highly productive river fishery

Refuge Objectives

  • Provide habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds

  • Protect endangered and threatened species

  • Provide for biodiversity

  • Provide opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation/environmental
    education

Highlights

The Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges form vital links in a chain of life-sustaining refuges within the Mississippi Flyway, extending from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The refuges are composed of four units along 125 miles of the Illinois River. Prominent wildlife use includes nesting and wintering bald eagles, thousands of wading birds, tens of thousands of shorebirds and waterfowl in the hundreds of thousands to the delight of refuge visitors.

Priorities

  • Improve public use and outreach efforts through development of environmental education and interpretation programs

  • Improve refuge operations at Meredosia NWR

  • Enhance Chautauqua NWR cross-dike levee

Public Use Opportunities

  • Hunting and fishing

  • Environmental education

  • Wildlife observation/photography

 

 

Last updated: September 22, 2008