2008 FEDERAL DUCK STAMP CONTEST Phone: 618-883-2524 |
The Calhoun Division is located just north of the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, in Calhoun County, Illinois. This 4,835-acre area of floodplain unit includes the 2,600-acre Swan Lake as well as ponds, backwater sloughs, wetland management units, agricultural land, bottomland forest, grassland, savannas and the refuge headquarters. Eight wetland management units, totaling approximately 242 floodable acres, are managed for migratory birds.
A habitat improvement project, funded through the Environmental Management Program (EMP), was completed on Swan Lake in 2001. Features built into this project include:
-
Islands to decrease wind fetch across the open water.
-
Two pump stations and water control structures for conducting water level management.
-
Dredging to provide winter habitat for fish.
-
Reconstruction of the Illinois River levee with a spillway.
-
A dike separating Middle and Lower Swan Lake to allow independent management of the two units.
-
Two boat ramps
-
Hillside sediment control projects in the adjacent uplands, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Fuller Lake (managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources) also benefited from this project. It is hoped that by regaining water level management capabilities on Swan Lake, occasional drawdowns will consolidate the flocculent bottom, and enhance germination of emergent and submergent vegetation. Lower Swan Lake will normally be connected to the Illinois River to allow fish passage.
Approximately 225 acres of cropland are farmed by cooperative agreements on the Calhoun Division. Corn, soybeans and winter wheat are planted rotationally through the units.
Calhoun Division receives moderately high public use due to its proximity to the St. Louis/Alton area (only 20 air miles). In addition to migratory birds in the spring and fall, visitors enjoy the hundreds of bald eagles that frequent the areas during the winter months. Thousands of snow geese also come to feed on the winter wheat and to roost on Swan Lake.
Most of the Calhoun Division is closed to public use from October 15 - December 31 as a refuge for migratory birds. However, the headquarters/visitor center is located on the Calhoun Division overlooking Swan Lake and remains open year-round. Public use opportunities on the Calhoun Division include hunting, fishing, hiking, photography, and wildlife observation. Upland game hunting and big game hunting is allowed on the portion of Calhoun Division that lies east of the Illinois River Road.
Just across the river from the Calhoun Division lies the Gilbert Lake Division of Two Rivers NWR, and Pere Marquette State Park. Pere Marquette is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and offers a host of recreational opportunities including hiking, horseback riding, and camping.
Regulations
Downloads
Evaluation of Ecosystem Restoration and Management Options for the Calhoun and Gilbert Lake Divisions:
Download report (7.5 MB pdf format)
Color Cover for report (517k pdf format)
Report Appendix A (1.2 MB pdf format)
