For more than a year, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers and Illinois Department of Natural Resources have been studying how to accommodate plans for added recreational facilities at state parks on the lake without increasing the threat to the massasauga, which became a candidate for endangered or threatened status under the federal Endangered Species Act last November. The Army Corps of Engineers owns and maintains most of the land surrounding the lake, located about 45 miles east of St. Louis, Mo. The lake is also home to two state parks and a fish and wildlife management area wildlife management area
For practical purposes, a wildlife management area is synonymous with a national wildlife refuge or a game preserve. There are nine wildlife management areas and one game preserve in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Learn more about wildlife management area operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
In response to the snakes status as federal candidate species, the Army Corps of Engineers, in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, is drafting a plan to assess the potential impacts to the massasauga from activities on Federal lands surrounding Carlyle Lake. The plan, the "Carlyle Lake Eastern Massasauga Potential Impact Evaluation and Review for a Draft Management Plan," is currently being developed by the Corps, and will be made available to the public when it is completed.
In recent months, the snake has received a great deal of attention in the Carlyle Lake area. At first, it was accused of potentially stopping a resort development at South Shore State Park. Next came controversy over cabin development at Eldon Hazlet State Park. Most recently, the massasauga is accused of reducing the recreational and economic value of Carlyle Lake.
The truth is visitors to Carlyle Lake rarely encounter the snake due to their scarceness and ability to blend into the surrounding area. The massasauga is an extremely shy and reclusive animal. Often referred to as the "pygmy rattlesnake," massasaugas average between 18 inches and 24 inches in length. Research data shows that massasaugas rarely strike at humans and when they do it is because theyve been stepped on or harassed.
Summer habitats of the massasauga usually include upland grassland areas or agriculture fields where the rodent population is high enough to support the snake throughout the summer. These habitats typically would not include areas such as mowed campgrounds or yards. Migrating snakes may be found in these areas for a short time but only until the snake passes through them on its way to more productive feeding areas. A recent Associated Press story reported, "snakes sometimes can be seen basking on porches at existing cabins." The truth is that a single snake was found between two cabins during the summer of 1999. The lake contains an abundant supply of wildlife and visitors can expect to see deer, turkey, raccoons and other native wildlife, as well as the massasauga. The massasauga frequented the area even before the lake was authorized in 1958 and is just another part of the outdoor experience at Carlyle Lake.
The eastern massasauga rattlesnake has been listed as a state endangered species since 1994, indicating its rarity in Illinois. It recently became a candidate for the federal endangered species list in November 1999 as a result of declining populations throughout its range.
It is in everyones interest to protect biological diversity, including the massasauga rattlesnake population at Carlyle Lake. It is also in everyones interest to ensure the recreational and economic values of Carlyle Lake are protected. The two goals are not mutually exclusive. One of the main points that will be addressed in the Corps planis the need to collect more information on the abundance and distribution of massasaugas around Carlyle Lake and in the Kaskaskia River basin. An adequate survey of the Kaskaskia watershed has not been completed; therefore, it is premature to say that the population at Carlyle Lake is the only viable population in the state of Illinois.
The Corps and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are asking the public to report any recent sightings of massasaugas. They are also interested in knowing of areas where massasaugas have been sighted in past years on a regular basis. This information will be invaluable in improving massasauga management efforts at Carlyle Lake, and for the Fish and Wildlife Service when it begins discussions on whether or not to list the massasauga as a federally threatened or endangered species. Sightings can be reported to one of the following: Joe Smothers, Army Corps of Engineers, 618-594-2484; Lynn Neher, Army Corps of Engineers, 314-331-8880; or Joyce Collins, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 618-997-3344 ext. 340.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprising more than 520 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. For more information visit our web site at http://midwest.fws.gov
