Assessment of created wetland performance in Illinois /

Wetlands are extremely valuable natural features that have decreased significantly in number over time in Illinois and the United States ... Their important functions include flood protection, water conservation in times of drought, groundwater recharge, improvement of water quality through sediment reduction and contaminant removal, and providing habitat for native animals and plants, including many sensitive and state-listed threatened and endangered species ... Due to a federal "no net loss" policy on wetlands adopted through executive order by President George H. Bush in 1990, as well as a prevailing heightened interest in conservation in general, there is currently considerable interest in the restoration and creation of wetlands. Both Section-404 of the Clean Water Act of 1972 and the Swampbuster Provision of the Food Securities Act of 1985 require compensation or mitigation for the loss of wetlands. A number of federal and state programs such as Section 319 of the Clean Water Act and the Conservation Reserve Program within the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) encourage wetland restoration and creation. In addition, various conservation organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited are very active in wetland restoration. Despite wetland restoration efforts and the national goal of no net loss, wetlands and wetland functions continue to be lost due to degradation of existing wetlands ... Unfortunately, no reliable information exists on the quality of existing wetlands or on trends in wetland quality over time ... The functional quality of existing wetlands is likely decreasing in many areas due to the combined effects of habitat fragmentation, alteration of hydrology, invasive species, and continued input of nutrients and pollutants. Furthermore, it is still debatable whether created or restored wetlands can adequately replace the suite of ecological functions provided by natural wetlands ... and the failure of many wetland compensation projects contributes to a continued national net loss of wetland functions ... The need for post-construction site monitoring and assessment of created and restored wetlands to evaluate functional success is widely recognized. ... At this time, there is little agreement on how to assess the success on quality of wetland restorations or creations.

Big Muddy River area assessment /

Examines a 1,731 square mile area in southern Illinois which has been designated a state Resource Rich Area.

Big Rivers area assessment /

"Critical Trends Assessment Program."--Cover.

Calumet area assessment.

"The Calumet area assessment examines 184.3 square miles (117,961 acres) in northeast Illinois."--P. iii.

Cache River Area Assessment /

"Critical Trends Assessment Program."--Cover.

Chicago River/Lake Shore area assessment /

The Chicago River/Lake Shore area assessment, part of a series of statewide regional assessments, examines approximately 348 square miles in northeastern Illinois that falls within portions of two counties-- Cook and Lake. The area is defined by the watershed of the Chicago River and the areas of Cook and Lake counties that drain to Lake Michigan, excluding the area in southern Cook County that drains to the Calumet River. The report provides information on the natural and human resources of the area as a basis for managing and improving its ecosystems. The development of ecosystem-based information and management programs in Illinois are the result of three processes-- the Critical Trends Assessment Program, Conservation Congress, and Water Resources and Land Use Priorities Task Force.

Driftless area assessment.

"Examines an area in extreme northwestern Illinois formed by the Galena, Apple, and Plum River systems ... designated a state Resource Rich Area."--P. iii.

Du Page River area assessment.

Examines six subbasins of the Du Page River, covering approximately 372 square miles in northeastern Illinois, mostly in Du Page and Will Counties with small portions in Cook, Kane, Kendall, and Grundy Counties. One subbasin, the East Branch Du Page River, has been designated a state "Resource Rich Area".

Early accounts of the ecology of the Vermilion River Area /

This report is part of a series of reports on areas of Illinois where a public-private partnership has been formed to protect natural resources. The reports provide information on the natural and human resources of the areas as a basis for managing and improving their ecosystems. The determination of resource rich areas and development of ecosystem-based information and management programs in Illinois are the result of three processes-- the Critical Trends Assessment Program, the Conservation Congress, and the Water Resources and Land Use Priorities Task Force.

Embarras River area assessment /

"Critical Trends Assessment Program."--Cover.

Fox River area assessment /

"Critical Trends Assessment Progarm."--Cover.

Fox River Watershed investigation : Stratton Dam to the Illinois River, phase II : hydrologic and water quality simulation models, part 1, methodology and procedure for development of HSPF models /

"May 2007"--T.p.

Fox River Watershed investigation : Stratton Dam to the Illinois River, Phase II : hydrologic models and water quality simulation models, part 2 : Blackberry and Poplar Creek HSPF models, calibration and initial simulation results /

"June 2007."

Headwaters area assessment /

"Critical Trends Assessment Program."--Cover.

Hydrologic and hydraulic modeling and analyses for the Cache River for the purposes of evaluating current conditions and alternative restoration measures.

Prepared for the Cache River Joint Venture Partnership (JVP): Illinois Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, Natural Resources Conservation Service.