UNIT 1 – Lower Pool 25

General Description: This 2,163-acre management area is located approximately at Mississippi RM 244 in Pool 25, all in Calhoun County, Illinois. The area is heavily used for waterfowl hunting, containing over eighty blind sites and is a popular fishing hole when water levels are at, or near, full pool. The area lies immediately above Lock and Dam 25 and is bordered on the north by the USFWS Batchtown Refuge. At impoundment in 1940, the area was a large open water bay, years of sediment deposition has filled over 30% of the open water converting it to terrestrial conditions. Today the area is represented by a series of scoured side channels on the north, flowing toward the bluff, which meet and flow past Cockrell Hollow Access Area. The accreted ridges are in various stages of succession, From herbaceous to the south to forested in the north. The lower half still retains an open water bay which is gradually being lost to annual sediment deposits.

Batchtown has a rich waterfowl history, well known by waterfowl hunters as the place to go, from the 1940s through the 1970s. More recent periods reflect a steadily declining pattern in harvest, hunter use and habitats. There are multiple reasons for this decline. While some are obvious, there are also complex problems at the watershed scale. Pool 25 is one of the three pools on this end of the system which are managed by a "hinge point" water control method. When flows begin to increase the down stream gates are adjusted to maintain a given water level at the hinge point which is located mid-pool. What this means to Batchtown is that the normal high/low wetland hydrology is reversed at the site. With more changes in the upstream watershed, a pattern of fluctuating levels, increase in the number of events and extended durations of high flows have been detrimental to the Batchtown WMA.

Batchtown has been selected for a Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project (HREP) under the Environmental Management Program (EMP). In addition, Pool 25 has been selected as one of three pools, where a multi agency planning team is studying an ecosystem approach to management of the pool. In conjunction with this effort, the St. Louis District Corps has been experimenting with "environmental management" for the pool. The program centers around providing a minimum of a 24" drawdown at the dam, for a period of at least 30 days, during the early summer. This manipulation of levels exposes the substrate, allowing the germination of natural food producing plants valued as waterfowl feed. Pool 25 is also the subject of an 1135 Study, investigating the potential for changing pool management from hinge point to a choice of hinge point or dam point.

There are no existing facilities at this site. Years ago, the Titus Hollow Access Area had a boat harbor, boat ramp, parking lot and boat access channel to the WMA. Siltation has filled in the harbor and channel, rendering the access useless. Presently, access is provided by Cockrell Hollow, which is under lease to the Batchtown Sportsmen Club. There is no state managed public access area for the Batchtown WMA.

Proposed Development: The proposed actions are planned as follows:

Batchtown EMP - HREP. The project is scheduled for phased construction, beginning in 1999 with completion in 2002. Project features include the construction of a perimeter dike, various stop-log and gated water control structures and pump station; and dredging for water control and fish overwintering habitat. The overall objective is to reduce the amount of silt entering the area and to provide water level management capabilities independent of the river pool.

Turner Island. The adjacent Batchtown Refuge boundary line actually lies south of three blind site locations in the WMA. These blind sites and Turner Island are designated as part of the refuge, under the jurisdiction of the IDNR and have been hunted for decades. When the boundary alignment was discovered, the Project Leader for the Mark Twain Refuge revised refuge hunting regulations to include Turner Island as an open area for hunting. It is proposed that jurisdiction of Turner Island change from the USFWS to the IDNR. As part of the HREP, Turner Island is scheduled to receive pumping capabilities for improved management. It is further proposed that the property south of the refuge access road and access areas which adjoins the WMA, on the north, be reassigned to the Batchtown WMA, under license with the IDNR.

Public Access. The now defunct Titus Hollow Access Area, as previously identified, can no longer function for its stated purpose. Therefore, it is proposed to cancel the lease and add the acreage to the WMA. Cockrell Hollow provides an access point; however, it is under lease to the Sportsman’s Club and subject to their decisions. When river flows increase in the fall/winter, the pool can go on "tilt", effectively de-watering the Batchtown WMA and stranding the hunters boats in the harbor at Cockrell Hollow. Because of this, there are times when the WMA is inaccessible.

North of the WMA, the USFWS maintains a river access boat ramp and parking lot (Mississippi River Recreation Area, 25-MR-L-3). It is proposed this access area (25-MR-L-3), from the access road south, be transferred from the USFWS to the IDNR. The state will manage this area as a waterfowl sanctuary.

Future Development: Future development for this area is not considered in this plan.

General Description: The Cockrell Hollow Access is located on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River at RM 242. This access is managed and maintained by the Calhoun Sportsman’s Club, through a recreational lease from the Corps. This area is managed primarily for hunter access to the river and Batchtown WMA during waterfowl season and for commercial fishing. The chute leading to the river is silting in and access area is not usable during tilt/low pool. This area consists of a 10-boat trailer gravel parking lot, boat tie-downs during waterfowl season only, one gravel single-lane boat ramp, one security lighting and seasonal portable toilets.

Proposed Development: Through lease agreement currently under discussion, the Calhoun Sportsman's Club is proposing to make the following improvements: enlarge the parking lot to provide additional parking needed during waterfowl season, upgrade boat tie-downs in the harbor and river access, and improve maintenance activities in the area.

Future Development: Develop methods to alleviate boat channel siltation problems to the WMA.

General Description: This 47.30-acre site is located at Mississippi RM 254.0. This area previously provided access to the Batchtown Wildlife Management Area and Public Hunting area. Hillside erosion from the Turner Branch has filled the boat harbor and access channel to the Batchtown Wildlife Management Area. Today the area functions only as an access for deer and squirrel hunting. Existing facilities include an access road and unimproved parking for ten cars.

Proposed Development: It is proposed to terminate the access area lease and revert the acreage to become part of the Batchtown WMA under lease to the IDNR. The access road and parking area will be maintained for use by the forest game hunting.

Future Development: Future development for this area is not considered in this plan.

General Description: This 7-acre area is located adjacent to Cockrell Hollow Access contains recreational cottages and is located at Mississippi RM 242. The structures that are on Corps land are under recreational cottage leases. This is a good area to view Lock and Dam 25 from the Illinois side and consists of a trilateration point for Lock and Dam 25. When the structures deteriorate, become abandoned, or are in noncompliance with the lease terms, the lease will be terminated, the structures will be removed, and lands restored as a vegetative management area.

The area consists of three 20’ x 20’ structures and boat docks. One wooden trilateration station structure is located along the Illinois River bank.

Proposed Development: As the wooden trilateration station structure deteriorates, the structure will be replaced with a galvanized metal structure. No other plans are new actions are scheduled for this area.

Future Development: When the existing privately owned structures are removed, the area will be seeded with native grasses.

UNIT 2 – Middle Pool 25

General Description: This USFWS-managed unit is located approximately at Mississippi RM 246 to RM 252 in Navigation Pool 25 in Calhoun County, Illinois. The unit is composed of timbered islands, narrow sloughs and backwaters, managed moist soils unit and small agriculture areas. Most of the unit is subject to annual flooding, with ground surface elevations from 430" to 437" m.s.l.. The area provides a strategically located waterfowl sanctuary in the middle of other Pool 25 units which are heavily used for waterfowl hunting. The Refuge managed sanctuary is open to fishing, wildlife observation, photography and conservation education purposes each year from December 16 through October 14. The area is closed to all public uses from October 15 through December 15 to preserve the sanctuary benefits to migratory birds during fall migration.

The area is currently separated into these four different management units: Upper Pool, Middle Pool, Lower Pool, and Turner Island. The Middle Pool unit encompasses what were once Prairie Pond, Black Lake, Watson Lake and Metz Lake, which were floodplain depressions surrounded by agricultural development prior to navigation system impoundment. Historically, the entire unit was subject to water level fluctuations resulting from Pool 25 water level management and would either flood or be drawn down depending on pool levels. In 1963, the USFWS constructed a low level levee around the unit, which could be overtopped annually, but which would hold water above the river during periods of low pool levels. At the time of construction, the unit could contain a water surface area of about 547 acres. Most of this area was 2" or less in depth except for the above mentioned ponds that created deeper water and year-round fisheries habitat. The unit contains a reversible pumping station, permitting inflow or outflow at the rate of 20,000 GPM, to assist in management that can not be accomplished with gravity flow. Sedimentation has been the largest management problem associated with the unit and has resulted in the loss of water depths and encroachment of woody vegetation. The USFWS has maintained a public river access boat ramp (L3) at the end of Turner Road for decades. However, the road and ramp had been closed each year from October 15 to December 15. Due to the loss of other boat ramps in the area from sedimentation and periodic pool level fluctuations, river access during this time is now quite limited. During the fall seasons of 1997 and 1998, the refuge permitted the access road and boat ramp to remain open the entire year. The affect on the sanctuary and habitat utilization within the Lower and Middle Pools was deemed negligible by refuge staff. The Prairie Pond ramp (L4) and other access into Lower, Middle and Upper Pool units remain closed during the fall season. The Upper Pool unit is a series of small islands and associated backwaters to the north of Middle Pool and south of the Gilead lease area. Since this unit is open to the river water levels in the Upper Pool are controlled by Corps operations of the navigation pool. At pool level 434, this unit contains approximately 417 acres of water surface. At elevation 432, the unit contains approximately 266 acres of water. The loss of structural diversity is a habitat problem associated with this unit, as well as many other backwater areas within the navigation pools. Erosion has reduced the size of some islands, while sedimentation has reduced the depth of some sloughs, resulting in less variation of habitat "structure" within the unit.

The Lower Pool area is located between the Middle Pool unit and the IDNR-managed
25-MR-W-1 unit of the Batchtown WMA. The area is partially protected on the north by the Turner Road levee but is open to the river on the south end along with the State managed unit. During high water events the river flows into the Middle Pool over spillways located along the levee and passes into the Lower Pool unit through a spillway in the Turner Road levee. This scouring action has maintained several deeper holes in the sloughs within the Lower Pool. The majority of the unit contains bottomland forest habitat. The unit also contains two agriculture areas, which are not protected from flooding by levees, but are high enough to have remained viable over the years for either high-risk farming or native vegetation restoration. Turner Creek passes through the farm units at the east end of the Lower Pool unit. The sedimentation rates associated with this tributary are very high. This problem has been identified along with a sediment trap prescription in the Batchtown EMP-HREP project, which may require the use of the adjacent agricultural lands in the unit.

The Turner Island unit was identified on the General Plan maps as a Fish and Wildlife Service management area. However, the USFWS has never conducted management activities on the unit. The area has been designated for the IDNR managed hunting blind allocation since the program started. Habitat improvements have been made by the IDNR over the years, and more are planned through the construction of the Batchtown EPR-HREP.

Proposed Development: It is proposed to transfer Lower Pool, Turner Island, and north portion of Reds Landing Unit, currently designated USFWS, and the L3 recreation site to the IDNR. This transfer is proposed subject to the following provisions: the Lower Pool area remain a state managed waterfowl sanctuary; the boundary line between the state and federally managed areas be the center line of the Turner Road; and primary maintenance responsibility be with the IDNR, with assistance from the USFWS and/or Corps if flood events or other circumstances require a shared response.

Due to the proposed boundary adjustments contained in this plan and Environmental Management Program project features, the unit, which has previously been referred to as the "Middle Pool," will hereafter be called the "Prairie Pond Impoundment". The Refuge unit north of the Prairie Pond Impoundment has been referred to as the "Upper Pool," but will now be called the "Maple Island" unit.

Development of the unit will be consistent with the provisions of the EMP project, specifically: dredging for fisheries benefits and water control capability, and upland treatments for sedimentation.

General Description:

General Description:

General Description: This area is located within the Batchtown National Wildlife Refuge in the backwaters of the Mississippi River at RM 252.8 and is adjacent to the Village of Gilead, Illinois. This area consists of a gravel boat ramp and 30-boat trailer parking area. The Corps maintains the access in cooperation with the USFWS. The area has previously been closed from 15 October through 15 December annually for purpose of preserving the Wildlife Refuge during waterfowl hunting.

Proposed Development: No new actions are scheduled at this time.

Future Development: No future actions are scheduled at this time.

UNIT 3 – Upper Pool 25

General Description: This management area extends both north and south of Mississippi RM 254. It is managed by the IDNR providing boating, fishing, hunting and wildlife observation. The site consists of small backwater lakes and sloughs, agricultural fields and bottomland forest. The bottomland forest at this site is more diverse and remnant of the forest composition prior to impoundment. There is still a good mix of mast producing hardwoods, pin oak, swamp white oak, hickory and pecan. The over all productivity of this site is evident from the presence of a large Heron rookery and active Bald Eagle nest. A partnering effort with the Corps, Ducks Unlimited, Migratory Waterfowl Hunters Inc., USFWS-North American Wetlands Conservation Fund, IDNR-Heavy Equipment Crew and Partners for Wetlands, funded the construction of facilities to develop a flooded green tree area. The project provides water control for the north end of the site, which had been lost as viable wetland habitat due to siltation. The project is designated for walk-in waterfowl hunting.

Existing facilities at this area include water control structures, both stop log and screw gate type, earthen dikes, two 22,000 GPM pumps (one for flooding and one for discharge), a portable fuel tank and power plant for pump support.

Proposed Development: Historically, much of the north portion of the Reds Landing Wildlife Management Area was part of the Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge. The USFWS has now zoned this area as huntable refuge, which allows public hunting, and it is now managed by the IDNR. The developed 64-acre access area for Red's Landing is under recreational lease from USACE and is proposed to be reduced in size to reflect IDNR objectives for habitat management. Other proposed actions include the excavation of some shallow ditches to connect some of the smaller sloughs in the flooded timber area. These ditches will improve water control and encourage the development of moist soil plants. In addition, the de-watering will allow the substrate to become firm, facilitating the mowing of some of the woody encroachment.

Future Development: Future development for this area is not considered in this plan.

General Description: This 64-acre site is located at Mississippi RM 245.0. The site offers boat access to both the Mississippi River and Sand Slough. The area is popular for fishing, hunting and wildlife observation as well. This also serves as the parking area for the walk-in waterfowl hunting area, which was recently developed. Existing facilities include an access road and parking area for 40 cars, a gravel parking area for 30 cars, a two-lane concrete boat ramp for access to the river a single-lane, concrete boat ramp for access to Sand Slough, a concrete block vault toilet and water control structures.

Proposed Development: The present lease size encompasses more acreage than is required to provide the level of development that the IDNR has in place. It is proposed that the existing lease be reduced to five acres. It is further proposed that the other 59 acres be rezoned and added to the Reds Landing Wildlife Management Area.

There are no other proposed development plans.

Future Development: Future development for this area is not considered in this plan.

General Description: Rip Rap Landing lies between Mississippi RM 264.2 and 266.5 in Pool 25 in Calhoun County, Illinois. This 1,232-acre site is owned and managed by the IDNR. The site contains 200 acres of water; 80 acres of agricultural fields; 90 acres of open land, which are retired agricultural fields; and 859 acres of bottomland forest. The water acreage is made up of the 125-acre Waverly Lake, four smaller ponds of various sizes and old side channels, which are now sloughs with forest lined banks. The site offers boat access to the upper reaches of Pool 25 and boat access to Waverly Lake. The site is a popular boat access point to the Mississippi River. Popular activities include for hunting, fishing and recreational boating.

The bottomland forest is more representative of the diverse bottomland hardwood forests which were present prior to impoundment by the navigation dams. Due to the quality of this forest community, the northwest portion of the site is designated a State of Illinois Natural Area. Management activities include planting of row crops and small grain crops through a lease/tenant program. The natural hydrologic cycle reduces the various water bodies throughout the summer, allowing moist soil vegetation to establish. In the fall, a permanently installed pump station at the river is utilized to refill the interior lakes and ponds, creating ideal wetland habitats.

Dog Island is located at Mississippi RM 262, at the mouth of the old Sny Creek. The island is owned by the Corps and under license to the IDNR. The property, at this time, is not actively managed. However, it is available for public hunting. The island is entirely forested; the forests consist primarily of silver maple, cottonwood and willow.

Existing facilities at Rip-Rap Landing WMA include two concrete and one gravel boat ramp, two gravel parking lots, a one-way 10,000 GPM pump station with portable power unit and fuel tank, several gated tube water control structures and two stop-log over flow structures, gravel access roads, three 600 GPM wells with electric pumps and water transfer ditches.

Proposed Development: The great flood of 1993 deposited large quantities of sand on privately owned land between IDNR Lands and the Corps-owned Dog Island area. The IDNR is negotiating with the landowner to acquire this parcel and thus connect the Rip-Rap lands with the Dog Island lands as one complete Wildlife Management unit.

Future Development: Pending successful land acquisition negotiations, the IDNR will develop a management plan that addresses management of the entire area.

General Description: This 740-acre area lies adjacent to the south boundary of the Reds Landing Wildlife Management Area. The parcel is situated in Pool 25 near Mississippi RM 253. The area was formerly known as the Gilead Hunting Club and was under a recreational lease with the Corps. The flood of 1993 devastated leased cabins, damaged the access road and damaged the water control structures. The lease holders have since given up their lease, and the Corps has assumed stewardship responsibility. The formerly leased area is a combination of backwater sloughs, bottomland forest and two small agricultural fields. Existing facilities at this area include four water control structures, small earthen cross dikes and a 3,000’ service road.

Proposed Development: It is proposed that the former Gilead Hunting Club lease area be split between the USFWS and IDNR. The acreage which lies north of the old access road and adjoins Reds Landing WMA will be added to the management area under license to IDNR. The portion which lies south and adjoins the upper pool of the Batchtown refuge will be transferred to USFWS. The water control structures on this site also control the water levels for the lakes and sloughs at Reds Landing WMA. It is proposed that the damaged water control structures be replaced to optimize water level control on Reds Landing WMA and the Gilead area. It is also proposed to investigate the development, of a service access from the north, along the river, to provide a manageable boundary, and provide access for both IDNR and USFWS for management purposes.

Future Development: Future Actions include the reforestation of the two small agricultural fields.