University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Rock River Area Assessment

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/17338

Description

Title
Rock River Area Assessment
Author(s)
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Issue Date
1996-11
Keyword(s)
  • Natural areas--Illinois--Rock River
  • Natural resources--Illinois
  • Natural resources surveys--Illinois
  • Natural resources
  • Watershed evaluation
Geographic Coverage
Illinois
Abstract
As-part of Phase II of the Critical Trends Assessment Project (CTAP), a regional assessment of the status of natural resources is planned for each model Resource Rich Area (RRA) and for RRAs where a local partnership forms and becomes recognized by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. These assessments will also serve as a basis for implementing a standardized long-term ecological monitoring program by compiling baseline data and identifying information gaps. This Rock River Area Assessment is the first in this series. The Rock River Assessment Watersheds (RRAW) is an aggregation of 18 (EPA) 305b reporting watersheds 1 and covers approximately 999 mi2 (639,478.75 acres) or 1.8% of the land area of the state. Land cover data suggest the area is approximately 60% agriculture, 23% grassland, 8% upland forest, 6% urban, 1.5% water, 1.0% bottomland forest, and 0.5% wetland. Public land in the area totals over 9,162 acres, while the majority of land (over 98%) is held in private ownership. A summary of features follows: The Rock River originates in Horicon Marsh in Dodge County, Wisconsin, and flows in a southerly direction until the river enters Illinois south of Beloit. It flows south for approximately 45 miles, turns to the southwest at Camp Grant, then curves across the northwestern part of the state, and joins the Mississippi River at Rock Island. The river flows approximately 163 miles (262 kilometers) in Illinois and drains 5,343 mi 2 (8,602 km2). The watershed in Illinois comprises approximately 9.5% of the total area of the state and includes portions of 13 counties—Stephenson, Winnebago, Boone, McHenry, Kane, DeKalb, Ogle, Carroll, Whiteside, Lee, Bureau, Henry, and Rock Island. Five natural divisions are encompassed—Rock River Hill Country, Northeastern Morainal, Grand Prairie, Upper Mississippi River and Illinois River Bottomlands, and Middle Mississippi Border. Soil types in the basin range from thick to thin loess deposits on limestone and thin silty or loamy materials on gravelly Wisconsinan outwash, to sandy or clayey deposits on the bottomlands. The two largest urban centers in the basin are Rockford and Rock Island/Moline.
Publisher
Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources
Series/Report Name or Number
Critical Trends Assessment Program
Type of Resource
text
Language
en
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/17338
Copyright and License Information
These documents are a product of the Illinois state scientific surveys and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and have been selected and made available by the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They are intended solely for noncommercial research and educational use, and proper attribution is requested.

Owning Collections

Critical Trends Assessment Program PRIMARY
Detailed assessments of 32 major watersheds in Illinois, conducted through the Critical Trends Assessment Program administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Includes contributions from each of the State Scientific Surveys which are now part of the Prairie Research Institute.