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News
Our Accomplishments
Board Meeting Minutes |
News
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Public
Invited to Tour
Local "Green" Cattle Operation
Sat., Aug. 6th, 2011
9:00 a.m.
Sat., Aug 6th, 9:00 am Free
tour of showcase Hutchins Ecosystem Restoration Project at SE corner
of 2000E and 1550N,
McDonough County.
Tour of development and funding sponsored by the La Moine River
Ecosystem Partnership. Registration and refreshments at 8:30 am.
more info...
To
pre-register call Pat Sullivan 217-322-2865.
LMREP Board Meeting
Thursday, Aug 11th, 2011
7:00 p.m.
Macomb City Hall
Community Room
LMREP
Annual Meeting
Wed., Nov. 9th, 2011
6:30 p.m.
Location TBA
(in Brown County)
Public Invited to Tour Local "Green" Cattle Operation
On
Saturday, August 6th, everyone is invited to attend a free tour of
an exceptional conservation project highlighting the development and
funding of pasture management, stream bank stabilization, wetland
development, and prairie restoration. This tour showcases
the Hutchins Ecosystem Restoration Project and is sponsored by the
La Moine River Ecosystem Partnership (LMREP). The tour from 9:00
a.m to 11:30 am with registration and refreshments starting at 8:30
a.m. This project is located approximately 8 miles northeast of
Macomb in Mound Township,
McDonough County east of Bardolph, IL at the southeast corner of
2000 E and 1550 N roads. Drive on 2000 E approximately three miles
north of Highway 136 to the bridge crossing on Kepple Creek.
Attendees will learn about the project as well as what state and
federal funding, financial assistance and cost-share programs are
currently available. The goal of the project is to encourage stream
and wildlife habitat restoration while improving livestock grazing
operations.
For more
information or to pre-register call Pat Sullivan 217-322-2865.
The
Hutchins Ecosystem Restoration project is a multi-year restoration
project, funded through state and federal grant funds and landowner
contributions. The 60 acre site consists of rolling uplands and
pasture, forest, prairie and a meandering stream corridor. Beginning
in 2008, this project employed a series of conservation practices
aimed at improving water quality, wildlife habitat, and livestock
grazing productivity. Over 800 feet of unstable stream banks were
restored using a series of rock riffles bank protection and an
adjacent floodway was re-vegetated with native trees and grasses.
Livestock access to these areas was limited with the installation of
over one mile of stream side fencing; two stable livestock crossings
were built at each end of the pasture to allow cattle to cross from
one pasture to the other. A shallow well was installed and water is
being piped to watering areas in the pasture eliminating the need
for cattle to drink from the creek. Several additional miles of
exterior and interior fencing was installed and the pasture
segmented into grazing “paddocks” where livestock are rotated
throughout to maximize grazing efficiency. Additionally, several
erosion control structures called water and sediment control basins
were installed in the
upland areas and adjacent
crop ground to limit the erosion of soil to the creek. Over five
acres of wetlands were created or restored to provide habitat
diversity and filter livestock waste from pasture areas. More than
six acres of native prairie grass was planted in various locations
and timbered areas were selectively logged to remove undesirable
species and planted with native trees including oak, walnut and
hickory. Local
school students have participated in restoration activities and site
tours. Educational signage has been installed on-site.
Project
funding was secured through several different entities; the US
Department of Agriculture, the
Illinois Department of
Agriculture, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Trees
Forever. Landowner, Daryll Hutchins, contributed personal funds and
property manager and operator, Dan Wolf committed countless hours
installing practices and making this one-of-a-kind project a
success. The Hutchins Ecosystem Restoration Project is truly a
testament to conservation, landowner participation and hard work. We
hope you can join us on August 6th at 9:00 a.m. to share this
exceptional project with you.
Past Events
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Canoe Trip at
Spunky Bottoms Wetland Preserve
July 16th, 2011
Illinois River Sweep
On September 19th, 2009 we hosted a river clean-up on the
La Moine River as part of the 2009
Illinois River Sweep. The River Sweep is an
annual river clean-up event that is held at over 25 different
communities up and down the
Illinois River (and tributaries)---all at the same time. It
is manned by volunteers that want to make a difference. LMREP volunteered
to help clean-up
the La Moine River (a major tributary to the
Illinois) in
the Macomb area.
see photos...
LMREP
Annual Meeting
LMREP’s annual meeting was held
Wednesday,November 11, 2009 at the Phoenix Opera House in
Rushville, IL . Our featured speaker was Dr. Michael Wiant,
Director of Dickson Mounds Museum who spoke on
 Healthy
Watershed, Healthy History: How land conservation preserves earth
and human history. Thirty people attended and joined Dr.
Michael Wiant, on a journey through time along the
La Moine River and its tributaries- highlighting the
archeology and geology of the area.
Master craftsman,
Tim Dillard
from Brown County, gave a flint-knapping demonstration Appetizers
featuring locally grown foods were served.
The local growers who provided food for
our annual meeting are as follows:
Local Growers
Bison meatballs from Broken Bar S Farm
Nell & Jurl Sutherland
Rt 1 Box 26, Littleton, IL
309-331-4983
Bread & Crackers from Bluebird Gardens
James & Nancy Crosby
Rt 4 Box 79, Rushville, IL
217-322-3625
Organic Popcorn from WIU-Allison Organic
Farm
Joel Gruver-WIU Ag Dept
Macomb, IL
309-298-1215
Apples from Seneczko Acres
Mike & Shannon Seneczko and Brian & Nancy
Peak
Rt 1 Box 72, Camden, IL
217-322-3464
Locally grown beef salami from Houser
Meats
Doug & Terri Houser
Rt 2 Box 180B, Rushville, IL
217-322-4994
www.housermeats.com
Cheese from Ropp Jersey Cheese
Ropp Family
2676 Ropp Rd, Normal, IL
309-452-3641
www.roppcheese.com
LMREP’s 2009
Accomplishments
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Hutchins Ecosystem
Restoration Project: This is a large scale restoration
project on over 120ac of pasture on Kepple Creek. It includes
livestock management and habitat restoration. To date, we have
accomplished:1000 ft of stream bank stabilization and four
riffles, two acres of wetland restoration and creation,
tree planting,
Timber Stand Improvement, exotic species removal and treatment,
several acres of upland and bottomland
prairie restoration, livestock fencing,
erosion control
measures including several dry dams, and the installation
of a well. This project will be fully completed by March 2010
and the remaining work includes: additional wetland
restoration/creation, riparian and
upland
prairie establishment, exotic species control, cattle crossings,
additional fencing, installation of a watering system,
additional erosion
control practices, tree and
shrub plantings,
and educational signage.
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La Moine River
Livestock Initiative: Modeled after the Hutchins
restoration, this project is assisting numerous livestock
producers with similar practices through a large IEPA grant.
This project is confined to the upper reaches of the La Moine
watershed in sub-watersheds outlined in the 2006 watershed plan
as high priority to protect water quality. To date, seven
producers are participating and one additional is being sought
to close out the grant. The project has fenced several miles of
stream, implemented rotational grazing systems, stabilized
stream banks, restored wetlands, removed exotic species,
established native prairie, and installed erosion control
practices.
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McDonough/Fulton Co.
Gully Sully Stabilization Project: A recent grant awarded by
the IEPA is being used to stabilize over 30 highly erodible
gullies in Fulton and to a lesser extent,
McDonough County. This project is targeted to those
sub-watersheds outlined in the 2006 watershed plan as high
priority for erosion control. Work on this project has just
begun, with plans and designs for practices being developed. To
date, plans have been drafted for all sites in McDonough Co. It
is the intent to begin construction of practices later this
fall.
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Developing a
Watershed and
Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL*) Plan for
Prairie Creek
in Hancock Co. Prairie Creek drains over 15,000 acres including
the city of
Carthage. *A TMDL is defined as a calculation of the
maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and
still meet state
water quality standards. This is being done through a
partnership with
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Illinois
State Water Survey (ISWS),
United States
Department of Agriculture and the Hancock Co Soil and
Water
Conservation District. Conservation practices such as
grassed waterways, dry dams and other strategies are being
encouraged to achieve the goals of this Plan to address
Phosphorous and Sediment entering these streams.
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Helped to develop the
Prairie Land Conservancy…which is a land trust which operates as
a division of Prairie Hills Resource Conservation and
Development based in
Macomb, Illinois. The service area of the land trust is a
10-county area comprising the following counties in west-central
Illinois: Adams, Brown, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox,
McDonough, Pike, Schuyler and Warren.
Wheels for Conservation Bus Tour
Saturday, August 18th 2007,
LMREP hosted a conservation bus tour and educational day featuring
several sites along the La Moine River.
see photos...
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