We are all connected in many different ways to the Kankakee River Basin.
Most of us live here, within the 5,165 square miles that the basin spans across northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana. The river gives us drinking water, places to fish, hunt, boat and play. Our crops grow on the rich soils that once were prairies or wetlands bordering the stream. Many of those crops depend on water from the river or its tributary streams.
The Daily Journal is takinga closer look at some of those connections. The first installment of this on-going series on Sunday explained the role sand and sediment plays in the Kankakee and how sedimentation is an issue shared along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. It will also detail how channalization and levees along the lower Mississippi have led to the loss of coastal wetlands in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Efforts to replace natural wetlands with man-made creations — “mitigation,” to use the term tossed around by most developers — may not be all its cracked up to be according to new research from the University of Illinois.
In 1989 Congress passed a “No Net Loss” policy requiring that wetlands impacted by development be replaced or “mitigated.”
The need was obvious. Over the past 200 years land development and agriculture has claimed 53 percent of the nation’s wetlands and Illinois has lost 90 percent of its marshes.
New research on these replacement wetlands is disturbing.
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Looking for a way to enjoy nature on an early June day? Then check out the National Trail Day offering set for June 7 at the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie just north of
A few dozen spots are still open for the May 31 “Fishing for a Cure” bass tournament at Braidwood Lake.
The charity fundraiser has hit a record $10,000 prize purse this year according to Paul Dempsey, spokesman for the sponsoring Exelon Nuclear Braidwood plant.
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SHELBYVILLE — Roy Meyer of Tuscola won the Walmart Bass Fishing League Illini Division tournament on Shelbyville Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces.
“I got on a bite during practice and hit about 15 different spots and lucked into a fish in about 90 percent of them,” said Meyer, who posted his first win in seven seasons of BFL competition.
“I had a 3 1/2-pounder about 2:30 that came off, and I thought I’d lost it, even though I had a limit. About 15 minutes later, I went to a stump where I had caught a 3-pounder first thing in the morning, and I ended culling out a 14-incher with a 4-pounder.”
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Bass anglers are gearing up for the May 31 “Fishing for a Cure” charity tournament at Braidwood Lake in Braceville.
There is a $100 entry fee for a two man boat team. Registrations are limited to 100 boats. If spots remain open, registrations will be accepted on the day of the event.
“All proceeds, including entry fees, go directly to FAAN, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network,” said Paul Hanson, vice president of the Braidwood plant.
Cash prizes total $10,000 with the first place winning team reeling in a $4,000 payday.
Gates open at 4:30 a.m. at the south ramp off Kankakee Road near Godley. The tournament begins at 6:30 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m.
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Partnerships key to acquiring habitat areas for game and recreation
Pheasants Forever recently announced the launch of its first annual “Build a Wildlife Area” campaign in Illinois.
The program seeks to form partnerships to acquire habitat areas for game production and public recreation.
“Illinois is a state where 95 percent of land is in private ownership, so we’re excited to be launching a ‘Build a Wildlife Area’ campaign as a way to ensure we’ll always have places to enjoy the great outdoors,” said Aaron Kuehl, director of conservation for Pheasants Forever.
The campaign teams up local donations with matching share corporate or organizational sponsors to double and triple the dollars for habitat acquisition.
“Once lands are acquired, they are turned over to the state for management and opened to the public for recreation, including hunting,” Kuehl said.
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Eight members of the Kankakee Valley Bass Anglers culled just over 23 1/2 pounds of bass during last Sunday’s Clinton Lake club tourney.
Dick Woodworth led the field with three bass at 8.76 pounds. Don Hunt with second with three at 7.72 pounds and Don Burson came in third with a 4.73 pound Big Bass winner.
The club’s next tournament is at Rend Lake on May 31st and June 1st.
Hunters and marksmen have named some of their favorite equipment in a recent nationwide survey released this week by Southwick Associates, a research group for the hunting and fishing industry.
The list gives readers of The Outdoor Journal blog a chance to comment on their own favorite equipment for the field and the shooting range.
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How would you like to get your name into outer space?
NASA is offering an opportunity for people to submit their names to be included on a DVD that will be part of the payload when the Kepler Mission blasts off in February to search for Earth-like planets beyond our solar system.
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