The mission of the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center is to advance our understanding of the great rivers
and their floodplains and watersheds for the purpose of sustaining the plant, animal and human communities that depend upon them.
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| Confluence Field Station Entrance |
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| Architectural rendering of field station |
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| Architectural rendering of mesocosm |
By Bill Kruidenier
The Lewis and Clark Community College board of trustees has authorized moving forward with Phases I and II of the confluence field station to be located on the Melvin Price Locks and Dam esplanade. It is expected that construction of the field station will begin in April of this year.
Phases I and II include constructing the core building and garage, which will provide space for educational exhibits, research and lab facilities, and offices for the research team as well as space for the equipment, vehicles, and boats necessary to carry out the research and monitoring activities.
NGRREC is striving for the highest certification for the field station in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system. The structure’s low architectural profile, landscaping, and other design features ensure a minimal visual and physical intrusion on the surrounding environment. The facility is protected by a heat-absorbing thermal envelope that includes a vegetative roof, grass-embedded paving stones, and solar panels that supplement conventional hot water tanks to supply heated water to the facility.
Other solar panels are part of an array of renewable energy systems that generate power and can operate independently or in combination depending on climatic and other conditions. NGRREC is also proposing low-impact, kinetic water turbines powered by the river current to generate electricity and wind turbines to supplement or substitute as power generators when needed.
Rainwater from the vegetated roof and “greywater” from wash basins and drains will be collected and recycled for nonpotable uses, including irrigation and washing of trucks and boats.
The field station is a major advance in the effort to protect and preserve our great rivers, and it will help the center and our many partners realize a shared vision of sustainable river systems in harmony with human and wildlife communities.
If you pass by the Melvin Price Locks and Dam over the next 18 months, be sure to look toward the river to observe progress on the field station construction.
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Wilkinson Island |
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| Terrestrial habitat on Wilkinson Island |
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For more information about the refuge, contact:
Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge 1293 Rocky Hollow Road Rockwood, IL 62280 618-763-4420 www.fws.gov/midwest/MiddleMississippiRiver |
Wilkinson Island Vegetation Survey
By Dr. Lyle Guyon
NGRREC is pleased to be involved with a joint project at the Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge involving the U.S. Fish Wildlife Service, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Southern University and A&M College at Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The main focus of the project is to conduct a comprehensive vegetation survey of the Wilkinson Island Division of the Refuge and use this information to update a suite of corresponding GIS landcover maps. The vegetation survey will detail the composition and structure of floodplain forest and wetland communities at Wilkinson Island as well as document the extent of any problems associated with invasive plant species. A preliminary analysis of surface soils is also being conducted to provide additional guidance for management options, including potential restoration activities. The GIS mapping component of the project will allow a comprehensive analysis of historical and recent changes in landcover at the division.
The Wilkinson Island Division of the Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge is located in the open river portion of the Mississippi River between river mile 95-89 along the left descending bank, approximately 15 miles south of Chester, Illinois. The 2,800-acre batture site, the majority of which was formerly agricultural land, was purchased subsequent to levee failure during the flood of 1993. The site, bordered to the east by the Degonia Fountain Bluff Levee and Drainage District, is now predominatly a mosaic of early successional floodplain forest and wet meadow interspersed with smaller remnants of older floodplain forest. These terrestrial habitats play a pivotal role for obligate riparian and wetland species, migrating songbirds, waterbirds and endemic generalists such as deer and turkey. Since the flood of 1993 natural succession, spring and fall river inundations, resultant surface soil deposits, and other environmental factors (including a tornado) have shaped the various habitats at the division, providing a natural “control” site for future research opportunities.
This project was initiated in support of the Wilkinson Island Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project, part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Environmental Management Program (EMP) for the Upper Mississippi River System. The Wilkinson Island EMP project is currently in the early planning stages. Information on existing vegetation conditions, land cover changes, soils, and hard mast tree populations is needed to guide restoration planning, to serve as a baseline for post-project monitoring, and to support vegetation management decisions at the refuge. “NGRREC and Southern University at Baton Rouge have exemplified efficient and reputable field expertise, linking historical and present site conditions to aid in developing future management goals and objectives for our National Wildlife Refuge System lands,” notes Refuge manager Robert Cail.
NGRREC is involved with the Wilkinson Island project as a result of its partnership with Southern University. Southern recently won an Ecological Services Contract from the St. Louis District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and subcontracted NGRREC to conduct the majority of the fieldwork. The GIS component of the project is being conducted by a team of specialists from Southern at their state-of-the-art “in-house” GIS laboratory, which also functions as an ESRI (Environment Systems Research Institute) Authorized Training Center.
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| RiverWatch Citizin Scientists |
| Volunteers conducting stream sampling |
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| Debris removed from a river |
Illinois RiverWatch Program—A Year in Review
By Vera Bojic
The RiverWatch Network was off to a great start in 2007, armed with a generous grant from the McKnight Foundation and a troop of loyal and dedicated citizen scientists. Forty new volunteers joined the statewide effort to safeguard Illinois’s streams by receiving training in RiverWatch stream sampling techniques and macroinvertebrate identification. More than 200 volunteers got their feet wet during the official monitoring period, collecting quality data on 86 stream sites throughout Illinois!
RiverWatch envisions itself as a leader in biological stream monitoring and a vital resource to other monitoring groups in the state. True to its name, the network collaborates with numerous environmental organizations and watershed groups, including the Illinois Conservation Foundation, University of Illinois Extension, and the Illinois Sierra Club. In 2007, we received data from volunteers belonging to 17 environmental groups and schools. This network of partners is key to engaging new members, improving volunteer retention, and sharing information about our state’s water resources.
The first of three phases of development has begun on a user-friendly online database. Phase 1 will be completed by March 2008, and certified volunteers will be able to enter data online this monitoring season. NGRREC is proud to host the first official volunteer data management system in Illinois that will ultimately have the capacity to store, manage, retrieve, interpret, and report on volunteer data.
While reflecting on a great year, we at RiverWatch are busy preparing for the biggest training season yet. This spring, our outreach will be broadened to every region of the state through 20 workshops reaching out to approximately 200 volunteers. Workshop attendees will receive continuing education credit for the first time through Lewis and Clark Community College. Contact Vera Bojic at 618-468-4870 or vbojic@lc.edu to register. No experience is required—just a desire to learn, enjoy the great outdoors, and have fun splashing around in a local stream.
To read more about the great work of our citizen scientists and network partners, take a look at the back issues of the RiverWatch e-newsletter available at www.ngrrec.org/publications_watch.htm.
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| Palisades Preserve at sunset |
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| Palisades Preserve by daylight |
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| Simms Hollow - Palisades Preserve |
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| River community view of the Palisades |
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| Palisades and the National Scenic Byway |
Palisades Preserve
By Lyle Guyon
The Palisades Preserve, overlooking the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, comprises 430 acres of undeveloped property on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. It is part of a complex of majestic limestone bluffs and forests that are renowned for their scenic beauty and unparalleled river vistas. This stretch of the Great River Road from Alton to Grafton and beyond is also known as the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway, and it was recently designated one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois.
The Palisades Preserve contains extensive tracts of habitat for birds and other wildlife and is located within the largest flyway in North America for migrating waterfowl. The forests of the property contain relatively undisturbed areas reflective of presettlement forest, very little of which survives today in Illinois. In addition, the Palisades’ south-facing limestone bluffs contain remnants of an increasingly rare type of hill prairie habitat found only in limited areas in the region. The unique variety of natural habitats on the site, combined with its proximity to other natural areas, make it an integral component of a larger network of contiguously protected habitat along the river corridor. The large amounts of protected habitat in the confluence region are significant not only for migratory waterfowl and songbirds, but also for state and federal species of conservation concern, including the bald eagle, the Indiana bat, the decurrent false aster, and the timber rattlesnake.
The property’s original owner, Adams Development Company, was actively involved for more than four decades in protecting and maintaining the property; eventually the company sought a buyer who would continue that tradition on behalf of future generations. Working together to preserve this natural legacy, Adams Development Company, the Great Rivers Land Trust, the Conservation Fund, Lewis and Clark Community College (LCCC), and the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center entered into a unique partnership, agreeing to eventually transfer the Palisades Preserve to the LCCC Foundation. Currently under the protection of Great Rivers Land Trust, the property is expected to transfer to LCCC early this spring. When it does, NGRREC officially begins its role in managing this unique site.
Management of the newly created Palisades Preserve will proceed under the initial guidance of a comprehensive management plan developed collaboratively by NGRREC, the Great Rivers Land Trust, and LCCC. In addition to serving primary goals related to habitat conservation and enhancement, the preserve provides an ideal setting for expanding environmental education opportunities.Iit is anticipated that the Palisades will be used for a variety of research and education programs linked to NGRREC and LCCC. These could include any number of ecosystem and watershed studies, community-based activities, school-sponsored programs, student internships, and other undergraduate and graduate programs provided through NGRREC, LCCC, and other colleges and universities in the region.
The Palisades Preserve epitomizes the importance of conservation and responsible land use for communities facing expanding development and its often negative effects on the environment. Through the foresight and collaboration of a number of individuals and organizations, the preserve was established to protect a unique ecosystem of limestone bluffs, forests, and hill prairies. Through this creation, the partners have secured in perpetuity a living natural laboratory for conservation, research, and education.
“The Palisades Preserve is the largest and most significant privately owned undeveloped property in the region. Thanks to our partners in this venture and generous supporters, including the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, we were able to protect key wildlife habitats and safeguard educational and recreational opportunities that will benefit our entire community,” said Alley Ringhausen, executive director of the Great Rivers Land Trust.
Dale Chapman, president of Lewis and Clark Community College, noted that “this is an excellent example of how the public can benefit from the close cooperation among public, private, and business entities working together to preserve the landscape, advance research, and create new educational opportunities.”
| Dr. John Tucker and interns |
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| Former interns in the lab and field |
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| For more information on the internship program, visit www.ngrrec.org. |
2008 Summer Intern Program
By Bill Kruidenier
NGRREC will offer a minimum of 28 internships for the summer of 2008. Our internship program runs for 10 weeks, from May 19 to August 5. Interns receive a $4,000 stipend; faculty advisors have up to $2,000 for materials and supplies.
This year’s program promises to host the most diverse set of internships since the inception of the program six years ago. Faculty and staff submitted proposals from 14 institutions, requesting a total of 32 interns: Bradley University, Center for American Archeology, Illinois Natural History Survey, Jersey County, Illinois, Lewis and Clark Community College, Madison County (Illinois) Planning and Development Office, Meeting of the Rivers Foundation, National Great Rivers Museum, NGRREC , Office of the Illinois Lieutenant Governor, Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville, Truman State University, University of Missouri, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District.
NGRREC thanks the following organizations for sponsoring an internship.
AEP River Operations, Chesterfield, Missouri. AEP River Operations has chosen to sponsor Dr. AbuSharbain’s project, “Research on Engaging Local Schools in the Upper Mississippi River Curriculum.” Dr. AbuSharbain is a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences at SIU-Edwardsville.
Madison County (Illinois) Planning and Development Office. The county will be sponsoring an intern through the stormwater control office. The intern will serve under the direction of Mike Fruth, coordinator of the Metro East Regional Stormwater Office.
Monticello Foundation, Godfrey, Illinois. The Monticello Foundation will be sponsoring a female intern working on a research-oriented project in the greater Alton area.
US Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District is sponsoring one intern who will be working on fish passage at Melvin Price Locks and Dam in the Alton area.
For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Kathy Turner at 618-468-4010 or kturner@lc.edu.
Applications for the internship program were received through February 15 from 13 colleges and universities in Illinois and Missouri. Placements will be made by the end of March.
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| “Communication is the key to making your internship a success,” advised Ewan. “Initiate conversations with your mentor, ask questions, be assertive. Tackle the program as a real research project.” Doing so, he said, will help you identify the true passion that determines what you want to do for the rest of your life. |
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| Intern posters from the class of 2004 |
By Kathy Turner
“Take a chance to grab something you can be passionate about. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty and explore other options.” These are the words of advice offered by Ewan Robinson of Urbana. Ewan was a member of the 2004 internship class at NGRREC. He spoke with me about his experiences, his life since the internship, his plans for the future and, of course, his advice to students interested in the NGRREC internship program.
Ewan was directed to the internship program by two University of Illinois professors who were aware of his interests, Dr. Dick Brazee and Dr. Ann Reisner. They encouraged Ewan to apply for the internship program in 2004, and he worked on their sponsored project exploring the economic impact and social impact of rivers to small river communities. Because Ewan was already at the U of I, much of his work during the 10-week program took place on the U of I campus, where he transcribed focus group sessions and reviewed data.
But, Ewan said, the meat of his experience came when he had the opportunity to travel to small river communities in western Illinois. There he did hands-on work leading focus groups and interacting with residents. He said he learned much from his internship—most importantly, what he wants to do with the rest of his academic career.
At the time of his internship, Ewan was focusing his studies in chemistry and natural resources/environmental sciences. In December 2007, he completed his bachelor’s degree in natural resources and environmental sciences with a concentration on human dimensions. In the years between the internship and graduation, he further explored his interest in the human side when he studied abroad in Senegal, West Africa. Senegal, which like Illinois has rural communities that rely heavily on natural resources, their management, and their social implications, provided Ewan the next step in his educational process. He identifies his NGRREC internship as the “very important first step.”
Ewan has now started master’s work at the University of Illinois and is awaiting word on a very important decision that will guide his future. In May, Ewan will learn if he has been chosen to be a Fulbright Scholar. His identified project? To return to Senegal and continue the work he has already sampled through his study abroad, this time under his own project design.
No matter where his academic and professional career leads him, Ewan says he took much away from the internship experience. What did he like most and least? He had a quick answer about both. Least was transcribing results of the focus groups—though Ewan is quick to point out that this changed once he actually attended focus groups and got a feel for the participants and their responses. What he liked most was the final presentation. Ewan really enjoyed this opportunity to conclude his internship, even though he was nervous about presenting to a room filled with academic leaders.
NGRREC wishes Ewan well as he awaits the Fulbright Scholars announcement this spring. We know he will represent the internship program well!
Schedule of Upcoming Events
For more information contact us:
National Great Rivers Research
and Education Center
5800 Godfrey Road, Godfrey, IL 62035
phone: 618- 468-4810
e-mail ngrrec@lc.edu
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April 17, Construction Launch for the Confluence Field Station, Alton, Illinois
April 26, 3rd Annual Wings of Spring Confluence Birding Festival (open to the
public), Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary 10am-4-m
May 5, Water Festival Teacher Workshop, National Great Rivers Museum, Alton, Illinois
May 9, 6th Annual Water Festival, Lewis and Clark Comminity College, Godfrey
May 19-23 NGRREC Intern Orientation, Alton, IL
August 4-5, NGRREC Intern Symposium, Godfrey, IL
September 22-23 International Rivers Symposium, Chicago, IL