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IMC077
GLACIAL PARK/TAMARACK FARMS
- Location:
- Richmond Township (T46N,R8E) Sections 16,17,20,
21,27-33
- McHenry Township (T45N,R8E) Sections 4-6
Size: 4,500 acres (est)
- Natural Resources:
- Communities
- Loamy, mesic and wet prairie (B,C)
- Loamy, dry mesic shrubland (C)
- Loamy, dry mesic and mesic savanna (C)
- Dry mesic woodland (C)
- Low shrub bog (A)
- Graminoid fen (B,C)
- Sedge meadow (B,C)
- Basin marsh (C)
- Streamside marsh (B,C)
- Low-gradient stream (B) (see MAIN BRANCH NIPPERSINK
CREEK)
- Rare Plants:
- Drosera rotundifolia/Round-leaved sundew (E)
- Eriophorum virginicum/Rusty cotton grass (E)
- Lechea intermedia/Pinweed (E)
- Vaccinium macrocarpon/Large cranberry (E) (Introduced)
- Carex utriculata/Beaked sedge (T)
- Chamaedaphne calyculata/Leatherleaf (T)
- Larix laricina/Tamarack (T)
- Lathyrus ochroleucus/Pale vetchling (T)
- Viola conspersa/Dog violet (T)
- Cacalia suaveolens/Sweet Indian plantain (W-SU)
- Hippuris vulgaris/Mare’s tail (NS-very rare,proposed E)
- Rare Animals:
- Notropis heterolepis /Blacknose shiner (E)
- Circus cyaneus/Marsh hawk (E)
- Ammodramus henslowii/Henslow's sparrow (E)
- Chlidonias niger/Black tern (E) & (FED-SC)
- Grus canadensis/Sandhill crane (E)
- Ixobrychus exilis/Least bittern (E)
- Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus/Yellow-headed blackbird (E)
- Bartramia longicauda/Upland sandpiper (E)
- Gallinula chloropus/Common moorhen (T)
- Podilymbus podiceps/Pied-billed grebe (T)
- Rallus elegans/King rail (T)
- Emydoidea blandingii/Blanding's turtle (FED-SC,T)
- Dolichonyx oryzivorus/Bobolink (W-SC)
- Porzana carolina/Sora (W-SU)
- Rallus limicola/Virginia rail (W-SU)
Other Significant Features:
- Delta kames and kettle moraine formations
(outstanding example)
- Spring runs
- Rookery for Great blue heron on Tamarack Hunt Club
Protection Status:
- Most protected by MCCD (part as 380 acre dedicated nature preserve)
- Part unprotected
- Part informally protected as private hunt club
Management Problems:
- Canary grass expansion
- Brush expansion; long term reduction of open bog moat community
- Water table alteration (ditch and tile systems)
- Abnormal stream fluctuations and toxic blue-green algal blooms due to Wonder Lake
- Tollway construction
- Stream channel erosion
- Siltation
- Lack of interspersion in recreated marsh
- Garlic mustard
- Carp
- Eurasian grasses and forbs in prairie and savanna restorations
- Purple loosestrife
