ILLINOIS MITIGATION PROJECTS

The Bartelso Bottoms Wetland Mitigation Bank is a 94-acre project in a floodplain of the Kaskaskia River in Clinton County, Illinois. The site is situated on parcels of land that consist of prior converted cropland.

Restoration efforts at the site are aimed at re-establishing native bottomland hardwood forests and reconnecting valuable wetland habitat in the Kaskaskia River bottoms with the planting of nearly 8,000 hardwood trees and the enhancement of 20 acres of existing lower quality forested wetlands.

This project provides significant ecological benefits to the watershed through the re-establishment of bottomland hardwood mast producing oak/hickory forested wetlands on land that was historically in agricultural production, and the enhancement of existing bottomland forest that was both overstocked and lacked species diversity.

The Bartelso Bottoms Wetland Mitigation Bank primarily serves a portion of central and southern Illinois, stretching from Clinton County to Champaign, Illinois. 

Locke Bottom Wetland Mitigation Bank is a 92-acre project located in a protected floodplain of the Mississippi River in Monroe County, IL. The site is situated on a 100-acre parcel of land that consists of prior converted cropland and river channel near the base of the Mississippi River bluffs. The site is just downstream of Kidd Lake State Natural Area.

Ecological improvements are achieved by managing successional woody species, and the planting of native tree and shrub species to increase species richness. Re-established wetland areas at the site provide habitat opportunities for species that require shallow ephemeral wetlands including amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, birds, and mammals. The project’s design takes advantage of natural topographic changes on the site which allow for the re-establishment of emergent, scrub-shrub, and forested wetland areas, providing for diverse habitat types across the site.

The Locke Bottom Wetland Mitigation Bank primarily serves a portion of the Metro East region in southern Illinois along the Mississippi River, including much of Madison and St. Clair County.

The Sangamon River Wetland and Stream Mitigation Bank is a 123-acre project located along the banks of the South Fork Sangamon River, consisting of diverse habitat including perennial stream, forested and emergent wetlands, and upland grass buffer.

The restoration activities include the planting of 7,000+ bottomland hardwood tree species native to this area and the improvement of 5,000+ linear feet of the South Fork Sangamon River through bank stabilization and enhanced riparian buffer.

This project provides significant ecological benefits to the watershed by expanding riparian corridor, decreasing nutrient flow to downstream waters, and increasing habitat for wetland species including reptiles, wading birds, and waterfowl.

The Sangamon River Wetland and Stream Mitigation Bank serves much of central Illinois, including Springfield, Bloomington, and Decatur.

Shepgarten Wetland Mitigation Bank is an approximately 80-acre project located in an unprotected floodplain of Shoal Creek in Clinton County, Illinois. The site is situated on a parcel of land that consists of prior converted cropland, river channel, and degraded wooded riparian corridor adjacent to Shoal Creek.

Restoration activities at the site focus on the re-establishment of a diverse, mast-producing hardwood forest that was historically clear-cut within the last 80 years for agricultural production. Additionally, emergent wetlands will be established in a naturally low-lying portion of the project site to promote habitat diversity and species richness.

The project provides significant ecological benefits to the watershed by supporting habitat opportunities for species that require shallow ephemeral wetlands, as well as decreasing the amount of nutrients and sediment traveling to downstream waters. 

The Shepgarten Wetland Mitigation Bank primarily serves a portion of the Metro East region in southern Illinois, including much of Madison County, St. Clair County, Monroe County, and more.

Silver Banks Wetland and Stream Mitigation Bank is a 73-acre project located in an unprotected floodplain of Silver Creek in Madison County, IL. The bank site is situated on a parcel of land that consists of prior converted cropland, river channel, and degraded wooded riparian corridor adjacent to Silver Creek.

The site was selected because of its potential for beneficial water quality and wildlife habitat improvements. The restoration activities include the planting of nearly 10,000 hard/soft mast tree species native to this area and the improvement of 9+ acres of riparian corridor. The project’s design accentuates historic meander scars on the site, creating diversity of wetland habitat with both emergent and forested components.

This project provides important benefits for the watershed as agricultural and highway runoff will be filtered as it flows across the site. Additionally, occasional floodwaters from Silver Creek will be filtered in the established wetlands, which will also store flood waters and provide substantial wildlife benefits.

The Silver Banks Wetland and Stream Mitigation Bank primarily serves a portion of the Metro East region in southern Illinois, including much of Madison County, St. Clair County, Monroe County, and more.

The Raccoon Creek Wetland and Stream Mitigation Bank will be a 111-acre project in an unprotected floodplain of Raccoon Creek in Wayne County, Illinois. The site consists of prior converted cropland, pastureland, stream channel, and degraded wooded riparian corridor adjacent to Raccoon Creek and Camel Creek. 

Restoration activities will include the planting of nearly 20,000 hard mast trees and the preservation of high-quality stream channels to serve the goals of increasing wetland habitat, re-establishing forested riparian corridors, reducing forest fragmentation, and removing silt and sedimentation from runoff.

The location along Raccoon Creek and Camel Creek will create important benefits for the watershed as agricultural and pasture runoff will be filtered as it flows across the site. Additionally, occasional floodwaters from Raccoon Creek and Camel Creek will be filtered and stored in the established wetlands, providing substantial wildlife benefits.



The Raccoon Creek Wetland and Stream Mitigation Bank will serve much of the southeastern portion of Illinois.

Sweet Water Mitigation Bank will be an approximately 40-acre project located in an unprotected floodplain of Sugar Creek in Madison County, IL. The bank is situated on a parcel of land that consists of prior converted cropland, river channel, and degraded wooded riparian corridor adjacent to Sugar Creek.

Restoration activities will include the planting of nearly 5,500 hard and soft mast trees coupled with the reduction of undesirable plant species in managed wetlands, the reduction of sediment inputs into streams, rivers, and wetlands, and the re-establishment of a wooded riparian corridor adjacent to Sugar Creek, Spanker Branch, and their tributaries that are connected to the flood pulse of the Lower Kaskaskia River. 

The project will provide ecological benefits to the watershed through the re-establishment of wetland quality and quantity for wetland dependent wildlife and native plant species, as well as the protection and re-establishment of streambank riparian corridor habitat, which contributes to the enhancement and habitat diversity of the Sugar Creek, Lower Kaskaskia, and Shoal watersheds. 

The Sweet Water Mitigation Bank will primarily serve a portion of the Metro East region in southern Illinois, including much of Madison County, St. Clair County, Monroe County, and more.

The Zuma Woods Wetland Mitigation Bank will be a 103-acre project located in an unprotected floodplain of Zuma Creek in Rock Island County, Illinois. The site consists of prior converted cropland and will be developed to address the loss of forested and emergent wetland habitat.

Restoration activities will include the planting of nearly 10,000 native trees in the forested wetland area and the development of emergent wetlands in existing low-lying areas of the site, providing for increased wetland habitat diversity within the Rock River floodplain. 

This project will provide significant benefits to the watershed by establishing a diverse wooded and emergent wetland adjacent to a stream riparian corridor to enhance ecological function and values for Zuma Creek. 

The Zuma Woods Mitigation Bank will serve a large portion of northwestern Illinois including Rockford and the Quad Cities (Illinois portion).