Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area

Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area, Illinois, USA
IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
Silver Springs
Location	Kendall County, Illinois, USA
Nearest city	Yorkville, Illinois
Coordinates	41°37′39″N 88°31′21″W / 41.6275, -88.5225
Area	acres ( km²)
Established	1969
Governing body	Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area is an Illinois state park on  acres ( km²) in Kendall County, Illinois, United States. The park was established in the late 1960s and is named for the natural spring within its boundaries. The park has two artificial lakes and the Fox River flows to the north of the area.

History

There is evidence that the portion of the Fox River valley near Silver Springs was populated by indigenous people near the end of the last Ice Age, 10–14,000 years ago.^[1] The original  acres ( km²) tract of land that became Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area was purchased by the state of Illinois in 1969. The site is located in Kendall County, Illinois, five miles west of the city of Yorkville. Since the original acquisition in 1969, 100 acres have been added to the park. In 1980 a prairie restoration project began on  acres ( km²) within Silver Springs, an additional  acres ( km²) was added to the project in 1991.^[2]

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), who manages the park, undertook another prairie restoration in an area within the park, on the north side of the Fox River, in 2002. The IDNR removed numerous species from the area including: basswood, ash, maple, and exotic honeysuckle. The non-native exotic honeysuckle species had thrived in the absence of fire through human intervention. These actions were meant to allow native burr and black oak, and shagbark hickory a chance to reproduce.^[3]

Bodies of water

Silver Springs, a natural spring, and the park's namesake

Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area covers  acres ( km²) and includes four distinct bodies of water, two artificial lakes, the Fox River, and Silver Springs.^[3] The larger of the two lakes, Loon Lake, covers  acres ( km²) and has .9 miles (1.4 km) of shoreline. Loon Lake's maximum depth is 20 feet (6.1 m) and it has an average depth of 11.8 feet (3.6 m).^[4] Loon Lake, sometimes known as Silver Spring Lake was constructed in 1960 when a lowland area was excavated. Loon Lake's water level is maintained through a small 20 acre watershed and groundwater seepage. Water quality at Loon Lake was identified as good in 1996.^[5] Beaver Lake, north of Loon Lake, is much smaller, covering just  acres ( km²). It has almost a half mile (.8 km) of shoreline and a maximum depth of 14 feet (4.3 m). Beaver Lake's average depth is 8 feet (2.4 m).^[6]

The park's namesake is a natural spring located along a trail on the south end of the park.^[2] Silver Springs gets its own name from the effect of sunlight on its surface, which makes the pool appear to sparkle like silver.^[2] Even through the winter this bubbling spring never freezes and green plant shoots often poke through snow surrounding the pool in the coldest months as the spring is bordered by beds of watercress.^[3][2]

Wildlife

Twenty one acre (0.08 km²) Loon Lake is stocked with rainbow trout twice per year.

With the addition of the 45 acre prairie restoration to Silver Springs numerous plant species found in the native Illinois prairies prior to European settlement can be found. While the species vary by season species observed in the park include: lead plant, purple coneflower, wild bergamot, and purple prairie clover, black-eyed susan, tall coreopsis, compass plant, wild quinine, rattlesnake master, New Jersey tea, big bluestem, switch grass, and Indian grass. Along the park's four mile trail other plant species reside. Six species of oak, three species of ash, along with basswood, cottonwood, pawpaw, Kentucky coffeetree and hackberry are among the tree species living within the boundaries of Silver Springs.^[1]

Besides its prairie restorations, Silver Springs has areas of deciduous forests, and wetlands, both of which are populated with species of mammals, birds and insects.^[1] Bird life observed in the park includes: Osprey, Great Horned Owl, Eastern Screech Owl and Long-eared Owl; Bald Eagle have been sighted further upstream along the Fox.^[3] Reptiles and amphibians are present in the park but are more elusive than other types of animal life.^[1]

Activities

Trailhead leading to Silver Springs

When in season hunting and fishing are two of the park's primary activities; during the fall and winter over  acres ( km²) are opened to the public for this purpose. Pheasant hunting, through a park operated controlled hunting program is popular at the park. Dove hunting, squirrel hunting, and bow hunting for deer are also permitted with some restrictions.^[7] The park has areas set aside for trap shooting, and archery, participants are required to bring their own equipment and some restrictions apply.^[7] For anglers, Loon Lake is stocked in the spring and fall with rainbow trout and a small one-half acre pond to the east of the lake is stocked annually for children during the National Hunting and Fishing Days, which is marked yearly by events at Silver Springs.^[7][8] Both Loon and Beaver Lake are also stocked with channel catfish, bass, bluegill and crappie.^[7]

Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area has trails for hiking or horseback riding.^[2] A short, half mile trail leads to Silver Springs near the park's east entrance. A longer four mile trail follows the course of the Fox River through the park's wooded areas.^[3] The equestrian trail is located in the wildlife management area of the park and stretches seven miles.^[2] A one mile path travels through the prairie restoration area.^[7] During the winter much of the park's trail system is open to cross-country skiing as weather permits; a four mile trail is open to snowmobiling subject to the same restrictions.^[7] When ice thickness permits, the lakes are opened to ice skating and ice fishing.^[2] Sledding is another popular activity, Toboggan Hill is located inside the park's east entrance.^[3]

Notes

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