The Illinois & Michigan Canal, completed in 1848, connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River watershed along a longstanding Indian portage route.
Located within the Mississippi Flyway, one of the nation's most important flyway routes, Mark Twain NWR provides waterfowl and other migratory birds with food, water and protection during the spring and fall migrations.
The Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge is located in southernmost Illinois within the Cache River Watershed.
Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1936 by Executive Order 7524, which authorized the purchase of lands owned by the defunct Chautauqua Drainage and Levee District. The refuge extends from Illinois River mile 124.0 to 129.5.
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge's 44, 000 acres of land and water contain a wide diversity of flora and fauna. Major habitat types on the refuge include hardwood forest, agricultural land, grazing units, brushland, wetlands, and lakes.
The 8, 501-acre Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge is one of five refuges in the Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge Complex.
Rend Lake, IL, located in the heart of southern Illinois, is a natural haven for wildlife and a recreational haven for visitors. Rend Lake consists of 18, 900 acres of water and 20, 000 acres of land.
Carlyle Lake is located on the Kaskaskia River, approximately 107 miles above its mouth, near the community of Carlyle, Illinois. Carlyle Lake is the largest man-made lake in Illinois, with over 26, 000 acres of water and 11, 000 acres of public land.
Lake Shelbyville, located in central Illinois, offers beaches, hiking trails, marinas, boat ramps, and over 1500 campsites.
The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie established in 1996 is the nation's first federally designated tallgrass prairie. "Midewin", pronounced "Mih-DAY-win", is the Potawatomi name for their healing society.