Army Corps Seeks to Restore Rare Prairie Habitat

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced plans to restore the Forest Preserve District of Will County, Ill., Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve. This prairie comprises more than half of the world’s high-quality habitat known as wet-mesic dolomite prairie, an extremely rare habitat that houses endangered species of plants and animals.

According to the Morton Arboretum, dolomite prairie land is unique because unlike most prairies the plants grow on thin layers of soil covering dolomite bedrock. The unique habitat attracts rare plants that crave alkaline soil such as the endangered leafy prairie clover and lakeside daisy. These plants in turn attract endangered animals such as the HIne’s emerald dragonfly, the golden corydalis and the spotted turtle.

The Army Corps is seeking bids to help fund this project and aims to begin restoration work this winter spanning over the course of five years. The project will include removing invasive species, replenishing groundwater and fostering native plant growth. A major obstacle to the preservation of the prairie land has been the reduced flow of groundwater from the nearby Prairie Bluff Preserve caused by human activity.