The Boone Creek watershed is a very unique place in Illinois.  It’s unique because it still retains much of its “natural” character.  Some biologists liken it to a giant landscape puzzle -  a place were oak savannas, sedge meadows, maple forests, oak woodlands, seeps, springs, fen wetlands and a cold water stream form a mosaic of interconnected natural communities.  Each of the puzzle pieces is important from an ecological standpoint.  But, the really amazing thing about the BCWA is that all the main pieces of the ecological puzzle are still relatively intact.  Did you know that this watershed has the largest amount of forest cover in all of McHenry County!  Even more amazing is the fact that none of the other important natural puzzle pieces are missing.  There are representative examples of every major natural community type that was present within this watershed when the first settlers arrived 200 years ago. This is not the case with most watersheds in Illinois or even throughout much of the Midwestern U.S.  If you have ever taken a car ride through the central Illinois corn belt - you can easily imagine a landscape devoid of its natural puzzle pieces.  Perhaps the small size of the BCWA , its hilly rolling topography, and its abundance of wetlands helps explain why the watershed has survived intact for so long.  But, whatever the reasons, ecologists are now discovering that this watershed contains some very  rare ecological treasures of state-wide significance.

Running through the center of this watershed is Boone Creek which ties together all the natural communities throughout the watershed.  As such, the quality of this stream is a barometer of the ecological integrity of the entire watershed.   “It’s like the canary in the coal mine” says  Brad Semel, Natural Heritage Biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.  “If sediments and chemicals are allowed to pollute Boone Creek from poor land use practices, we will see the effects on the biota of the stream”. Right now, Boone Creek runs clear and cold, passing swiftly over sands and gravels where pools and riffles provide critical habitat to a diverse fish and invertebrate fauna.  In fact, the 13 mile stretch of Boone Creek was classified in 1993 as a Grade “B” stream.  Such a ranking is unusual in the urbanized landscapes of northeast Illinois.  Some segments of Boone Creek likely even rate “A” quality.  As part of its developing watershed management plan, the BCWA is implementing a stream monitoring program to help get a sense of the overall ecological health of the entire system.  “Over time, this information will give us an idea of whether or not we are having a positive effect on the environment” says Carol O’Donnel, Founder of the BCWA.  Of course, the best laid plans will not work unless local residents and elected officials decide the cause is worthwhile.  Fortunately, citizen involvement seems to be another important attribute of this unique watershed as well.