The
Cache River is located in southernmost
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
, in a region sometimes called
Little EgyptSouthern Illinois also known as "Little Egypt" is the extreme southern region of Illinois. With the area code 618, the southern part of Illinois is geographically, culturally, and economically different from the rest of the state. Settled by migrants from the Upland South, historically it was more...
. Located at the convergence of four major physiographic regions, the river is part of the largest complex of wetlands in Illinois. The Cache River wetlands are the northernmost cypress/tupelo swamp in the United States, and provide habitat for over 50 threatened and endangered species. In 1996, the Cache was designated a
Wetland of International ImportanceThis is the list of wetlands of international importance as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value.The Convention...
by the
Ramsar ConventionThe Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
.
A significant portion of the Cache River wetlands are protected by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The
Cache River is located in southernmost
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
, in a region sometimes called
Little EgyptSouthern Illinois also known as "Little Egypt" is the extreme southern region of Illinois. With the area code 618, the southern part of Illinois is geographically, culturally, and economically different from the rest of the state. Settled by migrants from the Upland South, historically it was more...
. Located at the convergence of four major physiographic regions, the river is part of the largest complex of wetlands in Illinois. The Cache River wetlands are the northernmost cypress/tupelo swamp in the United States, and provide habitat for over 50 threatened and endangered species. In 1996, the Cache was designated a
Wetland of International ImportanceThis is the list of wetlands of international importance as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value.The Convention...
by the
Ramsar ConventionThe Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
.
A significant portion of the Cache River wetlands are protected by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Cypress Creek National Wildlife RefugeThe Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Cache River watershed in southernmost Illinois, largely in Pulaski County, but with extensions into Union, Alexander, and Johnson counties. The refuge was established in 1990 under the authority of the Emergency Wetlands Resource Act of...
, established in 1990, covers 14,000 acres (57 km²) of aquatic and riparian habitat, and is eventually planned to expand to 35,509 acres (144 km²). The Illinois Department of Natural Resources protects another 14,314 acres (57.9 km²) through the Cache State Natural Area. The Lower Cache River, a habitat that encompasses much of these landholdings, has been listed as a U.S.
National Natural LandmarkThe National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the United States' natural history. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in both...
. The
Heron Pond - Little Black Slough Nature PreserveHeron Pond - Little Black Slough Nature Preserve is a parcel of protected wetland property located approximately 5 miles southwest of Vienna in Johnson County, Illinois. It is a National Natural Landmark.-Biological history:...
, another National Natural Landmark, is located within the upper drainage of the Cache, upstream from the Post Creek Cutoff.
History
The Cache River area was used as a trading crossroads by
Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States is the phrase that describes indigenous peoples from North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of...
, and has several sites of archeological interest within its boundaries, including the Cypress Citadel
http://www.dailyegyptian.com/Summer01/07-12-01/ site just south of
Cypress, IllinoisCypress is a village in Johnson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 271 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cypress is located at ....
.
French Voyageurs gave the river its modern name, calling it “cache” which means secret or hidden place.
European settlers arrived in the region in 1803. They found the soil too wet for farming, and the swamps full of mosquitoes and venomous snakes; many early settlers died of
malariaMalaria is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by a eukaryotic protist of the genus Plasmodium. It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, including parts of the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Each year, there are approximately 350–500 million cases of malaria, killing between one and...
. However, the Cache provided excellent hunting and fishing, and abundant timber. One settler wrote home that the Cache River Basin was “good country for men and dogs, but hard on women and oxen.” Between 1810 and 1890 timber harvesting became a major industry in the Cache basin, cypress wood being sought after for its light, water-resistant properties. The small towns on the edge of the swamp experienced a small boom during this period. Several sawmills and small factories sprung up to process timber for lumber, railroad ties, charcoal, and packing crates and boxes.
Drainage and Diversion
After most of the accessible timber was cut, local industry shifted to agriculture and a program of diversion and draining began. The landscape changed dramatically, largely due to a diversion channel that was cut to connect the Cache and the nearby
Ohio RiverThe Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. It is approximately 981 miles long and is located in the eastern United States....
. Constructed in 1912-1915, the Post Creek Cutoff divided the Cache into two rivers; the Upper Cache, which drains down the diversion channel to the Ohio; and the Lower Cache, which drains to the original outlet on the
Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
. An interesting effect of this diversion is that in times of high water direction of flow on the lower Cache reverses, flowing east to the diversion channel. When the water level in the lower Cache drops below the diversion channel level, flow resumes its westerly travel to the Mississippi.
In 2002 the levee dividing the Post Creek Cutoff and the Lower Cache suffered a catastrophic failure during the spring flood season. The failure of the levee has resulted in dropping water levels in the Lower Cache. The
Illinois Department of Natural ResourcesThe Illinois Department of Natural Resources is a cabinet-level department of the state government of Illinois. It is headquartered in the state capital of Springfield...
has proposed restoration work including installation of a dam and weir to protect the Cache from water loss, which would stabilize water levels and remedy some of the hydrologic disconnect between the upper and lower Cache. However, the Army Corps of Engineers intends merely to restore the levee to its original condition. No work on either solution has begun as of January 2007.
Conservation Efforts
Since the mid-1980s, efforts have been made to restore the Cache to something more like its historic state. The Citizens Committee to Save the Cache River, a grassroots organization of hunters, fishermen, and nature lovers, enlisted the help of state and federal agencies as well as non-profit groups such as
The Nature ConservancyThe Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization working to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
to form the Cache River Wetlands Joint Venture.
Over the past fifteen years efforts have been made to control erosion, reduce siltation, stabilize water levels, restore game species habitat and provide recreational opportunities to the public. One long-term goal of the Joint Venture is to restore the hydrologic continuity of the Upper and Lower Cache.
Over the course of the restoration work, there have been tensions between the conservationists and some local landowners. Some of the region’s farmers feared that restoration of the wetlands would cause flooding and loss of agricultural land, and many resented what they perceived as ‘outside influences’ meddling in their communities. Some local sportsmen feared that their favorite hunting and fishing grounds would either be put off limits, or else overrun by visitors. State and Federal agencies have attempted at all times to reach compromise with local landowners and sportsmen, but tensions and resentment remain.
The Cache offers ample recreation opportunities, such as canoeing, hiking, bird watching, fishing and hunting. The 45 mile long Tunnel Hill State Bicycle Trail provides an excellent look at the sloughs and bottomland forest as it follows the disused
Norfolk Southern RailwayThe Norfolk Southern Railway is a major Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
grade (originally owned by the
Cairo and Vincennes RailroadThe Cairo and Vincennes Railroad was a 19th century American railroad that connected Cairo, Illinois, with Vincennes, Indiana. It was chartered by the state of Illinois in 1867 through the efforts of former American Civil War General Green B. Raum, who subsequently oversaw the planning and...
) from Karnak to Vienna, then continues north through the
Shawnee National ForestThe Shawnee National Forest, located in the Ozark and Shawnee hills of Southern Illinois, consists of approximately 280,000 acres of federally managed lands. In descending order of land area it is located in parts of Pope, Jackson, Union, Hardin, Alexander, Saline, Gallatin, Johnson, and Massac...
to
Harrisburg, IllinoisHarrisburg is a city and township in Saline County, Illinois, United States. The estimated 2007 population was 9,638, with a township population of 11,658. It is the county seat of Saline County.At the concurrency of U.S...
.
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