Lick Creek (Sangamon River tributary)
Encyclopedia
Lick Creek is a 30.6 miles (49.2 km) tributary of Lake Springfield
and, thus, a tributary of the Sangamon River
in central Illinois
. It drains a large portion of southwestern Sangamon County
and a marginal adjacent fragment of southeastern Morgan County. The drainage of Lick Creek includes all of Loami, Illinois
and part of Chatham, Illinois
.
Most of the Lick Creek drainage is intensely farmed arable land. However, when land parcels were condemned for Lake Springfield in the 1920s and 1930s, a large section of the lower Lick Creek bottomland was protected as woodland to protect the lake's water quality. This 340 acres (1.4 km²) riparian zone was designated as the Lick Creek Wildlife Preserve by its owner, the Springfield, Illinois
-based City Water, Light & Power
, in 1991. According to Sangamon County, the watershed protection zone contains a notable grove of mixed sugar maples and chinkapin oaks. One chinkapin, located in Camp Widjiwagan, has been dated at more than 300 years of age.
The Interurban Trail
, a local bike trail, bridges the Lick Creek arm of Lake Springfield. The bridge area forms a local fishing hole.
Lake Springfield
Lake Springfield is a 4,260 acre reservoir located in the city of Springfield, Illinois, southeast of downtown. It is 560 feet above sea level...
and, thus, a tributary of the Sangamon River
Sangamon River
The Sangamon River is a principal tributary of the Illinois River, approximately long, in central Illinois in the United States. It drains a mostly rural agricultural area between Peoria and Springfield...
in central Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. It drains a large portion of southwestern Sangamon County
Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000...
and a marginal adjacent fragment of southeastern Morgan County. The drainage of Lick Creek includes all of Loami, Illinois
Loami, Illinois
Loami is a village in Sangamon County, Illinois, United States. The population was 804 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Loami is located at ....
and part of Chatham, Illinois
Chatham, Illinois
Chatham is a village in Sangamon County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,500 as of the 2010 census. The village lies along the original alignment of historic U.S...
.
Most of the Lick Creek drainage is intensely farmed arable land. However, when land parcels were condemned for Lake Springfield in the 1920s and 1930s, a large section of the lower Lick Creek bottomland was protected as woodland to protect the lake's water quality. This 340 acres (1.4 km²) riparian zone was designated as the Lick Creek Wildlife Preserve by its owner, the Springfield, Illinois
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
-based City Water, Light & Power
City Water, Light & Power
City Water, Light & Power is the largest municipally owned utility in the U.S. state of Illinois.The utility provides the city of Springfield, Illinois with electric power from four coal-fired boilers...
, in 1991. According to Sangamon County, the watershed protection zone contains a notable grove of mixed sugar maples and chinkapin oaks. One chinkapin, located in Camp Widjiwagan, has been dated at more than 300 years of age.
The Interurban Trail
Interurban Trail (Sangamon County)
The Interurban Trail is a rail trail in Sangamon County, Illinois. It was built by the Illinois Department of Transportation and occupies an abandoned Illinois Terminal Railroad interurban corridor. It stretches from the south side of Springfield, Illinois, to the center of Chatham,...
, a local bike trail, bridges the Lick Creek arm of Lake Springfield. The bridge area forms a local fishing hole.