Originally sculpted by glacial melt and retreat, the basins of Hennepin and Hopper lakes located just outside of Hennepin, Illinois, were once channels in the Illinois River. As the river meandered and crisscrossed in and around these basins, it created a diversity of bird and waterfowl habitat unique to this part of the country, including lakes, prairies, savannas, marshes, and wet meadows. In 1908, the 2,600-acre wetland was dramatically altered by farmers who leveed, ditched, tiled, and pumped dry the floodplain to sustain corn and soybean fields.

In 2001, the Wetlands Initiative reversed this destruction by turning off the pumps and beginning ecological restoration. Within months more than 1,000 acres of lakes reappeared, filled only by groundwater and precipitation. In the nine years since, wildlife populations have exploded at the site, with birds taking center stage.

The project was dedicated as the Sue & Wes Dixon Waterfowl Refuge in 2005, in recognition of the high-quality habitat present at the site. Only two hours from the Chicago region, the site is an educational and recreational resource to treasure.

News:

Carp-free marshes roar back to life (July 2010)