Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Edward R. Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area is a 974-acre (3.8 km²) conservation area located in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located south of Lincoln, Illinois. Founded in 1970 as Railsplitter State Park, it was renamed in 1995 in honor of Edward R. Madigan, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the town of Lincoln. The park is operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The horseshoe-shaped park surrounds the former Lincoln Developmental Center, a state facility operated by the Illinois Department of Human Services. One of the park's primary assets is a 2.5-mile (4-km) section of Salt Creek, a major tributary of central Illinois' Sangamon River.
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[edit] Fish
DNR stated in 2006 that Salt Creek contained largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, sunfish, crappie, channel catfish, bullhead, and carp. The bluegill is the state fish of Illinois.
[edit] Trees
The Madigan Salt Creek bottomlands contain Illinois's largest American sycamore tree. Outside the creek bed, the conservation area contains several groves of white oak and hickory, typical of central Illinois. The white oak is the state tree of Illinois.
[edit] Access and historic road
Old U.S. Highway 66, now Interstate Business 55, passes through the Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area.
The nearest limited-access exit to the Madigan State Fish and Wildlife Area is exit 123 on Interstate 55, where Business 55 interesects with Interstate 55.
