Cache River (Illinois)

The Cache River is a 92-mile-long (148 km) waterway in southernmost Illinois, in a region sometimes called Little Egypt. The basin spans 737 square miles (1,910 km2) and six counties: Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, and Union. 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 is America's northernmost cypress/tupelo swamp and harbors 91 percent of the state's high quality swamp and wetland communities. It provides habitat for more than 100 threatened and endangered species in Illinois. In 1996, the Cache was designated a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention.

Cache River
A swamp along the river
Cache River Watershed Map
Location
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
Physical characteristics
Source 
  locationAnna, Union County, Illinois
  coordinates37°27′00″N 89°14′44″W
MouthOhio River
  location
South of Mound City, Alexander County, Illinois
  coordinates
37°04′01″N 89°10′22″W
Length92 mi (148 km)
Discharge 
  locationhttps://waterdata.usgs.gov/il/nwis/uv/?site_no=03612000&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060 Forman, IL
  average312 cu/ft. per sec.
Basin features
Protection status
Ramsar Wetland
Official nameCache River and Cypress Creek Wetlands
Designated1 November 1994
Reference no.711
U.S. National Natural Landmark
Designated1972 (Heron Pond); 1980 (Lower Cache)

A significant portion of the Cache River Wetlands are protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1990, covers 15,000 acres (61 km2) of aquatic and riparian habitat, and is eventually planned to expand to 35,500 acres (144 km2). The Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Cache River State Natural Area protects another 14,489 acres (58.63 km2). Local landowners, through Wetlands Reserve Program easements with Natural Resources Conservation Service, protect an additional 13,500 acres (55 km2) of restored wetlands. Also through NRCS, landowners are using a variety of conservation practices, such as conservation tillage, grassed waterways, and reforestation; many of these practices are through NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives and Wildlife Habitat Programs. In all, more than 45,000 acres (180 km2) of private lands are using some sort of NRCS conservation program in the Cache River Watershed.

The Lower Cache River, a habitat that encompasses much of these landholdings, has been listed as a U.S. National Natural Landmark. The Heron Pond – Little Black Slough Nature Preserve, another National Natural Landmark, is located within the upper stretch of the Cache, upstream from the Post Creek Cutoff.

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