Land Use Analysis to Determine the Present and Future Threats to the Water Resources Sustaining a Dolomite Prairie at Lockport, Illinois

Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve (LPNP) is located adjacent to the Des Plaines River in Will County, Illinois. LPNP includes large expanses of Dolomite Prairie, Sedge Meadow, and Marsh plant communities. These communities provide habitat for several threatened and endangered species. Dolomite prairie is one of the rarest community types in Illinois. Ongoing studies have identified that ground water is the keystone of the site's ecology. Anecdotal evidence suggests that LPNP may be dryer than in the past. Remaining undeveloped lands within and adjacent to the recharge area are under development pressures, and the annexation of lands is a continuous process. A land use analysis of the LPNP recharge area was completed as a means of classifying different activities relating to current land use, and the proposed future use. Three zones were identified, including the. "recharge area", the "recharge area buffer", and "lands adjacent to the recharge area."