Author: SPORT FISHING INST WASHINGTON D C.

Publisher:

Published: 1978

Total Pages: 114

ISBN-13:

Carlyle Lake, which covers 10,522 ha (26,000 ac) at normal pool is the largest impoundment in the State of Illinois. Construction was initiated by the St. Louis District of the Corps of Engineers (CE) in 1964 and completed in 1967. The FWS report was prepared in 1954, appended to the CE survey report, and submitted to Congress in 1957. The project was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1958, and therefore fell under the full purview of the 1958 Amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. The FWS provided 12 fish and wildlife-related planning recommendations, several of which constituted affirmations of proposed CE design and operational plans for the project and several others which were important, through pro forma articles generally contained in every FWS report of that time-period. With the important exception of the recommended timber clearing, later amended at the request of the conservation agencies to allow standing timber to remain in the upper section of the summer pool, all but one of the six site specific recommendations were implemented by the construction agency. The FWS's recommendation to acquire additional land for wildlife was not implemented by the CE. The apparent losses in squirrel, rabbit, quail and opossum populations far exceeded the pre-project estimates. Contrary to the predicted basinwide adverse impact on deer, it is clear that the project impacts on deer resources were localized and directly related to the amount of deer habitat flooded by the permanent pool.