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Wild turkeys have come back in force at Crab Orchard. Birds captured here have been used to replenish diminished stocks elsewhere. (Refuge Reporter) |
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in southern Illinois fulfills the normal refuge responsibilities of wildlife management and stewardship, but it also does something that no other refuge in the national system does. Crab Orchard houses and supports industrial operations including manufacturing and storage.
The congressional act that transferred lands owned by the War Department and established the refuge in 1947 mandated continued use of the space where the Illinois Ordnance Plant had been constructed and operated during World War II. More than 10,000 people worked there at the height of the war to produce one of the largest ammunition outputs in the nation. The act also specifies recreation use and agricultural development as refuge management objectives.
Over the last 50 years, employment has eroded to the point where private employment now amounts to a little more than 600 workers. The refuge continues, though, to provide police, fire, water, and sewer services to industrial tenants. Services are being purchased now, but at one time the refuge had 75 employees to run the utilities. In time, Refuge Manager Dan Doshier says, industry will probably go away, and Congress will be approached to remove industrial operations as a refuge purpose.
Crab Orchard is a popular recreational attraction. Nearly half a million people visit the refuge annually for boating, sailing, water skiing, fishing, hunting, and camping. Another 600,000 go to the refuge for wildlife observation, interpretive tours, nature walks, and environmental education programs.
Despite the intensive people activity, half of the 43,600 acre refuge is a wildlife sanctuary and closed to public use. A full 4,000 acres is designated wilderness, off limits to any mechanized vehicle. The topography adds to the contrast with a generally flat terrain in the north and rugged forested slopes in the south. Both refuge croplands and the industrial complex are contained within the closed area.
Most visitors congregate at the three refuge lakes, which are artificial impoundments. Crab Orchard Lake is the largest and covers an area of 7,000 acres. On its edge are two marinas and a campground in addition to a private yacht club. Five youth camps exist on Little Grassy Lake, where 25,000 kids attend environmental education sessions annually. Fishing in the three lakes draws more than 200,000 fishers in a year. Three major bass tournaments are among the 49 public events permitted on Crab Orchard Lake. In season, visitors will find marina and campground concessions on the two smaller lakes.
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