Piscasaw Creek facts for kids

Piscasaw Creek is a stream about 31.6-mile-long (50.9 km). It is a branch, or tributary, of the Kishwaukee River. The creek starts in Walworth County, Wisconsin. It then flows through McHenry County, Illinois before joining the Kishwaukee River. This meeting point is in Boone County, Illinois, near Belvidere, Illinois.

Where Piscasaw Creek Flows

Piscasaw Creek begins in Walworth County, Wisconsin. It travels through McHenry and Boone counties. Finally, it meets the Kishwaukee River near Belvidere, Illinois. The place where Piscasaw Creek joins the Kishwaukee is known as Red Horse Bend.

About Piscasaw Creek's Health

Piscasaw Creek is considered a "Class A" drainage by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. This means the creek's water is quite healthy. It has good levels of nutrients and chemicals. Even with traditional dairy farms nearby, the creek has stayed healthy. However, many new homes are being built. This growth might cause new challenges for the creek's health in the future.

The land around Piscasaw Creek is mostly flat. A lot of the creek's edges have damp soil and wetland areas. You can often see cattail plants and willow trees there. These wetlands are very important. They help keep the water clean and healthy. The area that Piscasaw Creek and its smaller streams drain is over 120 square miles (310 km²). This makes it the fourth largest branch of the Kishwaukee River.

In 2008, scientists studied Piscasaw Creek. They looked at two spots in McHenry County's Beck's Woods. At the first spot, the creek was 12 meters (about 39 feet) wide. It was 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) deep. The bottom of the creek here was made of small rocks. The water moved fast in these shallow, rocky areas called riffles. At the second spot, the creek was 10 meters (about 33 feet) wide. It was 30 centimeters (about 12 inches) deep. This area also had many riffles.

Smaller Streams Joining Piscasaw Creek

Piscasaw Creek has several smaller streams that flow into it. These are called tributaries. Some of them include:

• Lawrence Creek
• Geryune Creek
• Little Beaver Creek
• Mokeler Creek

Wildlife in Piscasaw Creek

Piscasaw Creek is home to many kinds of fish. You can find chub, sucker, rock bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, and green sunfish. It also has brown trout and rainbow trout. The rainbow trout are "stocked" each year. This means they are put into the creek by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the McHenry County Conservation District. Brown trout are likely living there naturally. Both types of trout can have babies in the creek. However, many chub and sucker fish often keep most people from fishing for trout. In total, 46 different kinds of fish have been found in Piscasaw Creek.

Besides fish, 17 types of mussels have been found in the creek. Many reptiles and amphibians also live in and around Piscasaw Creek. These include the green frog, ornate box turtle, northern leopard frog, fox snake, Chicago garter snake, and the plains garter snake.

Some special plants and animals that are rare or in danger have been seen near Piscasaw Creek. Two types of mussels, the Ellipto dilatata (Spike) and Alasmidonta viridis (Slippershell), live in the creek. The Spike mussel is threatened, and the Slippershell mussel is endangered. An endangered plant called the speckled alder also grows along the creek. River otters have been seen using Piscasaw Creek. The Boone County Conservation District has also found the Blanding's turtle, which is a threatened species, in the creek.

Places to Visit Along the Creek

Two areas along Piscasaw Creek have been set aside for people to enjoy:

• Beck's Woods is near Chemung, Illinois. The McHenry County Conservation District takes care of this area.
• Piscasaw Fen is near Poplar Grove, Illinois. The Boone County Conservation District recently bought this land to protect it.