Staff from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will host a special moist soil habitat field day at the Carlyle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area in Fayette County on Saturday, Sept. 20 to give waterfowl hunters an opportunity to learn and ask questions about management practices at the site.
Wildlife biologists, foresters and other IDNR staff will lead discussions and offer shuttle bus tours of the site. Hunters can choose one of three different times that are being offered for tours: 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. or 1 p.m. Advance registration online is required. Tours will take about an hour, and ADA accommodations will be available upon request. Each session is limited to 35 people.
“IDNR has received a lot of questions about waterfowl management changes at Carlyle Lake, and we’re inviting the public to come out and learn more about what we’re doing to improve habitat for waterfowl and maintain the site,” said IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie.
Moist soil management is a practice that encourages growth of seed-producing native wetland plants by mimicking the seasonal wet and dry cycles of natural wetlands. Moist soil habitats are typically wet in the spring, dry in the summer, and wet again in the fall and winter.
“This year, because of unseasonal rainfalls, the site was not dry enough to plant corn and our best option was to manage for moist soil plants,” Finnie said. “Over the long term, IDNR plans to transition to moist soil management at more of our sites. Research has shown moist soil is better for the ducks, and the switch frees up site staff to focus more on upkeep and maintenance at the site. IDNR experts will be available to discuss these measures and more with interested hunters at the field day.”
Wildlife biologists and other experts will highlight a variety of management topics, such as moist soil plant identification and nutritional value, woody vegetation management, plant and wildlife diversity, pesticide use and mechanical management to limit invasive and unwanted plant species, and more. Staff also will discuss site infrastructure improvements and planned construction projects at the site.
Registration can be done online at the following IDNR Eventbrite links:
Participants should meet at Hunter Parking Lot 1, about a mile south of the Carlyle Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area headquarters at 712 North County Road 300 East, Vandalia.
