Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River)
Encyclopedia
Rush Creek is a 14.9 miles (24 km) tributary of the Kishwaukee River
in northern Illinois.
, two miles southeast. The stream then flows southwest until it empties into the main stem of the Kishwaukee River one mile east of Garden Prairie
.
can still be seen.
and the largescale stoneroller. Three animal species are on state or federal endangered or threatened lists - river otter
, and two mussels, Elliptio dilatata (Spike) and Alasmidonta viridis
(Slippershell).
Kishwaukee River
The Kishwaukee River, sometimes locally known as simply "The Kish", is a river in the U.S. state of Illinois. "The Kish" is famous for its high number of bridges that cross within its 100-year floodplain.-Location:...
in northern Illinois.
Course
Rush Creek's origin is in a complex of wetlands near Harvard, IllinoisHarvard, Illinois
Harvard is a city located in McHenry County in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Illinois, approximately south of the Illinois/Wisconsin border. The population was 7,996 at the 2000 census...
, two miles southeast. The stream then flows southwest until it empties into the main stem of the Kishwaukee River one mile east of Garden Prairie
Garden Prairie, Illinois
Garden Prairie is an unincorporated former village located in Boone County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
Description
Approximately 65% of the main stem of Rush Creek has been channelized (ditched and straighten), however 50% of those areas are showing signs of recovery. Despite the channelization and encroachment from agriculture many of the stream's features such as rifflesRiffle
A Riffle is a short, relatively shallow and coarse-bedded length of stream over which the stream flows at higher velocity and higher turbulence than it normally does in comparison to a pool....
can still be seen.
Wildlife
Twenty-nine species of fish have been identified within Rush Creek and its tributaries, two of those species have not been seen in the watershed since 1965 - the northern pikeNorthern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
and the largescale stoneroller. Three animal species are on state or federal endangered or threatened lists - river otter
River otter
River otter may refer to:*River Otter, a river in Devon*European Otter*Japanese River Otter*Neotropical River Otter*North American River Otter, a common animal in North American waterways*Southern River Otter, found in Chile and Argentina...
, and two mussels, Elliptio dilatata (Spike) and Alasmidonta viridis
Alasmidonta viridis
Alasmidonta viridis, common name the Slippershell mussel, is a species of freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae, the river mussels....
(Slippershell).