Senachwine Lake
Encyclopedia
Senachwine Lake is a 3,324-acre (13.5 km²) riparian lake
that forms part of the valley of the Illinois River
. It is located in Putnam and Marshall
Counties, Illinois
. Its elevation is 439 feet (134 meters) above sea level. Senachwine Lake is connected by a shallow channel to adjacent Goose Lake, also a backwater lake of the Illinois River.
period left the lower Illinois River valley, including the Senachwine Lake area, as a broad ribbon of relatively impermiable clay
and silt bordered by low bluffs.
During the post-glacial springtimes, as the climate of Illinois grew warmer, floods caused by snowmelt tended to fill sections of the valley faster than it could be drained during the rest of the year. Eventually the Illinois River became a braided, slow-moving alluvial river bordered by a string of riverside lakes and wetlands. Senachwine Lake is one of these backwater lakes.
. Native American sites such as Dickson Mounds
pay tribute to the civilizations founded on fishing, waterfowl
ing, and the gathering of wetland plants and animals.
During early American frontier years, wetland zones were key areas in the fur trade
. Commercial fishing in Lake Senachwine continued until 1900-1910, when toxic waste
was injected into the Illinois River through the newly dug Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
.
of Illinois topsoil into the lake and river. Adjacent areas of Putnam County are vulnerable to erosion, as they are heavily cultivated for corn
and soybeans.
Senachwine Lake is a local favorite for recreation, with a boat ramp located near Putnam, Illinois
off Illinois Route 29
. Fish-eating waterfowl, including egret
s, great blue heron
s, and bald eagle
s, have returned to the lake.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
that forms part of the valley of the Illinois River
Illinois River
The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the State of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . This river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route...
. It is located in Putnam and Marshall
Marshall County, Illinois
The median income for a household in the county was $41,576, and the median income for a family was $48,061. Males had a median income of $35,765 versus $21,452 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,065...
Counties, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Its elevation is 439 feet (134 meters) above sea level. Senachwine Lake is connected by a shallow channel to adjacent Goose Lake, also a backwater lake of the Illinois River.
Glacial relic
The drainage, by sudden flood, of a sizable lake of glacial meltwater upon the conclusion of the Wisconsin glacialWisconsin glaciation
The last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within the current ice age occurring during the last years of the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 10,000 years ago....
period left the lower Illinois River valley, including the Senachwine Lake area, as a broad ribbon of relatively impermiable clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
and silt bordered by low bluffs.
During the post-glacial springtimes, as the climate of Illinois grew warmer, floods caused by snowmelt tended to fill sections of the valley faster than it could be drained during the rest of the year. Eventually the Illinois River became a braided, slow-moving alluvial river bordered by a string of riverside lakes and wetlands. Senachwine Lake is one of these backwater lakes.
Backwater lake and fish
During prehistoric and early historic times, backwater lakes bordering the Illinois such as Senachwine Lake became highly productive areas for fishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. Native American sites such as Dickson Mounds
Dickson Mounds
Dickson Mounds is a Native American settlement site and burial mound complex near Lewistown, Illinois, is located in Fulton County on a low bluff overlooking the Illinois River. It is a large burial complex containing at least two cemeteries, ten burial mounds, and a platform mound. Dickson Mounds...
pay tribute to the civilizations founded on fishing, waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
ing, and the gathering of wetland plants and animals.
During early American frontier years, wetland zones were key areas in the fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
. Commercial fishing in Lake Senachwine continued until 1900-1910, when toxic waste
Toxic waste
Toxic waste is waste material that can cause death or injury to living creatures. It spreads quite easily and can contaminate lakes and rivers. The term is often used interchangeably with “hazardous waste”, or discarded material that can pose a long-term risk to health or environment.Toxic waste...
was injected into the Illinois River through the newly dug Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, historically known as the Chicago Drainage Canal, is the only shipping link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system, by way of the Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers...
.
Remediation
Efforts to remediate Senachwine Lake have concentrated on mandates to clean up sewage discharges into the Illinois River drainage, and efforts to cut the erosionErosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
of Illinois topsoil into the lake and river. Adjacent areas of Putnam County are vulnerable to erosion, as they are heavily cultivated for corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
and soybeans.
Senachwine Lake is a local favorite for recreation, with a boat ramp located near Putnam, Illinois
Putnam, Illinois
Putnam is an unincorporated community in Putnam County, Illinois, United States. The community is located to the west of Senachwine Lake along Illinois Route 29 north of Henry. The largest population of the community is located at Lake Thunderbird north of the community....
off Illinois Route 29
Illinois Route 29
Illinois Route 29 is a two to four lane state road that runs south from U.S. Route 6/Illinois Route 89 at Spring Valley to U.S. Route 51/Illinois Route 16 at Pana, running through Pekin, Peoria and Springfield. The nearest major north–south highway, Interstate 39, runs parallel to Illinois...
. Fish-eating waterfowl, including egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s, great blue heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
s, and bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s, have returned to the lake.