River Past, River Future:The Importance of Archaeology in River Valley Restoration

Michael WiantIllinois Department of Natural ResourcesIllinois State Museum—Dickson Mounds

Paleoindian Period(12,000 – 10,000 ybp)

Mississippian Period(1000 - 600 ybp)

Native American Tribes

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River Records

Years 9700 170 60 70

Natural (Unwritten) Natural (Written) Profound Change River Transformed

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Records

Records 100 25 100 500

Natural (Archaeology) Natural (Diaries) Change (Biology) Transformed (Biology)

1835 Illinois River Channel Survey

• 19 or 20 bars where lowest stage was one to two feet of water

• 71 shoals upon which water averaged two to three feet• In low water the river channel was quite narrow, in some

places scarcely wide enough for two boats to pass

Copperas Creek Lock

Sanitary and Ship Canal

Levee Districts

Dresden Lock and Dam

Environmental Data from Archaeological Research

• Landform• Sediment• Flora• Fauna

Landform SedimentAssemblages

Landscape History: Flood Plain Deposition

Landscape History: Valley Margin Deposition

Settlements (n=972)

• Paleo – 1• Archaic – 103• Woodland – 411• Mississippian – 12• Historic – 8

Climate: Nelson Lake Pollen Diagram

Prairie Peninsula circa 6,000 ypb

Flora

• Wood• Nutshell• Seeds• Tubers

Fauna: Fish

Fauna: Freshwater Mussels

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Nancy's Point Site

Species 33 18

Prehistoric Modern

After Warren (1995)

Fauna: Terrestrial

Wetland Restoration