The Thompson Lake/Emiquon story : the biology, drainage, and restoration of an Illinois River bottomland lake

Abstract

The story of the fate of Thompson Lake is representative of many other bottomland lakes along the Illinois River and other large midwestern floodplains. The Thompson Lake story is unique, however, because of its centuries of fertility and productivity; the decades of controversy surrounding its public versus private ownership and whether it was navigable or could legally be drained; its importance to the local and regional economies for sustenance, income, recreation, and tourism; its drainage and subsequent development into the largest farm in the state; and the often contentious discussions concerning its reestablishment. Since 1986, there have been strong renewed interest and organized endeavors to restore Thompson Lake. As a result, this story is presented to coalesce the wealth of available information, to enhance wetland restoration efforts in the Illinois Valley, and to illustrate the lake’s intriguing past, present, and future.