The Harper’s Farm Wetland continues to be preserved by the Illinois Conservation Foundation. The foundation has started to clean up the 110-acre property between the Illinois River and the end of Canal Rd. VP of Land and Water Programs Dan Lobbes says the property was mined for coal in the first half of the 20th Century and then left behind. He say the land is lumpy and bumpy but there are some parts on the property that are intersting.
He says there is some natural beauty on the property. He says emphemeral wetlands.
The foundation wants to recreate the land so it can filter floodwater from the Fox and Illinois Rivers so not as many pollutants get into the wetlands. Lobbes says they also want to create a walking trail for residents to enjoy the land. So far, the foundation has cleaned up some of the wooded areas, but Lobbes says there is still a lot to do.