Fall 2000

This creek is the gem of the Des Plaines River system

Will County, Illinois

Historically, Hickory Creek has been recognized as the gem of the Des Plaines River system. Scientists have studied the creek for more than 100 years. The late University of Chicago ecologist Victor Shelford formulated an essential theory of stream succession based on observations made at Hickory Creek in the early 1900s. "Hickory Creek has attained the status of a classic biological study area," wrote University of Illinois professor David Bardack in a 1982 letter to the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Hickory Creek flows southwestward for approximately 21 miles, feeding into the Des Plaines River at Joliet. It runs through Higinbotham Woods, Pilcher Park, and the beautiful 1800-acre Hickory Creek Preserve. There are a number of trails that lead to the creek within the preserve. A nice one is found to the left behind the Frankfort township public pool, located on U.S. 30. Go for the creek, stay for the preserve with multiple nice picnic areas, and miles of paved trails, open to hiking, biking, in-line skating, and skiing.

The Hickory Creek Preserve offers access to a total of 22.8 miles of trail, including the 19.9 mile Old Plank Road trail that runs from Park Forest to Joliet. Pilcher Park provides numerous hiking trails and an outdoor education center with large aquariums and a turtle pond. Day trips to the Frankfort area are perfect for those seeking alternatives to chain restaurant fare, as the area is home to multiple shops featuring traditional American food and handmade ice cream.

Of the 64 species of fish cataloged in the Des Plaines River drainage, a full 57 have been recorded at Hickory Creek. Species of note include the Northern hogsucker, mottled sculpin, smallmouth bass, 10 species of darter, and the state-endangered slippershell mussel. The blacknose shiner, also on the Illinois list of rare or endangered species, was found in Hickory Creek by Loren Woods of the Field Museum in 1955, but has not appeared on species lists since, and is assumed to have disappeared from the Des Plaines watershed. According to James Bland, director of Integrated Lakes Management and an authority on Hickory Creek, the Creek also provides habitat for many invertebrate species not found elsewhere in the region. The 1999 Chicago Wilderness Biodiversity Recovery Plan lists conservation of Hickory Creek as a "very high priority," the plan’s highest rating.

Sadly, Hickory Creek has paid a high price for its region’s development. As swamps and marshes have given way to parking lots, paved roads, and buildings, the flow level and flood rhythms of the creek have been disrupted. Moreover, as low points in the landscape, waterways are susceptible to environmental disturbances across the entire watershed. A one-time spill of gas or any hazardous material anywhere in the area can have catastrophic consequences for a creek. While the precise causes of Hickory Creek’s environmental degradation are complex and unclear as of yet, the Illinois Biological Stream Characterization Work Group recently placed Hickory Creek in the middling "C" class due to a decline in the variety of species found there. Today, Hickory Creek’s historical significance and the continued presence of the slippershell mussel remind us that this stream is worth appreciating and worth restoring to good health. — Michael Madison

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