Conservation Campus Prairie House Nature Center Geologic and Hydrologic Report on Wolf Road Prairie by Wheaton College Conservation Campus Leadership Council Whole Foods Market Volunteers at Wolf Road Prairie Field Museum Students Visit Wolf Road Prairie Ecologists from Congo Visit Wolf Road Prairie Wetland and Watershed Seminar at Wolf Road Prairie Professional Development Status Awarded WFP selected as field site for Critical Trends Assessment Program University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener Program Ukrainian Ecologists Visit Wolf Road Prairie Conservation Campus is Native American historical site

A Geologic Information System and Hydrologic Survey of Wolf Road Prairie Nature Preserve Westchester, IL. (Excerpts) Prepared by: Ana Cichowski, Lacy Smith, and James Clark Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL June 2, 2004 Purpose of Project: The main objective of this project was to understand the hydrology of Wolf Road Prairie by gathering, organizing, and analyzing data into a Geographic Information System database. With this information a groundwater model for the site is being developed. The results of this analysis will aid in the preservation and management of the prairie. GIS Mapping: Using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology a map of the current actual outline of the prairie and prairie features was drawn. The data was collected by slowly walking the GPS unit along the sidewalks, paths, monitoring wells, and trenches of the prairie while the unit took readings from satellites. The readings were corrected for errors by using the information from a local fixed GPS base station. GIS Analysis: The GIS map database is helpful in recording, compiling and maintaining prairie data. It is also useful in providing a database of visual images, namely aerial photos. The completed GIS database reveals interesting changes over time. The DOQ and 1938 aerial photograph show the sharp contrast between current and historical prairie development. The historical photo emphasizes the abundant farmland surrounding the prairie, with only Wolf Road and 31st street as obvious features. Photographed about 60 years later, the DOQ emphasizes the urbanization that now approaches the prairie borders. A significant increase in pavement and a noticeable rise of urbanization often trigger changes within places like Wolf Road Prairie because of the diversion of groundwater flow and the increase of surface runoff. Next return to main page, Save the Prairie Society