Welcome to Elizabeth Lake
Elizabeth Lake Nature Preserve is a diverse wetland jackpot composed of graminoid bog, calcareous floating mat, graminoid fen, marsh, pond, lake, low gradient creek, sedge meadow, and dry-mesic savanna. Graminoid bog is a rare and unusual natural community, considered to be the first stage in bog succession.. Always floating above water, often in the vicinity of more open waters, this type of bog is dominated by sphagnum moss, sedges, and marsh shield fen.
Elizabeth Lake is a Kettle Lake and is considered to be the highest quality lake in McHenry County (and one of the highest in Illinois). It has 29 species of native fish, at least 200 species of plant life, 55 species of birds, 15-20 butterfly species, and 20 state endangered and state threatened species.
A kettle (or kettle hole) is a fluvioglacial landform occurring as the result of blocks of ice calving from the front of a receding glacier and becoming partially to wholly buried by glacial outwash. Glacial outwash is generated when sediment laden streams of meltwater flow away from the glacier and are deposited to form broad outwash plains called sandurs. When the ice blocks melt, holes are left in the sandur. When the development of numerous kettle holes disrupt sandur surfaces, a jumbled assemblage of ridges and mounds form, resembling kame and kettle topography. Kettle holes can also occur in ridge shaped deposits of unconsolidated rock fragments called till
A fen is further defined as a wet meadow fed by an alkaline water source such as a calcareous (containing or characteristic of calcium carbonate) spring or seep. The deposition of calcium and magnesium in the soil results in an elevated soil pH (a measure of acidity or alkalinity), and gives rise to a variety of unique plants adapted to surviving these conditions.
What is a Fen?
Fens are most commonly found in the northeast corner of the state, and in isolated areas along the Illinois River valley. Per the IL DNR, no specific classification code exists for fens, so the wetland maps cannot be used to pinpoint their location. In general, they will most often be listed as an emergent wetland. Notice that this fen may or may not share waters with the nearby "Icebox Quarry"; it mostly depends on the weather.
A bog is a wetland type that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material – usually mosses, but also lichens in Arctic climates. Bogs occur where the water at the ground surface is acidic, either from acidic ground water, or where water is derived entirely from precipitation.
In order to get credit for this EarthCache, please message the answers to the following questions:
• At this spot, what type of bog is found here and how many acres are left?
• How many Native Animals are resident here and what are their names?
• How many Native Plants are listed here and what are their names?
• Post a picture of you with your GPSr at the EarthCache coordinates
McHenry County Conservation District Cache Your Way Across McHenry County GeoSeries
Geocaching is a high-tech “treasure hunting” game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS device. The general idea is to locate hidden containers called geocaches or simply caches. Once you find it, take a trinket and leave one of your own behind for the next person. Share your experiences through geoaching.com.
To participate in our program and earn a special District geo-coin, follow these simple steps.
- Download a McHenry County Conservation District Cache Your Way Across McHenry County GeoSeries Passport from our website
- Go to geocaching.com and create a login (it’s free for a basic membership!) and find the coordinates/info for the program.
- Start your search and locate a cache using a hand-held GPS unit. Our have official District labels.
- When you find a cache, log your name on the logbook inside. If you are participating in the program, be sure to write the answer to the question in your passport.
- A couple of the caches have travel bugs. Please move these bugs along and do not keep them! You will get your own to keep when you finish the program.
- Complete all the caches and bring your passport to one of our facilities to claim a coin! Be sure to check each facility’s hours at the location before heading to it! Hours and days open vary depending on site.
Prairieview Education Center
Lost Valley Visitor Center
Brookdale Administrative Offices
If you are unable to make it to a facility when it is open, you may also mail it to:
McHenry County Conservation District
Attn: Geocaching
2112 Behan Road
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Or e-mail a copy to geocaching@mccdistrict.org
Geocachers
Please join us in playing! All are welcome who observe and obey the rules. Please do not move or vandalize the container. Replace the cache in the same spot in like or better than you found it and when you leave, make sure the cache is completely covered. Please do not remove the informational card from the containers, this is a essential game piece for cachers completing the GeoSeries. The real treasure is just finding the container and sharing your thoughts with everyone who finds it.
District Geocaching Rules
For a complete list of rules, visit our website MCCDistrict.org/Geocache
McHenry County Conservation District Information
Visit our website at MCCDistrict.org or call 815-338-6223 ext 1211 for camping/shelters, 815-479-5779 for educational programs or 815-678-4532 for the Lost Valley Visitor Center
Photo Release
5/20/2021 Photos posted here may be featured on the McHenry County Conservation District's various social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, and twitter, as well as our website (MCCDistrict.org) and print material such as Landscapes Magazine. By posting photos to this log you agree to allow us to share your work with our followers. Photographers will be acknowledged in any shares or posts of photos, so please include your name in your post if it is different from that of your username.