Mallard Lake Forest Preserve In 1956, a generous donation of 111 acres was made to the DuPage County Forest Preserve District of Illinois in order to help expand the surrounding natural area. Today, the Mallard Lake Forest Preserve, located mostly in Hanover Park, is at an impressive 953 acres and features open waters, wetlands, fields, and scattered woodlands with many opportunities for watching wildlife, fishing, trails, picnicking, and other recreational activities. The main aquatic habitat in the area is Mallard Lake, which, at 85 acres, makes it the largest recreational lake in the area for both fishing and boating, with valid licenses for either. A bird’s eye view of Mallard Lake Forest Preserve and of Mallard Lake generated by Google
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The majority of the invasives listed, however, are living in aquatic ecosystems. These aquatic invasive species live in and around lakes, waterways and wetlands. Some species arrive when people illegally empty bait buckets or aquariums into lakes and waterways. Many others “hitchhike” on watercraft, bait buckers, and other recreational gear from one habitat to another. One such known hitchhiker is the zebra mussel, given the scientific name Dreissena polymorpha. Recently, Mallard Lake became the fourth body of water in the county to have a confirmed case of zebra mussel infestation, and there are thousands more streams, rivers, and lakes in the surrounding area with the same issue. This species’ particular invasion is becoming an increasingly dangerous issue due to the lake’s close proximity to other bodies of water, many of which flow into the DuPage River, a huge water source and aquatic habitat for the surrounding area. Hundreds of thousands of nature enthusiasts visit Mallard Lake on a yearly basis, and the threat of continuous spread is expected unless the public and professional community can work together to slow the process. In order to do this, scientists from all over the world are studying and experimenting with zebra mussel populations in order to better understand their ability
The majority of the invasives listed, however, are living in aquatic ecosystems. These aquatic invasive species live in and around lakes, waterways and wetlands. Some species arrive when people illegally empty bait buckets or aquariums into lakes and waterways. Many others “hitchhike” on watercraft, bait buckers, and other recreational gear from one habitat to another. One such known hitchhiker is the zebra mussel, given the scientific name Dreissena polymorpha. Recently, Mallard Lake became the fourth body of water in the county to have a confirmed case of zebra mussel infestation, and there are thousands more streams, rivers, and lakes in the surrounding area with the same issue. This species’ particular invasion is becoming an increasingly dangerous issue due to the lake’s close proximity to other bodies of water, many of which flow into the DuPage River, a huge water source and aquatic habitat for the surrounding area. Hundreds of thousands of nature enthusiasts visit Mallard Lake on a yearly basis, and the threat of continuous spread is expected unless the public and professional community can work together to slow the process. In order to do this, scientists from all over the world are studying and experimenting with zebra mussel populations in order to better understand their ability