Vehicle access now restricted at Lockport Prairie to protect at-risk wildlife

Access to the entrance road at Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve has been restricted to help protect turtles and other wildlife that live at the site.

Barricades have been installed that will prevent vehicles from traveling deeper into the preserve, where they could crush wildlife crossing Division Street, which bisects the preserve. 

Preserve parking is allowed along the gravel shoulders west of the barricades and east of Illinois 53, and visitors will be allowed to pass the barricades on foot.

“Wildlife Crossing Sensitive Natural Area”  have been installed to let visitors know why vehicular traffic is not allowed beyond the barricades.

The Lockport Township Road District owns Division Street. On June 11, the Forest Preserve Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Lockport Township Road District, which owns the road, to facilitate the partial road closure. 

The barricades were requested by Forest Preserve staff after recent data collection at the site showed increased turtle deaths caused by vehicles on Division Street.

Turtle mortalities have been documented on Division Street from April through July, said Juli Mason, the Forest Preserve’s director of conservation programs.

“Turtles are especially vulnerable while moving to nesting areas, including roadside habitats, which occurs primarily from May through July,” she said. “Protecting adult females during this period is particularly important for maintaining these small populations.”