Southwestern Illinois RC&D, Inc.

Southwestern Illinois RC&D - Current Projects

The Chouteau Island complex is actually made up of three islands in the Mississippi River, which are Mosenthein Island, Gabaret Island and Chouteau Island. This area, commonly referred to as Chouteau Island, is located one mile south of the confluence of the Missouri River and approximately two miles north of the St. Louis Arch. The islands are bound by the Mississippi River to the West and the Chain of Rocks Canal to the East. The total land acreage is approximately 5,500 acres. (4 & ½ times the size of Forest Park’s 1,200 acres)

Mosenthein Island is 1,000 +- acres and lies in the middle of the Mississippi River. It is accessible only by boat. It is undeveloped and appears as it would have nearly 200 years ago. Illinois Department of Natural Resources purchased this island in November 2001. It is now all publicly owned.

Gabaret Island is 1,300 +- acres and lies directly adjacent to Chouteau Island and separated by a slough called Gabaret Slough. It is approximately 70% agriculture land and 30% wooded. Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) purchased 1,000 acres on Gabaret in November 2001. The US Army Corps of Engineers (US ACE) owns approximately 300 acres. It is now all publicly owned. Lewis & Clark camped on this island on December 11, 1803, the night before establishing their winter camp at Wood River, IL.

Chouteau Island is 3,200 +- acres. Several private landowners, IDNR, US ACE, Waste Management Corporation, IL American Water Co. and the City of Madison, IL, own land on this island. Property ownership consists of the following;

Chouteau Island is accessible by vehicle/bicycle/pedestrian by using the Canal Bridge on the Illinois side and by the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge (left)to the Missouri side. The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge is restricted to pedestrian and bicycle use only.

Chouteau and Gabaret Island area averages approximately 1 mile wide, narrowing in width near the ends, and is 7.5 miles long, which runs the entire length of the Chain of Rocks Canal.

This effort to return nearly 5,500 acres of land to the general public for recreation and conservation is historic in the Southwestern Illinois region. This is the largest such effort since the creation of Pere Marquette State Park in Grafton, IL which offered it’s 8,000 acres of land to the public in 1932.

Note: Acreage amounts are approximate, plus or minus an acre or two or three.