| Powderhorn Lake | |
| Location: | Cook County, Illinois, United States[1] |
| Area: | 48acres |
| Depth: | 17.4feet |
| Pushpin Map: | Illinois#USA |
Powderhorn Lake, within Illinois but close to the state line, is a lake that is part of the sand wetlands of the Indiana Dunes, most of which are located in the nearby state of Indiana.[1] It is the centerpiece of the Powderhorn Lake Forest Preserve, part of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County in Cook County, Illinois.[1]
Powderhorn Lake drains into the Grand Calumet River, which is historically part of the Lake Michigan watershed. Man-made engineering now moves the Grand Calumet River’s water into the Cal-Sag canal and valley system, which drains into the Des Plaines River and ultimately into the Illinois River.[2]
In 2007, of the Powderhorn Lake forest preserve was designated as the Powderhorn Prairie and Marsh Nature Preserve, the only state of Illinois-designated nature preserve within the city limits of Chicago. The nature preserve protects an overall dune and swale landscape that contains parallel sandy ridges alternating with low-lying woodlands. In the Indiana Dunes ecosystem as a whole, these landscapes foster tallgrass prairies, sedge meadows, savannas, and woodlands.[1]
Powderhorn Lake is also managed by the Cook County Forest Preserves for small boating and fishing. Human-powered boating and fishing are encouraged in the southern half of the lake, but are not permitted in the wildlife-refuge northern half.[1] The boat launch is located on the southern border of the lake, off Brainard Avenue in the suburb of Burnham, Illinois.[2]