The Chain O'Lakes is a waterway system in northeast Illinois composed of 15 lakes connected by the Fox River and man-made channels. Encompassing more than 7,100 acres of water, 488 miles of shoreline and 45 miles of river, the Chain is the busiest inland recreational waterway per acre in the United States. It receives waters from the Fox River watersheds in southeast Wisconsin. It is one of the centerpieces of the proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.
In the spring...rains fill and replenish the wetlands. The cycle begins again with the new grasses growing from the old. Controlled burns foster new growth, and help control competitive plant life.
