Clinton Power Station

About the Program
The Exelon Clinton Power Station is a nuclear power plant located in Clinton, Illinois, in the central part of the state. The property has over 14,000 acres of forested land, with lakeshore access and several ponds. There are also 65 acres of native managed grasslands under electric transmission lines, a 5,000-acre manmade freshwater lake (Clinton Lake), 9,300 acres of State Recreation Area land managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and 1,500 acres forest and farmland. The conservation objectives are to plant native grasses to build habitat for pollinators, to provide native fish habitat by promoting and monitoring water quality in Clinton Lake, to allow sustainable hunting for deer and turkey populations management and to better assess the population of Kirtland's snake to allow for future habitat enhancements for this species.

Practices and Impacts

• The grasslands right-of-way restoration project planted native grasses underneath transmission lines to attract native pollinators. The project was successful in getting native grasses to establish, attracting monarch butterflies and reducing invasive species.
• Exelon has placed pollinator education signs around the area and participated in learning events for schoolchildren. This project is aligned with Exelon's 5-year plan for pollinator restoratio
• Clinton Lake is managed to add aquatic vegetation and habitat for native fish and to promote healthy water quality standards. The project was successful in keeping stable water quality metrics and a healthy native fish population.
• Deer and turkey management on the property have occurred through sustainable harvest. Approximately 150 employees participate in the site’s Hunt Club. The team has monitored populations on-site, and through these practices has seen an increase in the health of deer on the property.
• Snake surveys on the property found several Kirtland's snakes. The project was able to determine that there is a breeding population present and will use this as baseline data for new habitat management activities for the species.