Misplaced Pages

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94-594: Native Americans used the river as transportation route and portage . When French explorers and missionaries arrived in the 1600s, in what was then the Illinois Country of New France , they named the waterway La Rivière des Plaines (River of the Plane Tree) as they felt that trees on the river resembled the European plane tree . The local Native Americans showed these early European explorers how to traverse waterways of

188-463: A tumpline and one on the back ( strangulated hernia was a common cause of death). To allow regular rests the voyageur would drop his pack at a pose about every 1 kilometre ( 1 ⁄ 2  mi) and go back for the next load. The time for a portage was estimated at one hour per half mile. The Diolkos was a paved trackway in Ancient Greece which enabled boats to be moved overland across

282-432: A 5-lobed calyx , usually at the twig tips. The staminate flowers are sessile . The pistillate flowers are borne on pedicels that grow out while the flowers are blooming, so that eventually the flowers are in a hanging cluster with stems 1 to 5 cm ( 1 ⁄ 2 to 2 in) long. The petals are lineal to oblong in shape and are pubescent. The pistillate flowers have one pistil formed from two fused carpels with

376-424: A distance due to their large size and reddish tint. The leaf scars on the twig are V-shaped and contain three bundle scars. The flowers are generally unisexual, with male and female flowers appearing in separate sessile clusters, though they are sometimes also bisexual. They appear in late winter to early spring, from December to May depending on elevation and latitude, usually before the leaves. The tree itself

470-406: A few places iron-plated wooden rails were laid to take a handcart. Heavily used routes sometimes evolved into roads when sledges, rollers or oxen were used, as at Methye Portage . Sometimes railways ( Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad ) or canals were built. When going downstream through rapids an experienced voyageur called the guide would inspect the rapids and choose between the heavy work of

564-513: A glabrous superior ovary and two long styles that protrude beyond the perianth . The staminate flowers contain between 4 and 12 stamens , often with 8. The fruit is a schizocarp of 2 samaras , each one 15 to 25 mm ( 5 ⁄ 8 to 1 in) long. Prior to dehiscence, the wings of the fruit are somewhat divergent at an angle of 50 to 60°. They are borne on long slender pedicels and are variable in color from light brown to reddish. They ripen from April through early June, before even

658-550: A large number of both maples and sycamores grow along the Des Plaines River. Although the original French name for the river has survived, its pronunciation has been altered. Today, locals pronounce it in an anglicized way (roughly "dess plains"), rather than according to the French pronunciation. It is also commonly referred to as "The DPR" by locals, citing its initials. Northeast of Bristol, Wisconsin , Brighton creek flows into

752-632: A portage across the Thracian Chersonese is lacking, but it is possible that traces of it have been confused with traces of the Long Wall , which was restored by Justinian I in the 6th century. The region also saw extensive damage during the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915. The Skagerak always has been treacherous for shipping and early navigators tried to avoid it. There are various river systems in (modern) northern Germany and southern Denmark where

846-406: A portage and the life-threatening risk of running the rapids. If the second course were chosen, the boat would be controlled by the avant standing in front with a long paddle and the gouvernail standing in the back with a 2.7-metre (9 ft) steering paddle. The avant had a better view and was in charge but the gouvernail had more control over the boat. The other canoemen provided power under

940-411: A potential allelopathic inhibitor of red maple growth. Red maple is one of the first species to start stem elongation. In one study, stem elongation was one-half completed in 1 week, after which growth slowed and was 90% completed within only 54 days. In good light and moisture conditions, the seedlings can grow 30 cm (0.98 ft) in their first year and up to 60 cm (2.0 ft) each year for

1034-527: A quiet, family-friendly river." This greenway also supports the Des Plaines River Trail , a multi-use trail that roughly follows the course of the Des Plaines River through Lake County and into Cook County. The Des Plaines River was named by early French coureurs de bois sometime between the 17th and 18th centuries, after the trees lining the banks of the river. The word la plaine , in the 18th-century Mississippi Valley dialect of French spoken at

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1128-412: A reservoir, waiting to fill any open area of the canopy above. Trees growing in a Zone 9 or 10 area such as Florida will usually die from cold damage if transferred up north, for instance to Canada, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York, even if the southern trees were planted with northern red maples. Due to their wide range, genetically the trees have adapted to the climatic differences. Red maple

1222-479: A result. Red maple's rapid growth, ease of transplanting, attractive form, and value for wildlife (in the eastern US) has made it one of the most extensively planted trees. In parts of the Pacific Northwest , it is one of the most common introduced trees. Its popularity in cultivation stems from its vigorous habit, its attractive and early red flowers, and most importantly, its flaming red fall foliage. The tree

1316-430: A sparse presence by the time a forest is mature. This species is in fact a vital part of forest regeneration in the same way that paper birch is. Because it can grow on a variety of substrates, has a high pH tolerance, and grows in both shade and sun, A. rubrum is a prolific seed producer and highly adaptable, often dominating disturbed sites. While many believe that it is replacing historically dominant tree species in

1410-399: A sparse presence, while shade-tolerant trees such as sugar maples, beeches , and hemlocks thrive. By removing red maple from a young forest recovering from disturbance, the natural cycle of forest regeneration is altered, changing the diversity of the forest for centuries to come. Though A. rubrum is sometimes easy to identify, it is highly changeable in morphological characteristics. It

1504-432: A variety of moist and dry biomes, from dry ridges and sunny, southwest-facing slopes to peat bogs and swamps . While many types of tree prefer a south- or north-facing aspect, the red maple does not appear to have a preference. Its ideal conditions are in moderately well-drained, moist sites at low or intermediate elevations. However, it is nonetheless common in mountainous areas on relatively dry ridges, as well as on both

1598-486: A variety of places, and it is widespread along the Eastern United States. It grows on glaciated as well as unglaciated soils derived from granite , gneiss , schist , sandstone , shale , slate , conglomerate , quartzite , and limestone . Chlorosis can occur on very alkaline soils, though otherwise its pH tolerance is quite high. Moist mineral soil is best for germination of seeds. Red maple can grow in

1692-702: Is a common place name in Scotland and Ireland indicating the site of a portage. Portages played an important role in the economy of some African societies. For instance, Bamako was chosen as the capital of Mali because it is located on the Niger River near the rapids that divide the Upper and Middle Niger Valleys. Places where portaging occurred often became temporary and then permanent settlements. The importance of free passage through portages found them included in laws and treaties. One historically important fur trade portage

1786-406: Is a medium to large sized tree, reaching heights of 27 to 38 m (90 to 120 ft) and exceptionally over 41 m (135 ft) in the southern Appalachians where conditions favor its growth. The leaves are usually 9 to 11 cm ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 4 + 1 ⁄ 4  in) long on a full-grown tree. The trunk diameter often ranges from 46 to 88 cm (18 to 35 in); depending on

1880-519: Is a pale grey and smooth when the individual is young. As the tree grows the bark becomes darker and cracks into slightly raised long plates. The largest known living red maple is located near Armada, Michigan , at a height of 38.1 m (125 ft) and a bole circumference, at breast height, of 4.95 m (16 ft 3 in). The leaves of the red maple offer the easiest way to distinguish it from its relatives. As with all North American maple trees, they are deciduous and arranged oppositely on

1974-464: Is able to increase its numbers significantly when associate trees are damaged by disease, cutting, or fire. One study found that 6 years after clearcutting a 3.4 hectares (8.4 acres) Oak-Hickory forest containing no red maples, the plot contained more than 2,200 red maple seedlings per hectare (900 per acre) taller than 1.4 m (4.6 ft). One of its associates, the black cherry ( Prunus serotina ), contains benzoic acid, which has been shown to be

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2068-596: Is almost exclusively associated with swamps. Additionally, red maple is one of the most drought-tolerant species of maple in the Carolinas. Red maple is far more abundant today than when Europeans first arrived in North America. It only contributed minimally to old-growth upland forests, and would only form same-species stands in riparian zones . The density of the tree in many of these areas has increased six- to seven-fold, and this trend seems to be continuing, all of which

2162-505: Is also used for the production of maple syrup , though the hard maples Acer saccharum (sugar maple) and Acer nigrum (black maple) are more commonly utilized. One study compared the sap and syrup from the sugar maple with those of the red maple, as well as those of the Acer saccharinum (silver maple), Acer negundo (boxelder), and Acer platanoides (Norway maple), and all were found to be equal in sweetness, flavor, and quality. However,

2256-431: Is best known for its brilliant deep scarlet foliage in autumn. Over most of its range, red maple is adaptable to a very wide range of site conditions, perhaps more so than any other tree in eastern North America. It can be found growing in swamps , on poor, dry soils , and almost anywhere in between. It grows well from sea level to about 900 m (3,000 ft). Due to its attractive fall foliage and pleasing form, it

2350-457: Is considered polygamodioecious , meaning some individuals are male, some female, and some monoecious . Under the proper conditions, the tree can sometimes switch from male to female, male to hermaphroditic, and hermaphroditic to female. The red maple will begin blooming when it is about 8 years old, but it significantly varies between tree to tree: some trees may begin flowering when they are 4 years old. The flowers are red with 5 small petals and

2444-503: Is due to human factors, mainly loss of forest management by Native Americans who managed the forests to enhance acorn production and oak tree growth. This loss of management has been further enhanced by continued heavy logging and a recent trend of young, shrubby forests recovering from past human disturbances. Also, the decline of American elm and American chestnut due to introduced diseases has contributed to its spread. Red maple dominates such sites, but largely disappears until it only has

2538-555: Is easily damaged from ice and storms, animals, and when used in landscaping, being struck by flying debris from lawn mowers, allowing fungi to penetrate and cause heart rot. Its ability to thrive in a large number of habitats is largely due to its ability to produce roots to suit its site from a young age. In wet locations, red maple seedlings produce short taproots with long, well-developed lateral roots; while on dry sites, they develop long taproots with significantly shorter laterals. The roots are primarily horizontal, however, forming in

2632-563: Is lethal. Symptoms occur within one or two days after ingestion and can include depression, lethargy, increased rate and depth of breathing, increased heart rate, jaundice , dark brown urine, colic , laminitis , coma, and death. Treatment is limited and can include the use of methylene blue or mineral oil and activated carbon in order to stop further absorption of the toxin into the stomach, as well as blood transfusions , fluid support, diuretics , and anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C . About 50% to 75% of affected horses die or are euthanized as

2726-489: Is light green and the underside is whitish and can be either glaucous or hairy. The leaf stalks are usually red and are up to 10 cm (4 in) long. The leaves can turn a characteristic brilliant red in autumn, but can also become yellow or orange on some individuals. Soil acidity can influence the color of the foliage and trees with female flowers are more likely to produce orange coloration while male trees produce red. The fall colors of red maple are most spectacular in

2820-546: Is limited exclusively to swamplands. The fruits also vary geographically with northern individuals in areas with brief, frost-free periods producing fruits that are shorter and heavier than their southern counterparts. As a result of such variation, there is much genetic potential for breeding programs with a goal of producing red maples for cultivation. This is especially useful for making urban cultivars that require resistance from verticillium wilt , air pollution, and drought. Red maple frequently hybridizes with silver maple ;

2914-624: Is most abundant in the Northeastern US, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and northeastern Wisconsin, and is rare in the extreme west of its range and in the Southeastern US. In several other locations, the tree is absent from large areas but still present in a few specific habitats. An example is the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, where red maple is not found in the dominant open plains, but

Des Plaines River - Misplaced Pages Continue

3008-727: Is not present in most of the Prairie Peninsula of the northern Midwest (although it is found in Ohio), the coastal prairie in southern Louisiana and southeastern Texas and the swamp prairie of the Florida Everglades . Red maple's western range stops with the Great Plains where conditions become too dry for it. The absence of red maple from the Prairie Peninsula is most likely due to the tree's poor tolerance of wildfires. Red maple

3102-612: Is now Grand Portage National Monument . Recreational canoeing routes often include portages between lakes, for example, the Seven Carries route in Adirondack Park . Numerous portages were upgraded to carriageways and railways due to their economic importance. The Niagara Portage had a gravity railway in the 1760s. The passage between the Chicago and Des Plaines Rivers was through a short swamp portage which seasonally flooded and it

3196-676: Is now Russia were vital for the Varangian commerce with the Orient and Byzantium . At the most important portages (such as Gnezdovo ) there were trade outposts inhabited by a mixture of Norse merchants and native population. The Khazars built the fortress of Sarkel to guard a key portage between the Volga and the Don. After Varangian and Khazar power in Eastern Europe waned, Slavic merchants continued to use

3290-403: Is often used as a shade tree for landscapes. It is used commercially on a small scale for maple syrup production and for its medium to high quality lumber. It is also the state tree of Rhode Island. The red maple can be considered weedy or even invasive in young, highly disturbed forests, especially frequently logged forests. In a mature or old-growth northern hardwood forest, red maple only has

3384-426: Is one of the first plants to flower in spring. A crop of seeds is generally produced every year with a bumper crop often occurring every second year. A single tree between 5 and 20 cm (2.0 and 7.9 in) in diameter can produce between 12,000 and 91,000 seeds in a season. A tree 30 cm (0.98 ft) in diameter was shown to produce nearly a million seeds. Red maple produces one of the smallest seeds of any of

3478-644: Is present along streams. Here the red maple is not present in the bottom land forests of the Grain Belt , despite the fact it is common in similar habitats and species associations both to the north and south of this area. In the Northeastern US, red maple can be a climax forest species in certain locations, but will eventually give way to sugar maple. A. rubrum does very well in a wide range of soil types, with varying textures, moisture, pH , and elevation, probably more so than any other forest tree in North America. A. rubrum 's high pH tolerance means that it can grow in

3572-538: Is signed as part of Interstate 80 . The bridge is located on the south side of Joliet. A Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (the Chicago Deep Tunnel) to reduce the harmful effects of floods and the flushing of raw sewage into Lake Michigan is semi-operational. It diverts storm water and sewage into temporary holding reservoirs . The megaproject is one of the largest civil engineering projects ever undertaken in terms of scope , cost and timeframe. Commissioned in

3666-409: Is significant variation in hardiness, size, form, time of flushing, onset of dormancy, and other traits. Generally speaking, individuals from the north flush the earliest, have the most reddish fall color, set their buds the earliest and take the least winter injury. Seedlings are tallest in the north-central and east-central part of the range. In Florida, at the extreme south of the red maple's range, it

3760-499: Is still a fairly hard wood, being comparable to black cherry ( Prunus serotina ) in this regard. Like A. saccharum , the wood of red maple is close-grained, but its texture is softer, less dense, and has not as desirable an appearance, particularly under a clear finish. However, the wood from Acer rubrum while being typically less expensive than hard maple, also has greater dimensional stability than that of A. saccharum , and also machines and stains easier. Thus, high grades of wood from

3854-764: Is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a portage. The term comes from French, where porter means "to carry", as in "portable". In Canada , the term "carrying-place" was sometimes used. Early French explorers in New France and French Louisiana encountered many rapids and cascades . The Native Americans carried their canoes over land to avoid river obstacles. Over time, important portages were sometimes provided with canals with locks , and even portage railways . Primitive portaging generally involves carrying

Des Plaines River - Misplaced Pages Continue

3948-485: Is the second oldest continual canoe race in the United States. Fishing is a common practice along the Des Plaines River with a steady game fish population of bluegills , carp , catfish , crappie , largemouth bass , northern pike , smallmouth bass and sunfish . Download coordinates as: Portage Portage or portaging ( CA : / p ɔːr ˈ t ɑː ʒ / ; US : / ˈ p ɔːr t ɪ dʒ / )

4042-497: Is thought that a channel gradually developed unintentionally from the dragging of the boat bottoms. The 1835 Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad connected the cities of New York and Montreal without needing to go through the Atlantic. Many settlements in North America were named for being on a portage. Portages existed in a number of locations where an isthmus existed that the local Māori could drag or carry their waka across from

4136-409: Is unknown, but believed to be an oxidant because it damages red blood cells , causing acute oxidative hemolysis that inhibits the transport of oxygen . This not only decreases oxygen delivery to all tissues, but also leads to the production of methemoglobin , which can further damage the kidneys. The ingestion of 700 grams (1.5 pounds) of leaves is considered toxic and 1.4 kilograms (3 pounds)

4230-615: The 14-kilometre ( 8 + 1 ⁄ 2  mi) Grand Portage (both in North America) often covering hilly or difficult terrain. Some portages involve very little elevation change, such as the very short Mavis Grind in Shetland , which crosses an isthmus . This section deals mostly with the heavy freight canoes used by the Canadian Voyageurs . Portage trails usually began as animal tracks and were improved by tramping or blazing. In

4324-624: The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal , Portage Creek enters the river. Northwest of Lemont, Illinois , Goose Lake flows directly into the Des Plaines River. The Des Plaines and the Sanitary and Ship Canal finally merge on the edges of Crest Hill, Illinois . Hickory Creek flows into the Des Plaines at the bottom of the Brandon Road Dam. Rock Run, Cedar Creek, and Jackson Creek all flow into

4418-615: The Isthmus of Corinth between the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf . It was constructed to transport high ranking Despots to conduct business in the justice system. The 6-to-8.5-kilometre-long ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 – 5 + 1 ⁄ 2  mi) roadway was a rudimentary form of railway , and operated from around 600 BC until the middle of the 1st century AD. The scale on which the Diolkos combined

4512-457: The Kenepuru Sound which links Queen Charlotte Sound at Torea Bay. This portage was created by mid-19th century settler Robert Blaymires. Acer rubrum Acer rubrum , the red maple , also known as swamp maple , water maple , or soft maple , is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. The U.S. Forest Service recognizes it as

4606-654: The Tasman Sea to the Pacific Ocean or vice versa. The most famous ones are located in Auckland , where there remain three roads named 'Portage Road's in separate parts of the city. Portage Road in the Auckland suburb of Otahuhu has historical plaques at both the north and south ends proclaiming it to be 'at half a mile in length, surely the shortest road between two seas'. The small Marlborough Sounds settlement of Portage lies on

4700-566: The hybrid , known as Freeman's maple, Acer × freemanii , is intermediate between the parents. The allergenic potential of red maples varies widely based on the cultivar. The following cultivars are completely male and are highly allergenic, with an OPALS allergy scale rating of 8 or higher: The following cultivars have an OPALS allergy scale rating of 3 or lower; they are completely female trees, and have low potential for causing allergies: The leaves of red maple, especially when dead or wilted, are extremely toxic to horses . The toxin

4794-405: The Des Plaines River preserved in a mostly natural state are used for conservation and recreation , while substantially altered sections serve as an important industrial waterway and drainage channel. The original course of the riverbed was moved to the west at the town of Lockport during the construction of the Sanitary and Ship Canal in 1905. According to Chicago Wilderness Magazine, as

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4888-607: The Des Plaines River runs 95 miles (153 km) through four Illinois counties, it "changes from prairie creek to a suburban stream, to a large urbanized river, to a major industrial waterway." Sections of the river in the Lake County and Cook County Forest Preserve districts in Illinois create "a nearly continuous greenway through all of Lake County and the northern section of Cook County." While canoe launching ramps are available, "The lack of ramps for trailered boats makes this long river

4982-630: The Des Plaines in Dam No. 2 Woods. Southeast of Mount Prospect and due north of Des Plaines, Illinois , Weller Creek flows south into the DPR. Half a mile east of O'Hare International Airport , Crystal Creek meanders its way into the Des Plaines. Salt Creek of Hollywood, a neighborhood in Brookfield, Illinois , begins in Palatine and flows downstream into the river. As the Des Plaines river begins to run parallel to

5076-847: The Des Plaines watershed to travel from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River and its valley . Parts of the river are now part of the Illinois Waterway and the Chicago Area Waterway System . The slow-moving Des Plaines River rises in southern Wisconsin just west of Kenosha adjacent to the Great Lakes Dragway and flows southward primarily through marshland, with a small eastbound kink before it crosses into Illinois . The river continues south through woodland forest preserve districts in Lake and Cook counties , and through

5170-470: The Eastern United States, such as sugar maples , beeches , oaks , hemlocks and pines , red maple will only dominate young forests prone to natural or human disturbance. In areas disturbed by humans where the species thrives, it can reduce diversity, but in a mature forest, it is not a dominant species; it only has a sparse presence and adds to the diversity and ecological structure of a forest. Extensive use of red maple in landscaping has also contributed to

5264-405: The buds of red maple and other soft maples emerge much earlier in the spring than the sugar maple, and after sprouting chemical makeup of the sap changes, imparting an undesirable flavor to the syrup. This being the case, red maple can only be tapped for syrup before the buds emerge, making the season very short. Native Americans used red maple bark as a wash for inflamed eyes and cataracts, and as

5358-559: The city of Joliet . Here it becomes part of the Chicago Area Waterway System and the longer Illinois Waterway . In the heavily industrialized area around Joliet, dams control the river. A few miles southwest of Joliet, the Des Plaines converges with the Kankakee River to form the Illinois River . ( 41°23′28″N 88°15′31″W  /  41.390976°N 88.258724°W  / 41.390976; -88.258724 ) Those parts of

5452-593: The customs house at Abydos . It would have been too costly to regularly move large ships across the peninsula, but Cosmas says that Constantine IV did it, presumably during the blockade of Constantinople (670/1–676/7) when the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles were controlled by the Umayyads . Constantine is said to have "driven" the ships rather than dragged them, probably indicating the use of wheels. Archaeological evidence for

5546-433: The growing conditions, however, open-grown trees can attain diameters of up to 153 cm (60 in). The trunk remains free of branches until some distance up the tree on forest grown trees, while individuals grown in the open are shorter and thicker with a more rounded crown. Trees on poorer sites often become malformed and scraggly. Generally the crown is irregularly ovoid with ascending whip-like curved shoots. The bark

5640-462: The harbor of Alexandria , which may have been located at the southern tip of the island of Pharos. Another diolkos is mentioned by Ptolemy (90–168 CE) in his book on geography (IV, 5, 10) as connecting a false mouth of a partly silted up Nile branch with the Mediterranean Sea . Writing in the first half of the eighth century, Cosmas of Jerusalem describes the portage of boats across

5734-456: The instructions of the avant. Going upstream was more difficult, as there were many places where the current was too swift to paddle. Where the river bottom was shallow and firm, voyageurs would stand in the canoe and push it upstream with 3-metre (10 ft) poles. If the shoreline was reasonably clear the canoe could be 'tracked' or 'lined', that is, the canoemen would pull the canoe on a rope while one man stayed on board to keep it away from

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5828-520: The largest continuous range along the North American Atlantic Coast of any tree that occurs in Florida. In total it ranges 2,600 km (1,600 mi) from north to south. The species is native to all regions of the United States east of the 95th meridian . The tree's range ends where the −40 °C (−40 °F) mean minimum isotherm begins, namely in southeastern Canada . A. rubrum

5922-450: The later 18th century, the French word for the plane tree has evolved into le platane . As the Latin name for the plane tree is platanus , this transformation was likely done as a part of the attempts by late 18th-century French academics to change the spelling of many French words to what was perceived as their Latin origins. A side effect of such action was that the original French meaning of

6016-589: The leaf development is altogether complete. After they reach maturity, the seeds are dispersed for a 1- to 2-week period from April through July. Acer rubrum is one of the most abundant and widespread trees in eastern North America. It can be found from the south of Newfoundland , through Nova Scotia , New Brunswick , and southern Quebec to the southwest west of Ontario, extreme southeastern Manitoba and northern Minnesota ; southward through Wisconsin , Illinois , Missouri , eastern Oklahoma , and eastern Texas in its western range; and east to Florida . It has

6110-609: The maples. Fertilization has also been shown to significantly increase the seed yield for up to two years after application. The seeds are epigeal and tend to germinate in early summer soon after they are released, assuming a small amount of light, moisture, and sufficient temperatures are present. If the seeds are densely shaded, then germination commonly does not occur until the next spring. Most seedlings do not survive in closed forest canopy situations. However, one- to four-year-old seedlings are common under dense canopy. Though they eventually die if no light reaches them, they serve as

6204-668: The mid-1970s, the project is managed by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago . Completion of the system is not anticipated until 2029, but substantial portions of the system have opened. A modern flood control study stated that flooding on the Des Plaines River has caused significant damage and adverse economic impacts. The greatest recorded flood, in September 1986, caused an estimated $ 35 million in damage to 10,000 dwellings and 263 business and industrial sites. A Phase I flood control Project

6298-556: The most abundant native tree in eastern North America. The red maple ranges from southeastern Manitoba around the Lake of the Woods on the border with Ontario and Minnesota , east to Newfoundland , south to Florida , and southwest to East Texas . Many of its features, especially its leaves, are quite variable in form. At maturity, it often attains a height around 30 m (100 ft). Its flowers, petioles, twigs, and seeds are all red to varying degrees. Among these features, however, it

6392-560: The most popular. Toward its southern limit, 'Fireburst', 'Florida Flame', and 'Gulf Ember' are preferred. Many cultivars of the Freeman maple are also grown widely. Below is a partial list of cultivars: In the lumber industry Acer rubrum is considered a "soft maple", a designation it shares, commercially, with silver maple ( A. saccharinum ). In this context, the term "soft" is more comparative, than descriptive; i.e., "soft maple", while softer than its harder cousin, sugar maple ( A. saccharum ),

6486-415: The name applied to the Des Plaines River was obscured. Today, des Plaines in modern Parisian French literally means "of the plains" or "of the prairie". This has led to confusion about the meaning of the original French name for the Des Plaines River. Many people today believe that the river was named after the plains and prairies through which the river flows. But, in the 18th-century French dialect, it

6580-621: The narrowest part of the Thracian Chersonese (Gallipoli Peninsula) between the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara . The peninsula there is six miles wide. Cosmas describes the dragging of small boats as common in his day for local trade between Thrace and Gothograecia . The motivation for this practice was to avoid the long detour around the peninsula and through the Dardanelles , but also to avoid

6674-482: The next few years, making it a fast grower. The red maple is used as a food source by several forms of wildlife. Elk and white-tailed deer in particular use the current season's growth of red maple as an important source of winter food. Several Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) utilize the leaves as food, including larvae of the rosy maple moth ( Dryocampa rubicunda ); see List of Lepidoptera that feed on maples. Due to A. rubrum ' s very wide range, there

6768-452: The northern part of its range where climates are cooler. The twigs of the red maple are reddish in color and somewhat shiny with small lenticels . Dwarf shoots are present on many branches. The buds are usually blunt and greenish to reddish in color, generally with several loose scales. The lateral buds are slightly stalked, and in addition, collateral buds may be present, as well. The buds form in fall and winter and are often visible from

6862-658: The portages along the Volga trade route and the Dnieper trade route . The names of the towns Volokolamsk and Vyshny Volochek may be translated as "the portage on the Lama River " and "the little upper portage", respectively (from Russian волок volok , meaning "portage", derived from the verb волочить voločitʹ "to drag"). In the 16th century, the Russians used river portages to get to Siberia (see Cherdyn Road ). Tarbert

6956-420: The red maple can be substituted for hard maple, particularly when it comes to making stain/paint-grade furniture. Red maple lumber also contains a greater percentage of "curly" (aka "flame"/"fiddleback") figure, which is prized by musical instrument/custom furniture makers, as well as the veneer industry. As a soft maple, the wood tends to shrink more during the drying process than with the hard maples. Red maple

7050-471: The remains of at least four of his thirty-three known victims into the river, after finding no other suitable locations to dispose of them, due to the further twenty-nine known victims being buried in the crawlspace or other locations upon the grounds of his home. The Des Plaines River is the site of the Des Plaines River Canoe & Kayak Marathon. The race was founded in 1957 by Ralph Frese , and

7144-528: The river near the border of Joliet, Illinois and Channahon, Illinois east of I-55. The DuPage River merges with the Des Plaines in Channahon, Illinois . About three miles downstream, the Kankakee River merges with the Des Plaines River to form the Illinois River . The Des Plaines River Bridge in Joliet is a cantilever bridge that is six lanes wide—three lanes traveling eastbound and westbound. The bridge

7238-584: The river. Bull Creek in Libertyville, Illinois flows into the Des Plaines near Independence Grove Forest Preserve. In Lincolnshire, Illinois , Indian creek flows eastward into the Des Plaines River. Near Chicago Executive Airport , the Wheeling Drainage Ditch of Wheeling, Illinois flows southeast through the town and adds to the river. McDonald Creek in Mount Prospect, Illinois flows into

7332-550: The river. Jerome Creek and the Root River both converge with the Des Plaines near Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin . Mill Creek of Old Mill Creek flows through County Forest Preserve before entering the Des Plaines River. Another tributary of the river near the Illinois - Wisconsin border is Osprey Lake, in Gurnee, Illinois , which flows through a small unnamed creek before dumping into

7426-563: The shore. (The most extreme case of tracking was in the Three Gorges in China where all boats had to be pulled upstream against the current of the Yangtze River .) In worse conditions, the 'demi-chargé' technique was used. Half the cargo was unloaded, the canoe forced upstream, unloaded and then returned downstream to pick up the remaining half of the cargo. In still worse currents, the entire cargo

7520-582: The smallest watercraft, was at least once used by the Venetian Republic for the transport of a military fleet in 1439. The land link is now somewhat harder because of the disappearance of Loppio Lake. In the 8th, 9th and 10th centuries, Viking merchant-adventurers exploited a network of waterways in Eastern Europe , with portages connecting the four most important rivers of the region: Volga , Western Dvina , Dnieper , and Don . The portages of what

7614-413: The south and west sides of upper slopes. Furthermore, it is common in swampy areas, along the banks of slow moving streams, as well as on poorly drained flats and depressions. In northern Michigan and New England , the tree is found on the tops of ridges, sandy or rocky upland and otherwise dry soils, as well as in nearly pure stands on moist soils and the edges of swamps. In the far south of its range, it

7708-471: The surge in the species' numbers as volunteer seedlings proliferate. Finally, disease epidemics have greatly reduced the population of elms and chestnuts in the forests of the US. While mainline forest trees continue to dominate mesic sites with rich soil, more marginal areas are increasingly being dominated by red maple. Red maple's maximum lifespan is 150 years, but most live less than 100 years. The tree's thin bark

7802-558: The time, referred to either the American sycamore or the red maple , both of which resembled the European plane tree either in their palmate leaves or similar bark. This meaning of plaine survives in Canadian French: Plaine or Plaine rouge refers to an Acer rubrum and Acer saccharinum is sometimes named a plaine blanche . The English word for the plane tree came from the 14th century Old French word la plane . Since

7896-519: The towns of Des Plaines , a northwestern suburb of Chicago , and Forest Park , River Forest , and the historic village of Riverside , western suburbs of Chicago. Numerous small fixed dams have been built on the river starting in central Lake County and continuing through Cook County. Eventually, the river turns to the southwest and joins with the Sanitary and Ship Canal in Lockport before flowing through

7990-532: The tree's fall foliage is not as vibrant in this environment. Like several other maples, its low root system can be invasive and it makes a poor choice for plantings near paving. It attracts squirrels, who eat its buds in the early spring, although squirrels prefer the larger buds of the silver maple . Red maples make vibrant and colorful bonsai , and have year around attractive features for display. Numerous cultivars have been selected, often for intensity of fall color, with 'October Glory' and 'Red Sunset' among

8084-526: The twig. They are typically 5–10 cm (2–4 in) long and wide with three to five palmate lobes with a serrated margin. The sinuses are typically narrow, but the leaves can exhibit considerable variation. When five lobes are present, the three at the terminal end are larger than the other two near the base. In contrast, the leaves of the related silver maple , A. saccharinum , are much more deeply lobed, more sharply toothed, and characteristically have five lobes. The upper side of A. rubrum ' s leaf

8178-467: The two principles of the railway and the overland transport of ships was unique in antiquity . There is scant literary evidence for two more ship trackways referred to as diolkoi in antiquity, both located in Roman Egypt : The physician Oribasius ( c.  320–400 CE ) records two passages from his first-century colleague Xenocrates , in which the latter casually refers to a diolkos close to

8272-451: The upper 25 cm (9.8 in) of the ground. Mature trees have woody roots up to 25 m (82 ft) long. They are very tolerant of flooding, with one study showing that 60 days of flooding caused no leaf damage. At the same time, they are tolerant of drought due to their ability to stop growing under dry conditions by then producing a second-growth flush when conditions later improve, even if growth has stopped for 2 weeks. A. rubrum

8366-429: The vessel and its contents across the portage in multiple trips. Small canoes can be portaged by carrying them inverted over one's shoulders and the center strut may be designed in the style of a yoke to facilitate this. Historically, voyageurs often employed tump lines on their heads to carry loads on their backs. Portages can be many kilometers in length, such as the 19-kilometre (12 mi) Methye Portage and

8460-677: The watershed is narrow and low, such as between the Treene (discharging into the North Sea) and the Schlei (discharging into the Baltic) that would have allowed portage. There is no certain physical or written evidence, except that it is known that goods were transported along these routes between different merchant settlements. The land link between Adige River and Garda Lake in Northern Italy , hardly used by

8554-537: Was authorized under the Water Resources Development Act of 1999. Project features include levee, dam, and reservoir expansion at a total cost of $ 50.5 million (in 2002). On August 24, 2007, the river flooded by over 9 feet (2.7 m). On September 14, 2008, the river flooded after the area received more than 10 inches (250 mm) of rainfall over two days. In the six months prior to his December 1978 arrest, serial killer John Wayne Gacy discarded

8648-481: Was introduced into the United Kingdom in 1656 and shortly thereafter entered cultivation. There it is frequently found in many parks and yards. Red maple is a good choice of a tree for urban areas when there is ample room for its root system. Forming an association with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi can help A. rubrum grow along city streets. It is more tolerant of pollution and road salt than sugar maples, although

8742-530: Was more common to use the word "prairie" to indicate a plain, such as Prairie du Rocher in Illinois and Prairie du Chien in Wisconsin. Also, as noted above, it is more likely that the river was named in reference to the trees rather than the land. The French, like the Native Americans, traveled primarily by waterways rather than overland. The view of the prairie was nearly always blocked by trees. To this day

8836-414: Was unloaded ('décharge') and carried overland while the canoe was forced upstream. In the worst case a full portage was necessary. The canoe was carried overland by two or four men (the heavier York boats had to be dragged overland on rollers) The cargo was divided into standard 41-kilogram (90 lb) packs or pièces with each man responsible for about six. One portage or canoe pack would be carried by

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