Jackson County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan
Monday, July 13, 2009
private employers in the county include Vitamin World, Penn Aluminum, S. T. A. R. T., and COM-PAC International. New development in Jackson County tends to focus on Carbondale. Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale is undergoing renovations on multiple buildings and sports facilities. The construction of Saluki Way is the major part of the renovation project. Other projects for SIU-C include Morris Library and new apartments located just north of Neely and Mae Smith Dormitory Towers. The city of Carbondale recently constructed a new high school and strip mall; several department stores have built new buildings or renovated vacant buildings. The Carbondale area is known for high traffic volumes, specifically during the school year. Murphysboro recently opened a new Wal-Mart. Jackson County offers a host of amenities such as shopping centers, fairs, parades, local wineries, restaurants, lodging, education, and entertainment. SIU-C is a cultural center that offers everything from education, art, sports, recreation, concerts, shows, speeches, a business incubator, and many other amenities. Crab Orchard Lake, Touch of Nature, and Giant City State Park fish and wildlife areas offer opportunities for fishing, camping, and hiking. Other communities within the county offer similar amenities, such as restaurants, entertainment, and shopping on a rural scale. Sources:
Genealogy Inc., Jackson County History and Information, 7/15/08 http://www.myillinoisgenealogy.com/il_county/jac.htm#eh Illinois State Archives Depository, Jackson County Fact Sheet, 7/15/08, http://www.ilsos.net/departments/archives/irad/jackson.html Union Atlas Co. Warner & Beers, Proprietors, Atlas of the State of Illinois, to which are added Various General Maps: History Statisticsand Illustrations. 1876 State of Illinois, Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties, 1982
3.1 Physical Setting (Topography) Jackson County is located within four natural physiographic divisions termed the Ozark Division, Till Plain Division, Shawnee Hill Division, and Lower Mississippi River Bottomlands Division. The Mount Vernon Hill Country Section is the most southern sub-section of the Till Plain Section and is characterized by low rolling hills and broad alluvial valleys along the major streams. The relief in this region is not pronounced. The southern boundary of the Mount Vernon Hill Country lies within a few miles of the limits of glaciations; moraine ridges are essentially absent in the area. The Greater Shawnee Hill Section is a sub-section of the Shawnee Hill Section and consists of sandstone bluffs, steep-sided ridges and hills with broad valleys.
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