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Macon County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan 12024 <br /> Chapter 3: Community Profile <br /> 3.1 History and Overview <br /> Macon County was formed on January 19, 1829, out of Shelby County. It was named <br /> for Nathaniel Macon, a Colonel in the Revolutionary War. Macon County is located in central <br /> Illinois, approximately 30 miles east of Springfield, Illinois as seen <br /> to the right. Macon County is often referred to as "The Heart of _ <br /> Illinois" because of its central location in the state. <br /> Macon county is bounded on the west by Christian County, --- <br /> Sangamon County, and Logan County,the east by Piatt County and <br /> Moultrie County, the north by De Witt County, and the south by r� <br /> Shelby County. l <br /> +, r <br /> The Sangamon River is the main river running through Macon <br /> County, which splits the county in half north to south. The largest --� <br /> body of surface water in the county is Lake Decatur, which is a <br /> reservoir located within the City of Decatur. An earthen/concrete <br /> dam was built in 1923 to produce this lake, which serves as a <br /> source of water for multiple communities in Macon County <br /> especially the City of Decatur. <br /> There are nine incorporated villages, three incorporated cities, and eleven unincorporated <br /> communities in Macon County. Exhibit 3-1 illustrates all communities within the county. These <br /> are: <br /> • Villages: Argenta, Blue Mound, Forsyth, Harristown, Long Creek, Mount Zion, Niantic, <br /> Oreana, and Warrensburg. <br /> • Cities: Decatur, Macon, and Maroa. <br /> • Unincorporated Communities: Austin, Elwin, Friends Creek, Hickory Point, Illini, Milam, <br /> Oakley, Pleasant View, South Macon, South Wheatland, and Whitmore. <br /> 3.2 Geology, Watersheds, Topography <br /> Macon County is located within the Sangamon River, Salt River, and Kaskaskia River watersheds. <br /> The Salt, Sangamon, and Kaskaskia rivers all flow into the Illinois River. Exhibit 3-2 illustrates the <br /> watershed boundaries in Macon County (thick blue lines). The land area of Macon County is <br /> approximately 580 square miles with roughly 255 miles of mapped streams and rivers. The <br /> County is situated in the Springfield Plain and the Bloomington Ridge Plain. The topography is <br /> generally level and gently sloping on the broad upland with greater relief in areas dissected by <br /> drainage ways. Elevations range from more than 700 feet above sea level in Oakley Township to <br /> less than 550 feet above sea level where the Sangamon River leaves the county. <br /> Chapter 3: Community Profile 22 <br />