Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area preserves more than 10,000 acres of bottomland habitat near the meeting of the Sangamon and Illinois rivers in central Illinois. Its sloughs, backwater lakes, timbered ponds, floodplain woods, and shallow wetlands support wildlife management and seasonal recreation. Once dominated by private duck clubs, the area began becoming public land when Illinois purchased the 2,700-acre Sanganois Gun Club in 1948 and later added other tracts. Sanganois is especially significant for birds, hosting tens of thousands of migratory waterfowl and earning recognition as an Important Birding Area, while also serving as a major destination for hunting, birding, and hiking.