The Natural Environment

INTRODUCTION The protection of natural resources is necessary the preservation of life, health, and general for the welfare of both people and the welfare. As such, the protection and environment. By allowing natural processes, management of these resources clearly are in such as the hydrologic system, to function the public interest. Thus, the analysis of those without impediment, property, water supply, natural resources found within the planning and the environment are protected. The area is done for the purpose of directing protection of natural resources also preserves development away from those areas not important ecological communities. Certain intrinsically suitable for a particular use, or to at natural resources have more than merely least guide development in a direction that is aesthetic and leisure-time activity values. They least disruptive. are essential to long-term human survival and NATURAL RESOURCES VISION “Douglas County works to preserve the natural aspect of county lands, thinking always of balancing uses and protecting the environment. The county is known throughout the state as a leading steward of healthy forests and clean waters. The county is also known as a leader in protecting Lake Superior, a body of fresh water that is of paramount national and global importance by 2030. All uses of natural resources are carefully aligned with the Comprehensive Plan. The vision for natural resources in Douglas County includes: Being a state leader in protecting and conserving water resources—from Lake Superior to inland lakes to streams and wetlands—by meeting and often exceeding state guidelines. Incorporating state-of-the-art prevention and management of invasive species on land and in waters. Managing county forests lands in a best-practice, sustainable manner, while retaining the distinction of having the largest county-owned forest in Wisconsin. Planning all development to protect natural resources by directing growth away from sensitive areas. Maintaining and protecting public access to natural resources.” 5-1 TOPOGRAPHY south. About 70 percent of Douglas County falls within the Northern Highland Province. The Superior escarpment, or Douglas Copper Range, is probably the most noticeable geologic feature within the county. This east-west ridge extends across the county from the Bayfield County line to Foxboro and, in some places, rises 350 to 400 feet above the lowlands to the north. The escarpment is not a continuous bedrock range but is divided into three main ridges by the streams which dissect it. These streams have cut deep gorges and have many rapids and falls where they drop from the hard rock of the escarpment into the soft clays and sandstones of the lowlands. Pattison State Park, Douglas County is located in the far 11 miles south of Superior, includes two such northwestern corner of Wisconsin along the falls. At 165 feet, Big Manitou Falls on the Black southwestern shores of Lake Superior. Douglas River is the highest waterfall in Wisconsin. This County borders Bayfield, Washburn and Burnett spectacular waterfall is located on the cataract Counties in Wisconsin and Pine, Carlton and St. of the Superior escarpment. Little Manitou Louis Counties in Minnesota. The county is Falls, which has a 30-foot vertical drop, is 1,342 square miles in size. located about one mile upstream from Big Manitou Falls. Other waterfalls created by the Topographically, Douglas County varies from Superior escarpment are located on Balsam, nearly level, swampy lowlands to gently sloping Miller, and Copper Creeks and the Amnicon and rolling uplands. The lowest elevation in the River at Amnicon Falls State Park. county is approximately 602 feet above sea level at the Lake Superior shore. In some areas The Continental Divide that separates the St. along the shore, the bluff rises abruptly to Lawrence (Lake Superior) and Mississippi River heights of 60 feet or more above lake level. drainage systems passes through the middle of From the shore, elevation rises to nearly 1,200 Douglas County. The major drainage streams feet above sea level along the Superior which lie north of the divide and empty into escarpment. Across the middle of the county, Lake Superior, are, from east to west, the Bois elevation generally ranges from 1,200-1,300 Brule, Poplar, Middle, Amnicon, Nemadji, and feet. The highest elevation in the county is St. Louis Rivers. The St. Croix, Totagatic, and 1,369 feet at Summit Hill in the Town of Upper Tamarack Rivers drain the southern part Summit. of the county. Streams and their 147 connecting lakes have a total direct drainage area of Douglas County is divided between two of the 1,010.4 square miles, or 75.2 percent, of the five geographical provinces of Wisconsin. The county’s land surface area. Of this amount, Lake Superior Lowlands, which cover the 705.7 square miles drains directly into Lake northern part of the county, encompass an area Superior. The drainage areas of 284 landlocked formerly occupied by Glacial Lake Duluth. The lakes account for 84.7 square miles of surface Superior escarpment marks the boundary drainage, or 6.3 percent, while land areas that between the Lake Superior Lowlands and the have no permanent surface waters account for Northern Highlands geographic province to the 246.9 square miles, or 18.4 percent, of the 1,342 square mile county area. 5-2 were affected by severe land subsidence along The landscape of Douglas County varies greatly the St. Louis River. Bluff erosion and slumping from north to south. The Lake Superior dump fine sediments into south shore streams Lowlands consists of a 10-20 mile wide clay which gives their waters a distinct reddish color plain wide which slopes gently upward from following rain events and melting of the winter Lake Superior to the escarpment. Short, swift snowpack. Slumping also affects the bluffs on streams flowing north into Lake Superior have the shores of Lake Superior. This is particularly cut deep V-shaped valleys below the plain. problematic along the clay bluffs stretching During the glacial period, the Lake Superior from Superior into western Bayfield County, Lowlands were submerged under Glacial Lake where some homes and properties are Duluth and red clay was deposited on the old threatened by the continually receding bluffs. lakebed. Topographic relief is depicted in Map 5.1. Soil erosion from land disturbing activities and subsequent development can disturb natural SLOPE land cover and land surfaces resulting in a change of run-off patterns that may have a detrimental effect on water quality and downstream uses. Land disturbing activities and future development need to be strictly monitored to avoid damage to other properties and to sensitive natural areas. As a general rule, slopes in excess of 20 percent are of greatest concern for any land disturbing activity. Steep slopes do not necessarily preclude all forms of development; although, costly engineering and site preparation/mitigation measures are often required in order to minimize potential adverse impacts. Potential problems associated with development of excessively sloping lands The steepest slopes in Douglas County are include erosion and slope stability. found along the flanks of rivers and streams; particularly along Lake Superior tributary GIS-derived percent slope is shown in Map 5.2. streams of the clay plain. Steep slopes also occur along the bluffs overlooking Lake Superior. Prominent steep slopes occur along, and adjacent to the St. Louis River and the Red River in the Town of Superior. Steep slopes are also common along the Nemadji, Amnicon, Middle, St. Croix and Brule Rivers, as well as Pearson, Bardon, Hanson, Miller, Haukkala, Mud, Clear and Balsam Creeks. Steep slopes on the highly erosive soils of the clay plain are of particular concern. When wet, the red clay soils tend to lose stability, which can result in land subsidence and slumping. In 2002, seven properties in the Village of Oliver 5-3 ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPES northeasterly from Polk County to the Bayfield Peninsula. This region is characterized by the presence of sandy soils and relatively flat topography. Most of Douglas County’s 431 lakes are found within this landscape, including numerous small kettle lakes. Forest vegetation consists mainly of fire-adapted conifers (primarily jack pine), northern pin oak and prairie species. Historically, fire was a common occurrence within this landscape and was important in maintaining the open pine barrens. Modern forest management and fire suppression has greatly reduced the role of wildfire in the natural disturbance regime. Land use trends in the sands landscape include Ecological landscapes are broad land areas with increasing rural and shoreline development and unique physical and biological properties. Each fragmentation of the forest landscape for landscape has unique ecosystem characteristics recreational and residential development. such as climate, geology, soils and vegetation. Within Douglas County there are four ecological In far southeastern Douglas County, there is a landscapes, the Lake Superior Coastal Plain, transition between the Northwest Sands and Northwest Lowlands, Northwest Sands and the the North Central Forest ecological landscape North Central Forest. The Lake Superior Coastal that encompasses much of northern Wisconsin. Plain is Wisconsin’s northernmost landscape This region is characterized by rolling terrain and is strongly influenced by the climate- with predominantly hardwood upland forests moderating effect of Lake Superior. This with numerous small lakes and several large landscape is underlain by a clay plain which rivers. gradually slopes toward Lake Superior. Once heavily forested, the clay plain has been fragmented by agricultural uses. This landscape is also dissected by numerous rivers and streams, including some of the region’s best known trout waters. The Northwest Lowlands of western and central Douglas County consist of large tracts of upland hardwoods and mixed forest with interspersed bogs and peatlands. This region contains the headwaters of many Lake Superior tributary streams and few lakes.

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