Central Sand Plains ecological landscape

Attributes and Characteristics the sandstone escarpment forming the eastern Plains Sand Central border of the Western Coulee and Ridges ecolo- The dominant feature in this landscape is gical landscape. They are the result of the steady the vast, remarkably flat, sandy plain that was erosional forces of wind and water (particularly once the bed of Glacial Lake Wisconsin—the Glacial Lake Wisconsin) slowly wearing away enormous body of water fed primarily by glacial the softer sandstone surrounding them. runoff. This lake, ringed by the Driftless Area to the southwest and the glacier to the north and east, There are no large, naturally occurring was 70 to 150 feet deep and covered over 1,800 square lakes in this ecological landscape, although miles. Streams and rivers draining from the glacier there are a number of hydroelectric dams into the lake carried enormous loads of sand, silt, on the Wisconsin River that create and clay that settled onto the lake bottom. The lake large impoundments. is believed to have drained catastrophically, in an estimated 7 to 10 days, when the ice dam along its Conservation Needs and Opportunities southern end failed. This flush of water out of the Prior to Euro-American settlement, large lake carved the spectacular narrow, deep-sided wetland complexes, sand prairies, and oak ueen q t gorges at Wisconsin Dells. forests, savannas, and barrens dominated r obe r Additional striking features are the castellated the area. Some mesic forests, containing white pine and hemlock, were found in the Birdwatching, one of Wisconsin’s most mounds scattered across the southern portion of this rapidly growing outdoor pursuits landscape. These irregular bluffs are remnants of northwest portion of the landscape. Much

Eau Claire MARATHON SHAWANO Legacy Places CF t Queen EAU CLAIRE r CLARK BF Bear Bluff PV Plover River

Robe DW BR Black River QB Quincy Bluff and Wetlands Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) at Necedah State Wildlife Area PV PORTAGE Stevens Point Central Wisconsin Forests Robinson Creek Barrens BR CF RN WAUPACA WOOD LV CG Central Wisconsin Grasslands SM Sandhill - Meadow CF CG Valley - Wood County JACKSON CU Colburn - Richfield Wetlands TREMPEALEAU DW Dewey Marsh and Woods Wildlife Areas RN BF SM YW GC Greensand Cuesta YW Yellow (Juneau) River NC MW WAUSHARA CU LV Little Plover River

JUNEAU ADAMS LL Lower Lemonweir River LA CROSSE MONROE QB MW Middle Wisconsin River La Crosse MARQUETTE GREEN LAKE Minnesota GC LL NC Necedah National Wildlife Refuge

VERNON

SAUK COLUMBIA RICHLAND

Wisconsin Land Legacy Report Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape 165 Central Sand Plains 166 Figure 101: Figure

Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape Ecological by Places Legacy

Merrill Plains Sand Central the of lands conversation public and Places Legacy Cornell Legacy Places andMedford public conservation lands

27 Central Sand Plains 73

Stanley Thorp Wausau Owen Abbotsford 29 29 51 Colby

29 Schofield 13

73 153 Greenwood Mosinee CF 2 1 Loyal

Augusta 12 Marshfield DW 10 1 10 66 10 PV Neillsville

13 18 Stevens BR 10 73 Point 14 er LV iv R Pittsville 95 Black 6 CF Wisconsin CG Rapids 54 94 54 13 22 6 Black River 3 23 Nekoosa 73 Falls 3 3 SM

RN r BF e 13 v i 54 12 YW 4 R n 2 1 i 73 s n Yellow o c is 5 15 MW W 27 NC 39 7 River Wautoma 71 CU

21 21 Le mo 20 nw eir Tomah R i ve r Sparta 16 5 Adams

16 80 90 4 19 58 QB Onalaska New Lisbon 27 Mauston Montello 33 71 LL 23 82 GC 82 12 94 Elroy 90

9 Hillsboro 33 23 Westby 21 11 Wisconsin Dells

82 16 Portage 8 17 Viroqua Reedsburg

80 33 23 Baraboo 16

58 78 22 51 14

12 Richland Center 60 Public Conservation Lands Lodi Wisconsin Land Legacy Report Legacy Land Wisconsin State Iowa 60 Federal 60 14 County Forest 14

Boscobel Miles 130 0 2.5 5Middleton10 23 Prairie 80 78 du Chien Madison Wisconsin L Wisconsin Figure 102: Figure a

Merrill Plains Sand Central the of cover land and Places Legacy n Cornell Medford d L d Legacy Places and land cover e g a c 27

y Re y Central Sand Plains p

o LOWER CHIPPEWA r t

WATERSHED BLACK RIVER 73 WATERSHED Stanley Thorp Wausau Owen Abbotsford 29 29 51 Colby UPPER WISCONSIN CENTRAL WATERSHED Schofield 29 13

73

153 Mosinee CF Greenwood Loyal

Augusta Marshfield 12 DW

10 66 10 PV Neillsville

13 Stevens BR Point 10 73 LV 94 Pittsville 95 Wisconsin CG BUFFALO-TREMPEALEAU CF Rapids 54 54 WATERSHED 13

Black River Nekoosa 73 Falls

SM 54 RN BF UPPER WISCONSIN SOUTH 39 YW WATERSHED 73

MW 27 NC Wautoma 71 CU

21 21

Tomah Sparta Adams

16 80 90 58 UPPER FOX New QB WATERSHED Onalaska Lisbon 27 Mauston BAD AXE-LA CROSSE Montello 33 WATERSHED 71 LL 23 82 GC 82 12 Elroy 90 94

Hillsboro 33 23 Westby Wisconsin Dells

82 16 Portage ViroquaLegacy Places Land Cover Reedsburg BF Bear Bluff 80 33 BR Black River Urban 23 Baraboo 16 CF Central Wisconsin Forests LOWER WISCONSIN Agriculture CG Central Wisconsin Grasslands WATERSHED 22 CU Colburn-Richfield Wetlands 78

Lega 51 Grassland 58 DW Dewey Marsh and Woods14

c GC Greensand Cuesta

y Pl y 12 LV Little Plover River Shrubland

a Richland ces ces LL Lower Lemonweir River Center 60 MW Middle Wisconsin River Forest b Lodi y Ecological Landscape Landscape Ecological y NC Necedah National Wildlife Refuge Open Water Iowa PV Plover River 60 QB Quincy Bluff and Wetlands Open Wetland RN Robinson Creek Barrens60 14 SM Sandhill-Meadow Forested Wetland Valley-Wood County 14 Wildlife Areas Boscobel 130Miles YW Yellow (Juneau) River 0 2.5 5 10 Middleton 23

167 80 Prairie 78 Madison

du Chien

Central Sand Plains Central Sand Plains ecological landscape

Figure 103: Land cover of the Central Sand Plains Figure 104: Public conservation and other land ownership Figure 105: Land cover of public conservation lands Public Conservation Lands in the Central Sand Plains in the Central Sand Plains

Map# Property Name Size (acres)1

Central Sand Plains Sand Central Agriculture Urban Urban Open Water 0% 1% State 4% 1% Grassland 6% s 1 Augusta State Wildlife Area2 380 Agriculture County Forest Open Wetland Open Wetland 16% 15% 21% Shrubland s 2 Big Roche A Cri State Fishery Area 810 13% 1% s 3 Black River State Forest 2 65,930 s 4 Buckhorn State Park 2,610 State 8% s 5 Buckhorn State Wildlife Area 4,380 Forested Wetland Grassland 6 Buena Vista State Wildlife Area 7,740 12% s 10% Federal s 7 Colburn State Wildlife Area 5,050 2% Forested s 8 Dell Creek State Wildlife Area2 770 Wetland Shrubland 12% s 9 Dells of the Wisconsin River State Natural Area 1,370 Other 1% 75% s10 Dewey Marsh State Wildlife Area2 4,960 (private land, roads, 2 Forest s11 Hulburt Creek State Fishery Area 590 schools, cemetaries, Forest 43% 59% s12 Jay Creek State Natural Area 360 military lands, etc.) s13 Leola Marsh State Wildlife Area 1,870 s14 Little Plover River State Fishery Area 245 s15 Meadow Valley State Wildlife Area 58,040 s Mill Bluff State Park2 1,150 16 of the Central Sand Plains were subject to The Central Sand Plains ecological landscape s17 Mirror Lake State Park 2,150 frequent, and likely wide-ranging, fires. With provides some of the best prospects in the state s18 Paul Olson State Wildlife Area2 780 s19 Quincy Bluff And Wetlands State Natural Area 4,870 increased development spreading through much for managing large oak and pine barrens complexes. s20 Roche A Cri State Park 460 of the area, this ecological landscape remains Excellent conservation opportunities exist for a s21 Rocky Arbor State Park 230 one of the state’s highest needs for fire manage- number of species dependent on these “shrubby” s22 Sandhill State Wildlife Area 9,480 ment and suppression. Prescribed burns, carefully habitats, including brown thrasher, eastern towhee, s23 Wood County State Wildlife Area 1,070 timed and controlled fires that seek to mimic some eastern phlox moth and the federally-Endangered 3 Miscellaneous Lands 4,175 aspects of those that occurred in pre-settlement Karner blue butterfly. Some of the largest wetland Federal times, are increasingly seen as a way to complexes in the southern portion of the state are s 1 Necedah National Wildlife Refuge 39,580 reduce the risk of large, economically found within this landscape, and they provide County Forest 4 and ecologically damaging fires. important habitat for numerous species of rep- 2 r s 1 Clark County Forest 123,300 eye tiles, amphibians, and birds, including sandhill M Today, much of the existing forest is com- s 2 Eau Claire County Forest 2 41,340 crane, golden-winged warbler, and northern

2 homas prised of oak, aspen and pine. A minor portion s 3 Jackson County Forest 118,130 T harrier. Efforts are underway to establish a is maple-basswood forest and lowland hardwood. s 4 Juneau County Forest 2 14,950 new population of the federally-Endangered 2 Coastal plain marsh at Silver Lake State Natural Area Conifer swamps occupy a significant portion of the s 5 Monroe County Forest 3,500 whooping crane, which hopefully will spend Wood County Forest 37,570 wetlands. Timber management is focused on pulp s6 their summers in these large wetlands. production, giving rise to an abundance of pine TOTAL 557,840 plantations. Farmland and grassland comprise the Because much of this landscape is character-

1 Actual acres owned in this Ecological Landscape. bulk of the remaining area. Agricultural activities ized by low population density, few roads, and a 2 This property also falls within adjacent Ecological Landscape(s). are dominated by extensive commercial cranberry high percentage of forested cover, wide-ranging 3 Includes public access sites, fish hatcheries, fire towers, streambank and non-point easements, lands acquired under statewide wildlife, fishery, forestry, and natural area programs, small properties production and crop production through the use mammals such as timber wolf, black bear, and under 100 acres, and properties with fewer than 100 acres within this Ecological Landscape. 4 Locations and sizes of county owned parcels enrolled in the Forest Crop Law are presented here. of center-pivot irrigation on drained soils. Due fisher occur throughout the area. This landscape Information on locations and sizes of other county and local parks in this Ecological Landscape is not readily available and is not included here, except for some very large properties. to the abundance of bogs, commercial harvest also offers important opportunities to manage of sphagnum moss occurs more extensively for numerous species of birds typically found in here than in any other ecological northern Wisconsin (e.g., hermit thrush, black- landscape in the state. throated green warbler, and ring-necked duck).

168 Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape Wisconsin Land Legacy Report Recreation Uses and Opportunities This landscape receives substantial public use Key characteristics: for a variety of recreation activities, due largely » Sandy soils to the extensive amount of public land. Use of » Extensive pine and oak barrens all terrain vehicles and snowmobiles is parti- » Dry forests » cularly popular due to the presence of an exten- Large wetland complexes » sive trail system. Deer hunting, camping, hik- Significant tracts of public land » Commercial cranberry production

ing and cross-country skiing are also popular Plains Sand Central activities. There is demand in this area for Size: additional trails to accommodate off road biking, » 3,420 square miles ATV riding, horseback riding, snowmobiling, » 2,187,100 acres snowshoeing, and cross country skiing. Canoeing (6.1% of Wisconsin) and kayaking along the larger rivers, as well as Population: rustic tent camping and fully developed camping » 191,000 opportunities, are in demand in this region. (3.6% of Wisconsin’s population) Also noteworthy are the many shallow-water areas within the large public properties that Notable species: offer fishing, canoeing, kayaking, waterfowl » Timber wolf observation, and hunting opportunities. » Black bear » Fisher » Sandhill crane » Trumpeter swan » Prairie chicken » Blanding’s turtle » Massasauga rattlesnake » Chorus and Wood frogs » Walleye » Sand shiner » Karner blue butterfly » Massachusetts fern » Yellow screwstem » Long sedge Natural communities: (See Appendix B for descriptions) » Alder thicket » Central Sands pine-oak forest » Coastal plain marsh » Dry cliff » Floodplain forest » Northern dry forest » Northern sedge meadow » Oak barrens » Open bog » Pine barrens » Poor fen » Sand prairie r » Shrub carr eye M t Lange r » Southern dry-mesic forest be r e homas T H » White pine-red maple swamp

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) View from Roche-a-Cri Mound

Wisconsin Land Legacy Report Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape 169 Central Sand Plains ecological landscape BF Bear Bluff BR Black River Size ...... Large Size ...... Large Protection Initiated...... Limited Protection Initiated...... Moderate Protection Remaining...... Substantial Protection Remaining...... Moderate Conservation Significance...... 0 0 0 0 0 Conservation Significance...... 0 0 0 0 0 Recreation Potential ...... 0 Recreation Potential ...... 0 0 0 0 0 Legacy Places Lying on the bed of Glacial Lake Wisconsin, The Black River originates in the northern Central Sand Plains Sand Central the Bear Bluff area is made up of a vast complex forests of central Taylor County and meanders of wetlands interspersed with low, sandy upland south for more than 100 miles to its confluence ridges supporting stands of pine, aspen, pine with the Mississippi River. Biological diversity vedt barrens, oak barrens, and dry oak forest. Due along the corridor is high due to its north–south T to its remoteness, size, variety of habitat types, orientation, association with four ecological Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) in display and proximity to large blocks of public land, this landscapes, and the presence of pronounced, area harbors a high concentration of rare species. intact, wet-to-dry environmental gradients Remnant pine and oak barrens support large along the length of the river. The floodplain Karner blue butterfly populations, and provide widens downstream from Black River Falls and CF Central Wisconsin Forests critical habitat for sharp-tailed grouse. Wooded supports large tracts of high quality southern Size ...... Large tracts harbor a diverse assemblage of birds, floodplain forest, numerous oxbow lakes, Protection Initiated...... Substantial including many with northern affinities such as and shallow marshes. Protection Remaining...... Limited Conservation Significance...... 0 0 0 0 0 hermit thrush, pine warbler, and white-throated In this ecological landscape, part of the imme- Recreation Potential ...... 0 0 0 0 sparrow. The Bear Bluff area also contains some diate river corridor along with several tributaries of the largest remaining wetlands in southern are protected within the Black River State Forest The Black River State Forest and the Jackson, Wisconsin and forms the headwaters of streams and Jackson and Clark County Forests. Wildlife Wood, and Clark County Forests together provide flowing outward in nearly all directions. Sandhill habitat value along the corridor is extremely a block of more than 330,000 acres of publicly- cranes are abundant. Several packs of timber high due, in part, to the adjacent, extensive, and owned land. Located in the central part of the wolves have become well established in the relatively undeveloped uplands. The river corridor state, these properties have a “north woods” area, as have other wide-ranging species provides important nesting and migratory habitat feel to them and support numerous species more including black bear and fisher. for a variety of songbirds and waterfowl, and serves commonly found in northern environs, including By providing a linkage to existing public as an important north-south dispersal corridor for timber wolf, black bear, fisher, Blackburnian properties, including Black River State Forest, bear, wolves and fisher. The river and its major warbler and white-throated sparrow. Aspen Jackson County Forest, Wood County Forest, tributaries support a diverse warmwater fishery and maple are predominant and stands of Meadow Valley and Sandhill State Wildlife Areas and offers high quality sport fishing opportunities. white and red pine are common. Also present and Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, the Bear The East Fork of the Black River in particular are dry oak forests, remnant pine and oak barrens, Bluff area provides one of the best opportunities hosts a very diverse aquatic community. tamarack swamps and boggy sedge meadows. in southern Wisconsin to undertake landscape scale Establishment of a protected corridor along Given the large public land holdings here, the protection and management. Ensuring the viability the Black River would serve several purposes. Central Wisconsin Forests offer the opportunity of this landscape would provide substantial benefits First, it would link several existing public lands: to manage for a variety of fire dependent natural to rare plant communities and myriad wildlife Chequamegon National Forest, Clark and Jack- communities and species, including oak and pine species. Significant public recreation opportunities, son County Forests, Black River State Forest, barrens as well as the Karner blue butterfly and including hunting, fishing, trapping, camping, Big Creek State Fishery Area, North Bend a number of other rare insects. Diverse recreation hiking, cross-country skiing, and motorized Bottoms and Van Loon State Wildlife Areas, opportunities are provided by these properties, trails, could be realized here. and the Upper Mississippi River National including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, t Queen r Fish and Wildlife Refuge. In addition, it would cross-country skiing, and snowmobile and

Robe facilitate protection of important wildlife habitats, ATV riding on designated trails. Pine grove at Black River State Forest thus maintaining the value of the corridor for migrating and dispersing wildlife. It would also provide additional opportunities for high quality outdoor recreational experiences in the western part of the state.

170 Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape Wisconsin Land Legacy Report Central Sand Plains ecological landscape CG Central Wisconsin Grasslands CU Colburn - Richfield Wetlands Size ...... Large Size ...... Small Protection Initiated...... Moderate Protection Initiated...... Substantial Protection Remaining...... Moderate Protection Remaining...... Limited Conservation Significance...... 0 0 0 0 0 Conservation Significance...... 0 0 0 Recreation Potential ...... 0 0 0 Recreation Potential ...... 0 0 Stretching in an “S” shape from southeastern This very large and diverse wetland complex

Legacy Places Plains Sand Central Taylor County, between Stevens Point and contains relatively undisturbed sedge meadows r

Wisconsin Rapids, and south to northeastern with dry oak ridges harboring overgrown oak eye M Adams County, this area may be the best loca- savanna. There has been little invasion by exotic homas tion in Wisconsin to create a grassland landscape species and restoration of the savanna areas would T large enough to sustain viable populations of most likely be very successful. Colburn State Wildlife Sullivant’s Cool-wort (Sullivantia sullivantii) grassland species. This area consists of a mosaic Area protects part of this vast wetland. interspersed with mosses and ferns of publicly and privately owned grasslands of varying size embedded in a primarily open, agricultural landscape. Center pivot irrigation DW Dewey Marsh and Woods Lower Lemonweir River agriculture is prevalent in the flat sandy soils Size ...... Small LL Size ...... Medium covering the southern portion of the area. Dairy Protection Initiated...... Moderate Protection Initiated...... Limited farming predominates on the gently rolling clay Protection Remaining...... Limited Protection Remaining...... Substantial loams of the northern portion of the area that is Conservation Significance...... 0 0 0 Conservation Significance...... 0 0 0 within the Forest Transition ecological landscape. Recreation Potential ...... 0 0 0 Recreation Potential ...... 0 0 Due to the size, quality and distribution of Dewey Marsh contains extensive tracts of open The Lower Lemonweir River, from New the existing grasslands, this area is particularly bog, sedge meadow and both conifer and hardwood Lisbon to its confluence at the Wisconsin attractive to a diverse community of grassland swamp. The State Wildlife Area protects much of River, flows through the flat, sandy soils that birds. The state’s largest populations of prairie the marsh and is a popular destination for hunting characterize the Central Sand Plains. Due chicken and Henslow’s sparrow are found here. and wildlife watching. Beyond the marsh are large primarily to a lack of topographic relief, the Other declining or rare grassland birds, including blocks of upland forest that provide habitat for floodplain consists of a vast complex of swales, grasshopper sparrow, upland sandpiper, eastern numerous species of rare plants and animals. running sloughs, and oxbow lakes. Floodplain meadowlark, northern harrier, and short-eared forests, occurring throughout the river corridor, owl, are found locally. Working with farmers and are dominated by silver maple, green ash, river non-farming landowners to create linkages between GC Greensand Cuesta birch, hackberry, and swamp white oak. The scattered grassland parcels would be important in See the Western Coulee and Ridges surrounding uplands are also heavily wooded. ensuring the long-term viability of populations of ecological landscape. Sandstone cliffs border the south side of the grassland-dependent species. Strategic expansion river channel and provide habitat for a variety of existing public properties would also provide of unusual plants. Red and white pine relicts substantial public recreation benefits. LV Little Plover River occur on some of the cliffs. Size ...... Small Protection Initiated...... Moderate Although the waters of the Lemonweir run Protection Remaining...... Moderate very dark (a result of the peat soils it flows Conservation Significance...... 0 0 through), it is one of the highest quality rivers r in the area and supports an excellent warm- eye Recreation Potential ...... 0 0 0 M water fishery. Aquatic diversity within the river Although only about five miles long from its homas

T is very high. Due to the extensive forests and headwaters to its confluence with the Wisconsin scenic cliffs, the Lower Lemonweir River offers River, this good quality river supports a diverse Pocket gopher mounds at Bauer-Brockway Barrens State Natural Area high quality canoeing opportunities. Access coldwater fishery. Flowing between Plover and points are limited which, particularly in the Whiting, the river is heavily used for recreation lower reaches near the Wisconsin River, and education. Part of the river is protected provides a near-wilderness setting. within the Little Plover River State Fishery Area. Threats include land use changes asso- ciated with the growing cities and high capacity well development adjacent to headwater areas.

Wisconsin Land Legacy Report Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape 171 Central Sand Plains

Thomas Meyer 172 ecological landscape Central Sand Plains Dells of the Wisconsin River State Natural Area Natural State River Wisconsin the of Dells

Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape Ecological by Places Legacy

Wildlife Refuge trapping, fishing, and wildlife observation. wildlife andtrapping, fishing, Popular recreation activities include hunting, whooping afederally-Endangered cranes, species. establishment of wild flock of Wisconsin’s first the as serves site for also refuge This wildlife. blue Karner and butterfly associated other barrens habitat for maintain the to burned periodically are the found refuge ofMany barrens thewithin oak for of game and avariety non-game species. for waterfowl.primarily Uplands managed are wetlands, and extensive flowages managed ofof large oak-dominated stands hardwoods, consists Refuge National Wildlife Necedah Potential Recreation Conservation Significance Remaining Protection Initiated Protection Size NC recreation opportunities available. habitats of the public variety and increase the river could provide for protection critical along corridor activities. Aprotected popular and waterfowl fishing are particularly hunting public boating, substantial Recreational use. oftion portion the centers, river this receives popula- of the several proximity Due large to quality,aesthetic and have value. significant habitat values, water helpwildlife maintain adjacent the river to contribute the corridor’s to Upland forestsresident wildlife. and migratory they provide habitat important for of avariety marshes, lowlands. associated with concert In found are along the river’s and hackberry ash, forests dominated byplain silver maple, green warmwater fishery.Extensivesouthern flood- River continuesWisconsin support to arobust the use, and commercial heavy industrial throughout reach of the river. this Despite foundNumerous are facilities hydroelectric Rapids. StevensMosinee, Point, and Wisconsin a number of communities, Wausau, including ofcentral portion the state, it flows through River meanders the Wisconsin theAs across Potential Recreation Conservation Significance Remaining Protection Initiated Protection Size MW . . Necedah National Middle Wisconsin River ...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Substantial Moderate Medium 0 0 0 Limited Limited

Large

0 0

protect the area. protect activelyare working landowners with to and thehere. DNR Nature Conservancy The Numerous have species rare been documented and northern wetmeadows, forests. carrs, shrub sedge quality high the bluff are Surrounding present. also are barrens pine-oak nities. Remnant commu- natural cliff forest and dry of northern dry mounds.” examples outstanding bluff harbors The and other of “castellated the Plains Sand Central views provides Bluff spectacular Quincy plain, feet above the 200 surrounding more than and rising length in two miles Running Potential Recreation Conservation Significance Remaining Protection Initiated Protection Size QB upland and wetland habitats. improved management capability for important and provide maintained and quantity are quality would protection land help that ensure water along the corridor river.narrow Additional Plover River, butto a mostly is confined Some state ownership along the exists and supports numerous species. rare bog conifer quality agood that harbors Swamp, forested wetland alarge, complex note Jordan is particular and wetlands. Of forest blocks quality high several large, through the river slows,downstream, widens and runs Further troutarea. theandin popular fisheries the Plover supports one of the most productive River. the Wisconsin to the upper In stretches, ponds and spring and flowsof springs southerly aseries Plover from The River originates Potential Recreation Conservation Significance Remaining Protection Initiated Protection Size PV . . BluffQuincy and Wetlands Plover River ...... 0 0 0 0 0 Substantial Substantial

Moderate

Medium Medium 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Limited

Recreation Potential Recreation Conservation Significance Remaining Protection Karner blueKarner butterfly. barrens-dependent the like species such wolf timber as and black and bear species for manage wide-ranging to ability ment opportunities and would augment the manage- scale landscape Fort enhances McCoy Black River State Forest and the Army’s U.S. the with Jackson area CountyForest,of this juxtaposition The landscape. ecological this within pinebarrens and oak functioning and maintain provide one of the restore best opportunities to enough biologically be large be viable and to to believed are barrens Creek Robinson The species. plant and animal their characteristic of all viability long-term ensure and isolated to small likely too and federal properties, and most of these are isolatedstate fragments on small, existing as exist pinebarrens and oak Most remaining throughout the area. pine found plantations also are by Numerous black andoak. Hill’s oak by dominated jack barrens pine, and oak dominatedextensive primarily pine barrens relatively vegetation, open, “scrubby” including watershed Creek of thesoils Robinson support predominantlyThe sandy, nutrient-poor Initiated Protection Size RN Quincy Bluff rising above the surrounding sand plain sand surrounding the above rising Bluff Quincy . Robinson Creek Barrens . . . Wisconsin Land Legacy Report Legacy Land Wisconsin .

0 0 0 0 0

Substantial Substantial

Medium 0 0 0

Limited

Thomas Meyer Robert Queen Wisconsin L Wisconsin ecological landscape Central Sand Plains Camping in Wood County Wood in Camping a n d L d e g a c y Re y p o r t

Valley cottonwood, and swamp white oak. forest dominated by silver maple, ash, green of southern tracts large floodplain to rise gives numerous ponds. broad, The flat small floodplain sloughs, and and running oxbow cut-offs lakes, stem havemeandering main combined create to population density. Alow gradient and stream topography, and relatively sandy soils low human nearly having as level characterized is corridor River, withconfluencethe Wisconsin riverthe its to central Juneau County. Dexterville From southwestin flatsand plains andCounty Wood the Yellow River flowssouthward the through west of Marshfield, the farmland in Originating Potential Recreation Conservation Significance Remaining Protection Initiated Protection Size YW publictial use. observation and receive substan- and wildlife for outdoor picking, hunting, education, berry properties provideThese excellent opportunities bluefederally-endangered Karner butterfly. and the woodcock, grouse, sharp-tailed swan, wolf, timber trumpeter crane, include sandhill siveis abundant. Notable flowages.Wildlife species meadow,sedge and exten- pinebarrens, and oak habitats, forest, emergent oak including marsh, support diverse areas wildlife state-managed these acres, 80,000 more than Covering Potential Recreation Conservation Significance Remaining Protection Initiated Protection Size SM State Wildlife Areas . . Yellow (Juneau) River Sandhill - Wood County - . . . . Meadow . . . .

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Substantial Moderate Moderate

0 0 0 Limited Large Large 0 0

by connecting several large blocks several of public large by connecting land. management the Plains Sand Central in efforts forest. It would augment also scale landscape block of southernbiologically functional floodplain alarge, and manage protect to opportunity provides aunique area This diversity high. is warbler, warbler. and cerulean aquatic Overall merganser, red-shouldered hawk, prothonotary noteworthy populations are of wood duck, hooded Particularly impressivean of wildlife. array the river support corridor within marshes extensiveThe forests, oxbows and shallow recreation needs. recreation and conservation meet both further to efforts protection expanding in interest there is system, of park the Wood County part is the bluff Although features. historical Native harbor American to known is area The the moved bluff. ice over around and glacial that suggesting southwest the bluff, from southeast and extend two boulder trains andboulderswith strewn is floor forest The basswood. and ash, white oak, red scattered with bitternut and hickory maple, yellow birch, sugar onare the bluff trees Dominant slopes. them steep very giving planes vertical their to that have weathered the area parallel in bluffs other lessdurable with sandstone contrasts This of the quartzite. durability erosion-resistant due the round-shaped to is hill) remnant (an isolated monadnock high 300’ This ( Powers Bluff high. is plants support rare to potential have relatively few the invasive and plants the wetlands altered, operations. Although of cranberry aseries amidst species wildlife ofplant wetland and impressive array an and wet extensive meadows marshes and contains area The Forest Wood properties. County large between is and Wisconsin Lake former Glacial within located is area wetland large This ( Cranmoor Wetlands Other Areas of Interest Wood County Wood County Wood ) )

Karner Blue Butterfly ( Butterfly Blue Karner Lega c y Pl y a Lycaeides melissa samuelis melissa Lycaeides ces ces b y Ecological Landscape Landscape Ecological y )

173

Thomas meyer

Central Sand Plains