Central Sand Hills ecological landscape Attributes and Characteristics and include the state’s deepest natural lake (Green Lake at 236 feet) and one of the shallowest large This ecological landscape is located at the Key characteristics: lakes in Wisconsin (Puckaway at over 5,000 acres eastern edge of the old Glacial Lake Wisconsin » Rolling topography and and only 5 feet deep). Both Puckaway and Green and contains a series of glacial moraines that sandy soils of glacial origin Lake are very productive fishing lakes and between were later partially covered by glacial outwash. » Pine-oak and oak forests them contain nearly all species of game fish and Pre-settlement vegetation consisted of oak forest, » Oak savanna panfish found in Wisconsin. In addition, a series oak savanna, and a variety of prairie types in the » Numerous wetlands, of very high quality coldwater streams originate some very rare types uplands. Fens, wet prairies, and rare coastal plain from the moraines and generally flow southeasterly. » Coldwater springs, streams, marshes occurred in the lowlands. Soils throughout and glacial lakes the landscape have a significant sand component. A mixture of farmland, woodlots, and a variety Size: of wetlands now characterizes the area. Agricul- Legacy Places » 2,170 square miles ture is successful in the sandy areas with the use » 1,387,900 acres Arlington Prairie of center pivot irrigation but there is a considerable AP (3.9% of Wisconsin) amount of less productive and idle agricultural land. BA Badger Army Ammunition Plant Population: Numerous small kettle lakes are associated BO Baraboo River » 141,000 with the pitted glacial outwash. Several larger (2.7% of Wisconsin’s CM Comstock- Germania Marshes population) lakes occur along the eastern side of the landscape GL Grand River Marsh Notable species: and Lake Puckaway » Karner blue butterfly SHAWANO » Brook and brown trout PV HE Hartman & Emmons Creeks EYER CLARK » Mottled sculpin M Stevens Point Green Bay LM Lewiston Marsh » WAUPACA Chorus and Wood frogs THOMAS WOOD LV BROWN OUTAGAMIE LV Little Plover River » Sandhill cranes PORTAGE Headwaters of the Mecan River » Fassett’s locoweed Middle Wisconsin River JACKSON HE MW Appleton » Virginia meadow-beauty MANITOWOC MP Montello Area Coastal » WINNEBAGO Long-beaked baldrush WAUSHARA Plain Marshes SC CALUMET Manitowoc Natural communities: Oshkosh JUNEAU NN Neenah Creek (See Appendix B for descriptions) MONROE ADAMS WM » MP CM OX Oxford Savanna Bog relict » Calcareous fen MARQUETTE GREEN LAKE OX Fond du Lac Sheboygan PV Plover River » NN Central Sands pine-oak forest GL FOND DU LAC SHEBOYGAN PB PB Portage to Buffalo » Coastal plain marsh VERNON LM Lake Corridor » Dry prairie OZAUKEE » Emergent aquatic MW COLUMBIA BO SC Sand Country » DODGE Northern wet forest SAUK Hills RICHLAND AP WASHINGTON Trout Streams » Shrub carr BA WM White River Marsh » Southern sedge meadow » Wet-mesic prairie DANE and Uplands Sand WAUKESHA Milwaukee IOWA Madison JEFFERSON 174 Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape Wisconsin Land Legacy Report Central Conservation Needs and Opportunities Given the sandy, nutrient-poor, and acid characteristics of soils that are predominant throughout both the Central Sand Hills and the Central Sand Plains, the forests here differ significantly from those in surrounding land- scapes. The dominant species are white and red pine, white, red, and black oaks, and on more mesic sites, red maple. The understory is typically not very diverse and consists primarily of huckleberry, OF TOURISM blueberry, bracken fern, and Pennsylvania sedge. T MEN Although a significant amount of this natural T community type, referred to as the Central Sands pine-oak forest, is protected in the ISCONSIN DEPAR Central Sand Plains ecological landscape, W very little is protected in this landscape. The lakes of this area harbor a wide GARY KNOWLES, diversity of aquatic life and provide some Autumn color with early season snow of the best and most popular inland lake fishing in the state. The lakes also provide quality coldwater streams and springs originate important nesting, feeding, and resting habitat from glacial deposits and support important for resident and migratory birds, in particular aquatic invertebrate and coldwater fish populations. waterfowl, shorebirds, and many birds that prey These streams harbor some of Wisconsin’s best on fish (eagles, osprey, cormorants, and others). trout fishing and are renowned for their Hexagenia Maintaining and improving water quality, by hatches. Protection of the streams and their expanding existing efforts to reduce pollutants groundwater sources would help insure that these EYER M entering these lakes, would help sustain the important coldwater systems are maintained. biotic richness of these lakes and the recreation THOMAS they support. In addition to the lakes, many high Also of note in this landscape is the presence Observatory Hill in Marquette County of coastal plain marshes, a rare natural community type. These wetlands are found in and around the extinct Glacial Lake Wisconsin and support many Figure 106: Land cover of the Central Sand Hills Figure 107: Public conservation and other land ownership Figure 108: Land cover of public conservation lands in the Central Sand Hills in the Central Sand Hills rare species that are disjunct from their primary Atlantic coastal plain ranges, occurring from Mas- Open Water Urban State Urban sachusetts to Georgia. There are also significant 4% 1% County Forest 0% 4% Agriculture opportunities to protect and manage two other Wetland 0% Federal 9% 0% 8% important wetland communities, southern sedge Forested Open Wetland meadow and calcareous fen, primarily at places Wetland Agriculture 28% such as White River, Germania and Comstock 5% 34% Grassland 20% marshes, and along the Fox River corridor. Also of significance are management opportunities for wet-mesic prairie and tamarack bogs. In Forest Shrubland addition to the plant communities, there is 28% 0% ample opportunity to manage for wetland Other birds within these community types. 96% Hills (private land, roads, Forested schools, cemetaries, Wetland Forest Shrubland Grassland military lands, etc.) 17% 27% 0% 19% Sand Wisconsin Land Legacy Report Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape 175 Central Central Sand Hills 176 Figure 109: Schofield Legacy Places by Ecological Landscape Legacy Places and public conservation lands Legacy Places and public conservation land of the Central Sand Hills MosineeCentral Sand Hills Shawano 45 Marion Marshfield PV 10 Clintonville 22 49 Stevens 10 Point 45 LV Manawa Pittsville New Wisconsin London Rapids Waupaca 11 Weyauwega 39 Nekoosa HE 4 73 23 10 22 22 13 49 30 Neenah 110 80 10 SC 28 Wautoma 21 21 Omro Oshkosh 18 Berlin Adams 14 29 6 WM 44 1 CM 15 New Lisbon 2 Princeton MP Green Ripon Fo Lake 27 x 23 Montello R Mauston OX iv 82 e 7 r 73 NN 26 94 12 GL Markesan 90 22 8 PB 1 Waupun 5 r Rive Wisconsin x LM o Dells 39 F Portage 16 33 Fox Lake Reedsburg 26 21 151 33 20 BO MW Baraboo Beaver 13 Dam 24 r ve Ri Legacy Places Horicon in 51 9 s Juneau 12 on 12 19 AP Arlington Prairie 3 sc Wi AP BA Badger Army 25 Ammunition Plant BA BO Baraboo River Columbus CM16 Comstock-Germania Marshes Lodi Grand River Marsh 60 GL and Lake Puckaway 16 HE Hartman & Emmons Creeks 16 73 LM Lewiston Marsh 17 LV Little Plover River 151 MW Middle19 Wisconsin River Public Conservation Lands 19 Waterloo MP MontelloWatertown Area Coastal Sun Plain Marshes Prairie NN Neenah Creek Wisconsin Land Legacy Report State OX Oxford Savanna Middleton Federal PV94 Plover River PB Portage to Buffalo Lake CorridorLake County Forest Madison Monona SC Sand MillsCountry 12 Trout Streams Miles WM White River Marsh 0 2.5 5 10 18 Verona and Uplands Jefferson Dodgeville Fitchburg 90 Fort Atkinson 39 Wisconsin L Figure 110: Schofield Legacy Places and land cover of the Central Sand Hills a n d L Legacy Places and land cover e g a c y Re Central Sand Hills Mosinee Shawano p WOLF RIVER o UPPER WISCONSIN CENTRAL 45 r WATERSHED t WATERSHED Marion Marshfield PV 10 Clintonville 49 22 Stevens 10 Point 45 LV Manawa Pittsville New Wisconsin Waupaca London Rapids 39 Weyauwega Nekoosa HE 10 73 22 13 49 110 UPPER WISCONSIN SOUTH WATERSHED 80 SC Wautoma 21 21 Omro Oshkosh Berlin Adams UPPER FOX WATERSHED WM 44 CM New Lisbon MP Princeton Green Ripon Lake 23 Montello Mauston 82 OX 73 NN 26 12 90 94 GL Markesan 22 PB Waupun Wisconsin LM Dells 39 16 Portage 33 Fox Lake Reedsburg 151 33 BO MW Baraboo Beaver Dam Horicon Juneau 12 51 AP Land Cover LOWER WISCONSIN UPPER ROCK BA Urban WATERSHED WATERSHED Columbus 16 Agriculture 60 Lodi Lega Grassland 16 c 73 y Pl 151 Shrubland LOWER ROCK a ces WATERSHED 19 19 Waterloo ForestWatertown b y Ecological Landscape Sun Prairie Open Water Middleton 94 Open Wetland Lake Madison Monona MillsForested Wetland 12 Miles Verona 18 0 2.5 5 Jefferson10 Dodgeville 90 177 Fitchburg 39 Central Sand Hills Public Conservation Lands Recreation Uses and Opportunities This ecological landscape, especially due to the southern portion’s close proximity to Madison 1 Map# Property Name Size (acres) and the eastern portion’s close proximity to Oshkosh State and Neenah, has the potential to help meet grow- s 1 Caves Creek State Fishery Area 810 ing demand for a variety of recreational activities. s 2 Comstock Bog-Meadow State Natural Area 630 Properties and trails that provide hiking, off road s 3 Devils Lake State Park2 460 s 4 Emmons Creek State Fishery Area2 1,120 biking, bird watching, horseback riding, cross-country s 5 French Creek State Wildlife Area 3,260 skiing, hunting and fishing are in high demand in s 6 Germania State Wildlife Area 2,410 this part of the state and could likely be established s 7 Glacial Habitat Restoration Area2 340 in several places here.