Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area

Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area is a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-designated State Natural Area featuring the undeveloped, pristine 44-acre Grandma Lake, which lies in a depression formed during the last glacial period. The lake is ringed by a large, open sphagnum bog mat. The bog mat is surrounded by a coniferous swamp of tamarack (Larix laricina) and black spruce (Picea mariana). The bog mat supports a plant community that is considered diverse and unusual, with several rare species present, including: bog arrow-grass (Triglochin maritima), dragon's mouth orchid (Arethusa bulbosa), livid sedge (Carex livida), small-headed bog sedge (Carex tenuiflora), as well as one of only a few known populations of bog rush (Juncus stygius) in the State of Wisconsin. In 1991, the US Forest Service designated the site as a Research Natural Area. Also, the site is listed as one of Wisconsin's Wetland Gems, by the Wisconsin Wetlands Association.[1][2][3]

Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area
Grandma Lake Wetlands
Location of Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area in Wisconsin
Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area (the United States)
LocationFlorence, Wisconsin, United States
Coordinates45°49′1″N 88°36′47″W
Area495 acres (200 ha)
Established1996

Location and access

Grandma Lake Wetlands is located within the Nicolet National Forest, in southwest Florence County, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Long Lake. Access is via a walking trail that leads west from Grandma Lake Road, approximately 0.5 miles south of its intersection with Tie Mill Road. A small, brown breeding bird survey fencepost marks the trailhead.[4]

  • Wide, open bog mat on the northeast side of Grandma Lake
  • Black spruce and tamarack muskeg at the north end of Grandma Lake
  • A close-up of the bog mat, near the northeast shore of Grandma Lake

References
  1. Fouse, Fred. "Establishment Record for Grandma Lake Wetlands Research Natural Area within the Nicolet National Forest, Florence County, Wisconsin" (PDF).
  2. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area". Retrieved 2013-11-29.
  3. Wisconsin Wetlands Association. "100 Wetland Gems". Retrieved 2013-11-29.
  4. Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area (PDF) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.