Workhorse Wetland Gems®

Spoehr’s Marsh: Fishery Habitat

County: Outagamie

Property Owner: Wisconsin DNR

Lake Winnebago is one of the most popular fishing areas in the state with more than 75 fish species, including game species such as walleye, yellow perch, lake sturgeon, and white bass. The lake’s walleye fishery is one of the most sought after in the state. But did you know that Lake Winnebago walleye is dependent upon more than ten thousand acres of wetlands, including Spoehr’s Marsh, along the Wolf and Fox Rivers upstream? While some walleye spawn on riffle and gravel bar habitat in lakes and rivers, Lake Winnebago walleye spawn in floodplain marshes. Located 85 miles upstream of Lake Winnebago, the 350 wetland acres at this site produce hundreds of millions of walleye fry each year. Each year in April, spring rainfall and snowmelt cause the meandering Wolf River to rise over its banks. The river spreads into its wide floodplain, filling oxbows and marshes with floodwaters and transforming them into highly productive walleye nurseries. Lake Winnebago walleyes migrate nearly 100 miles upstream during spring flooding and lay their eggs on mats of winter-killed grasses, sedges, and other vegetation in floodplain marshes. 

Spoehr’s Marsh is on the east side of the Wolf River a few miles north of Shiocton on highway 187. Pull off on the shoulder where the marsh, which is on the west side of Highway 187, makes a gentle curve and comes right up to the road. For more information,  visit the fisheries page of the Wisconsin DNR's website .

To find out more about how wetlands provide fisheries habitat,  view Wisconsin Wetlands Association's one-page, printable fact sheet for Spoehr's Marsh .

MMSD Greenseams Program: Flood Attenuation

County: Milwaukee/ Waukesha/ Ozaukee/Washington

Property Owner: Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

The Greenseams Program, an innovative flood management project of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), comprises many acres of wetlands throughout the Greater Milwaukee area. Greenseams permanently protects key undeveloped lands in the region’s urbanizing watersheds in order to reduce future flooding risks and damages. At the program’s inception in 2001, wetlands and other areas with water storage capacity within four counties and four watersheds were identified as prospects for protection. As of summer 2021, Greenseams had protected more than 4,500 acres of mature forests, stream corridors, and, most importantly, wetlands. These wetland acres are hard at work reducing flood risks and damages for the more than 1 million residents and 28 communities in the Greater Milwaukee area. 

Take a virtual tour of the Greenseams® properties on the  Greenseams website . 

To find out more about how wetlands store runoff and reduce flood damages,  view Wisconsin Wetlands Association's one-page, printable fact sheet for the MMSD Greenseams Program .

Halfway Creek Marsh: Water Quality Protection

County: La Crosse

Property Owner: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Halfway Creek Marsh is part of an innovative watershed restoration project led by a team of partner organizations including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, Town of Onalaska, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and many others. Halfway Creek, a tributary to the Upper Mississippi River north of La Crosse, drains a small watershed where agricultural land use and expanding residential and commercial development have led to flooding and sedimentation problems in lower parts of the watershed. Historical deposits in Halfway Creek Marsh are tremendous, covering 250-300 acres with layers of clay, sand, and silt up to 6 ft thick. In 1999-2000, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and partners constructed a diversion channel off of Halfway Creek into constructed and restored wetlands to help keep the main burden of sediment and nutrients from reaching the lower, more pristine part of the marsh. Sediment is periodically removed from these constructed and restored wetlands in order to maintain capacity for future sediment storage and enhance the habitat value for wildlife, especially migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. This marsh is hard at work keeping large volumes of sediment pollution from reaching the Mississippi River. 

For information about how to access this site,  visit the US Fish & Wildlife website (look for the Mississippi River Lower Pool 7 map) .

To find out more about how wetlands protect and improve water quality,  view Wisconsin Wetlands Association's one-page, printable fact sheet for Halfway Creek Marsh .

Oconto Marsh: Shoreline Protection

County: Oconto

Property Owner: Wisconsin DNR

One of the largest wetlands along the western shoreline of Green Bay, the Oconto Marsh surrounds the Oconto River mouth and stretches along the shore several miles to the north and south. This expansive wetland complex is largely made up of sedge meadow and marsh with some islands of shrub carr. Vegetation varies with topographic features such as low beach ridges and swales and abandoned oxbows and meanders of the Oconto River on the delta. Water level fluctuations also influence the vegetation of Oconto Marsh, and this vegetation in turn has a strong influence on the stability of the shoreline. Shoreline erosion is a serious concern along with parts of the Green Bay shoreline because of the energy contained within the waves and seiches common on the Bay. Seiches are tide-like rises and drops in coastal water levels caused by prolonged strong winds that push water toward one side of the lake. The dense root networks of vegetation in Oconto Marsh hold shoreline sediments in place. Cattails, bulrushes, and other emergent marsh plants absorb and diffuse the energy of waves and seiches, limiting their erosive effects. Wetland vegetation protects shorelines along much of the west shore of Green Bay and many other parts of Wisconsin’s Great Lakes coastline. 

For information about how to access this site,  visit the Oconto Marsh page of the Wisconsin State Wildlife Areas website .

To find out more about how wetlands protect shorelines,  view Wisconsin Wetlands Association's one-page, printable fact sheet for Oconto Marsh .

Pheasant Branch: Groundwater Connections

County: Dane

Property Owners: Pheasant Branch Conservancy, City of Middleton, Dane County

The Pheasant Branch Conservancy is a 550-acre natural area that includes a high-quality wetland complex flanking Pheasant Branch Creek. A 1998 assessment of wetlands at this site found that they have groundwater connections of high significance. Two large sets of springs discharge into Pheasant Branch wetlands—each day more than 2.6 million gallons of clear groundwater flow from these springs. Significant volumes of groundwater seep into other marshy areas of the site as well. These wetlands, in turn, contribute to flow in Pheasant Branch Creek and ultimately feed Lake Mendota. Because of the clear quality of this water, northern pike and other Lake Mendota fish species once used the lower channel and marshes for spawning. Upland areas of the watershed, which have been experiencing urbanization in recent years, provide recharge for the springs. A detailed hydrological study by the U.S. Geological Survey determined the location of recharge areas and quantified the potential loss in spring flow associated with projected development scenarios. The study results have been used by the City of Middleton and the Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy to guide efforts to preserve the natural hydrology and groundwater-wetland connections in this system. 

The Conservancy offers urban area residents a tranquil spot for outdoor recreation; visitors can observe a variety of wildlife and take in scenic views while hiking or biking the side trails. For information about how to access this site,  visit the Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy website .

To find out more about how wetlands stores interact with groundwater,  view Wisconsin Wetlands Association's one-page, printable fact sheet for Pheasant Branch .

Mead Wildlife Area: Recreation & Education

County: Marathon/Portage/Wood

Property Owner: Wisconsin DNR

Every year, thousands of Wisconsinites and out-of-state visitors travel to the George W. Mead Wildlife Area, which features more than 33,000 acres of wetlands, forests, and grasslands. A variety of wetland habitats—sedge meadow, marsh, shrub carr, coniferous bog, and rich floodplain forest along the Little Eau Pleine River—support abundant and diverse wildlife. Mead is home to more than 267 species of birds, including ducks, geese, swans, herons, bitterns, gulls, terns, loons, grebes, plovers, sandpipers, rails, wrens, warblers, and more. Various turtles as well as frogs, dragonflies, and mammals use Mead’s wetlands. Wildlife and humans alike flock to this haven in the middle of the state. With more than 70 miles of trails, Mead provides easy access for hikers, bikers, birdwatchers, and hunters. Open water areas are accessible for non-motorized boating and fishing. This site has become an excellent place for Wisconsinites to learn about wetlands and other natural habitats.

To get access  visit the Mead Wildlife Area website .

To find out more about how wetlands are great places for recreation and education,  view Wisconsin Wetlands Association's one-page, printable fact sheet for Mead Wildlife Area .