Fox River National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 1,054 acres of wetland and
upland habitat along the Fox River in Marquette County, Wisconsin. The refuge
is closed to the public with the exception of licensed deer hunters during
designated time periods of the deer archery and gun seasons.

Fox River National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 1,054 acres of wetland and upland habitat along the Fox River in Marquette County, Wisconsin. The refuge is closed to the public with the exception of licensed deer hunters during designated time periods of the deer archery and gun seasons.

Bird's eye view of the park

Fox River National Wildlife Refuge

Wisconsin, with its 84,000 miles of rivers and 15,000 lakes, is full of places
to paddle, float, fish, or just watch and listen. The BLM has a share in all
this beauty, as we manage almost 500 islands in Wisconsin's rivers and lakes.
Many islands in this region were omitted from the original land surveys
conducted in the 1830s and 1840s, and we don t manage all of them. Many of the
islands we do manage are close to other state-owned and privately owned
islands, so it's critical that visitors determine whether an island is public
land before using it.

The flowages between Stevens Point and Nekoosa are chock-full of more than 60
public islands, ranging from small, low patches of willows and alder, to large
stands of mixed pines and hardwoods. Below Castle Rock Lake, the islands down
to Prairie du Sac are mostly floodplain forests with broad sandbars that
invite paddler-campers. A few of these islands have remnant prairie and
savanna vegetation.

Many public islands are perfect fishing spots, lunch stops for your next float
trip, or overnight campsites. Future management plans include the posting
signs so recreationists may know which ones are available for public use and
local restrictions, if any.

Would you like to volunteer as a BLM public island steward? Contact Danielle
Donkersloot, ddonkersloot@blm.gov.

Wisconsin, with its 84,000 miles of rivers and 15,000 lakes, is full of places to paddle, float, fish, or just watch and listen. The BLM has a share in all this beauty, as we manage almost 500 islands in Wisconsin's rivers and lakes. Many islands in this region were omitted from the original land surveys conducted in the 1830s and 1840s, and we don t manage all of them. Many of the islands we do manage are close to other state-owned and privately owned islands, so it's critical that visitors determine whether an island is public land before using it.

The flowages between Stevens Point and Nekoosa are chock-full of more than 60 public islands, ranging from small, low patches of willows and alder, to large stands of mixed pines and hardwoods. Below Castle Rock Lake, the islands down to Prairie du Sac are mostly floodplain forests with broad sandbars that invite paddler-campers. A few of these islands have remnant prairie and savanna vegetation.

Many public islands are perfect fishing spots, lunch stops for your next float trip, or overnight campsites. Future management plans include the posting signs so recreationists may know which ones are available for public use and local restrictions, if any.

Would you like to volunteer as a BLM public island steward? Contact Danielle Donkersloot, ddonkersloot@blm.gov.

Wisconsin River island in Portage

Leopold Wetland Management District is named after Aldo Leopold, who is widely
acknowledged as the father of wildlife conservation in America. Leopold is
perhaps best known as the author of A Sand County Almanac, a book compiled of
essays written on his farm in central Wisconsin. In tribute to his philosophy,
Leopold Wetland Management District is dedicated to preserving, restoring and
enhancing wildlife habitat in Wisconsin for the benefit of present and future
generations.

The district, established in 1993, manages almost 13,500 acres of waterfowl
production areas in 17 southeastern Wisconsin counties, covering some of the
most important waterfowl areas of Wisconsin. The district also administers 45
conservation easements, totaling 3,000 acres, in 21 eastern Wisconsin
counties. Waterfowl production areas consist of wetland habitat surrounded by
grassland and woodland communities. While waterfowl production areas are
managed primarily for ducks and geese, they also provide habitat for a variety
of other wildlife species such as grassland birds, pheasants, shorebirds,
wading birds, mink, muskrat, wild turkey and deer.

Prior to European settlement, much of the region consisted of deciduous
woodland or oak savanna. Dominant plant species consisted of oak in drier
areas. Sugar maple, basswood, slippery elm, red oak and ironwood were found on
mesic sites. Silver maple and American elm were found on the lowland sites.
Estimates of pre-settlement vegetation indicate that forests covered
approximately 5.2 million acres with oak savanna covering another 7.3 million
acres.

Expanding rapidly in the 1800s, European settlement changed the landscape in
several ways. Initially, the biggest change was expansive deforestation across
the entire state. In addition, the northern forests were altered through
farming, fire prevention and urbanization.

By the early 1900s, hunting and the ditching and draining of the wetland areas
for agriculture and settlement had significantly reduced waterfowl numbers.
The conversion of wetlands to agriculture continued nationally during this
time, decimating area waterfowl populations. A regular fire regime had been
halted with the advancement of settlement and agriculture. Of an approximately
9.5 million acres of prairie and oak savanna habitat that once existed within
the state, only one half of a percent (less than 1,000 acres) of prairie and
one tenth of a percent of oak savanna habitat remains today. In 2002, about 60
percent of Leopold Wetland Management District land was being used for
agriculture. Lands near Calumet, Columbia, Dodge, Fond du Lac and Rock
counties contain more than 70% of their lands as agriculture. Conversely,
counties such as Adams and Waukesha contain only 30% or less of their lands as
agricultural use.

The district contains five watersheds. The Wisconsin and Northwestern Lake
Michigan Watershed encompass the northern portions of the district. Within the
Northwestern Lake Michigan Watershed, Lake Winnebago, the largest lake in
district boundaries, flows into the Fox River tributary. The Wisconsin River
tributary lies within the Wisconsin Watershed. The Rock Watershed is located
within the central portion of the district and contains the Rock River
tributary. The Upper Illinois and Southwestern Lake Michigan Watersheds occupy
the southeastern portions of the district and contain the Fox River and
Milwaukee River watersheds.

Leopold Wetland Management District is named after Aldo Leopold, who is widely acknowledged as the father of wildlife conservation in America. Leopold is perhaps best known as the author of A Sand County Almanac, a book compiled of essays written on his farm in central Wisconsin. In tribute to his philosophy, Leopold Wetland Management District is dedicated to preserving, restoring and enhancing wildlife habitat in Wisconsin for the benefit of present and future generations.The district, established in 1993, manages almost 13,500 acres of waterfowl production areas in 17 southeastern Wisconsin counties, covering some of the most important waterfowl areas of Wisconsin. The district also administers 45 conservation easements, totaling 3,000 acres, in 21 eastern Wisconsin counties. Waterfowl production areas consist of wetland habitat surrounded by grassland and woodland communities. While waterfowl production areas are managed primarily for ducks and geese, they also provide habitat for a variety of other wildlife species such as grassland birds, pheasants, shorebirds, wading birds, mink, muskrat, wild turkey and deer.Prior to European settlement, much of the region consisted of deciduous woodland or oak savanna. Dominant plant species consisted of oak in drier areas. Sugar maple, basswood, slippery elm, red oak and ironwood were found on mesic sites. Silver maple and American elm were found on the lowland sites. Estimates of pre-settlement vegetation indicate that forests covered approximately 5.2 million acres with oak savanna covering another 7.3 million acres.Expanding rapidly in the 1800s, European settlement changed the landscape in several ways. Initially, the biggest change was expansive deforestation across the entire state. In addition, the northern forests were altered through farming, fire prevention and urbanization.By the early 1900s, hunting and the ditching and draining of the wetland areas for agriculture and settlement had significantly reduced waterfowl numbers. The conversion of wetlands to agriculture continued nationally during this time, decimating area waterfowl populations. A regular fire regime had been halted with the advancement of settlement and agriculture. Of an approximately 9.5 million acres of prairie and oak savanna habitat that once existed within the state, only one half of a percent (less than 1,000 acres) of prairie and one tenth of a percent of oak savanna habitat remains today. In 2002, about 60 percent of Leopold Wetland Management District land was being used for agriculture. Lands near Calumet, Columbia, Dodge, Fond du Lac and Rock counties contain more than 70% of their lands as agriculture. Conversely, counties such as Adams and Waukesha contain only 30% or less of their lands as agricultural use.The district contains five watersheds. The Wisconsin and Northwestern Lake Michigan Watershed encompass the northern portions of the district. Within the Northwestern Lake Michigan Watershed, Lake Winnebago, the largest lake in district boundaries, flows into the Fox River tributary. The Wisconsin River tributary lies within the Wisconsin Watershed. The Rock Watershed is located within the central portion of the district and contains the Rock River tributary. The Upper Illinois and Southwestern Lake Michigan Watersheds occupy the southeastern portions of the district and contain the Fox River and Milwaukee River watersheds.

Fox River National Wildlife Refuge

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Wisconsin River island in Portage

Leopold Wetland Management District