Bear Bluff Bog State Natural Area

Bear Bluff is situated within an extensive, wetland complex that occupies a portion of the bed of extinct Glacial Lake Wisconsin. It is a small remnant of the “Great Swamp of Central Wisconsin”, much of which has been altered for cranberry cultivation. Of particular interest is the presence of a forested community dominated by white pine and red maple, which occupies a landscape position between wet, acid forested wetlands of black spruce and tamarack, and dry forests comprised of pine and oak. This community type is uncommon in the state with a high percentage occurring in and around the bed of Glacial Lake Wisconsin.

Associated trees include yellow birch, black ash, and tamarack. Common understory shrubs are alder, winterberry, dewberry, and poison sumac. Ground flora includes skunk cabbage, cinnamon fern, and three-leaved gold thread. A small portion of the Area contains a more open wetland. And, in contrast to many of the poor fens that are common within this landscape, this open wetland is an acid peatland dominated by sphagnum mosses, leather-leaf, blueberry species, few-seeded sedge, northern yellow lake sedge, blue-joint grass, and bog birch. Other characteristic species include cotton-grass, pond sedge, manna grass, bog rosemary, bog laurel, and black chokeberry.

Birds breeding include American bittern, sharp-shinned hawk, Wilson’s snipe, yellow-bellied flycatcher, least flycatcher, eastern wood-pewee, sedge wren, golden-winged warbler, Nashville warbler, pine warbler, Canada warbler, red-breasted grosbeak, purple finch, clay-colored sparrow, Lincoln’s sparrow, and LeConte’s sparrow.

The Area is managed as a northern wet forest reserve, a wetland protection site, and an ecological reference area. Natural processes will determine the structure of the forest. The Area also provides opportunities for research and education on the highest quality native northern wet forests.

Bear Bluff is owned by the DNR and Jackson County. It was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.

Source: WDNR