The Dewey Marsh is a state wildlife area in Portage County

Portage County, Wisconsin

Portage County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 67,182. Its county seat is Stevens Point. The United States Census Bureau's Stevens Point Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Portage County.-Geography:...

, Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

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Geography

The Dewey Marsh is located in central Wisconsin approximately five to ten miles north of Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. Located in the central part of the state, it is the largest city in the county, with a population of 24,551 at the 2000 census...

. (Lat: 44° 38' 33.6", Lon: -89° 33' 40.6"). Dewey Marsh is located in the center of the town of Dewey

Dewey, Portage County, Wisconsin

Dewey is a town in Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 975 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Torun is located in the town.-Geography:...

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History

The Dewey Marsh began its early days as a hunting & fishing trading post with the local Native Americans. The Dewey Marsh was later purchased by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is an agency of the state of Wisconsin. Its purpose is to preserve, protect, manage and maintain the natural resources of the state. The WDNR has the authority to set policy for itself and to recommend regulations for approval by the State Legislature...

 to preserve its wetland heritage. The Dewey Marsh suffered a great fire in 1974, which burned in the bog

Bog

A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....

s until 1976.

Today, the Dewey Marsh is noted for its public lands and the County's Dewey's Shooting Range.