Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge is part of a large wetland
complex on Lake Superior
, near Ashland, Wisconsin
. These coastal wetlands are a significant part of the wildlife habitat and aquatic resources of the south shore of Lake Superior.
The refuge was established in 1999, and it is still being created. Its purpose is to protect, restore, and manage coastal wetland and spring-fed stream habitat. Up to 540 acres (2.2 km²) of coastal wetland in the Whittlesey Creek watershed
will be acquired, and up to 1260 acres (5.1 km²) will be protected through conservation easement
s.
Restoration of coaster brook trout, an anadromous fish native to Lake Superior, is one of the refuge goals. The refuge will also restore stream and wetland habitat to benefit other fish species and migratory birds.
The refuge is located immediately north of the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, which is operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service
, Wisconsin State Historical Society, University of Wisconsin Extension Service, and Friends of the Center Alliance, Ltd. The Center serves as the headquarters and contact station for the refuge.
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
complex on Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
, near Ashland, Wisconsin
Ashland, Wisconsin
Ashland is a city in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is a port on Lake Superior, near the head of Chequamegon Bay. The population was 8,695 at the 2010 census....
. These coastal wetlands are a significant part of the wildlife habitat and aquatic resources of the south shore of Lake Superior.
The refuge was established in 1999, and it is still being created. Its purpose is to protect, restore, and manage coastal wetland and spring-fed stream habitat. Up to 540 acres (2.2 km²) of coastal wetland in the Whittlesey Creek watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
will be acquired, and up to 1260 acres (5.1 km²) will be protected through conservation easement
Easement
An easement is a certain right to use the real property of another without possessing it.Easements are helpful for providing pathways across two or more pieces of property or allowing an individual to fish in a privately owned pond...
s.
Restoration of coaster brook trout, an anadromous fish native to Lake Superior, is one of the refuge goals. The refuge will also restore stream and wetland habitat to benefit other fish species and migratory birds.
The refuge is located immediately north of the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, which is operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, Wisconsin State Historical Society, University of Wisconsin Extension Service, and Friends of the Center Alliance, Ltd. The Center serves as the headquarters and contact station for the refuge.