The management
and development of Horicon Marsh State
Wildlife Area continues to provide great
challenges and rewards to Wildlife staff
and visitors alike. Through diligent
efforts of staff and partners like the
Marsh Management Committee (MMC), much
progress has been made towards revitalizing
the Marsh.
Overall, habitat conditions
on the Marsh showed improvement from
2001. This marks the third straight
year of habitat progression. Examples
of these improvements include: submergent
plant growth expansion in open water
areas, abundant wild rice beds in potholes
on the east side of the Marsh, and moist
soil plants have replaced cattail in
fire- treated areas. As a result there
is much food and cover available to
wildlife.
Consequently wildlife
usage is improving. Examples of the
wildlife response to changing habitat
conditions include: muskrat hut densities
tripled from the prior year on surveyed
areas, white pelican use continues to
climb as the refuge colony now exceeds
over 1,000 birds, black terns established
a colony on the Bachhuber flowage with
over 70 active nests
The following is a
brief listing of some of the major property
management accomplishments for Horicon
State Wildlife Area in 2002:
- Removed 50,000 lb. of carp
via chemical treatment
- Completed 900 acres of cattail
burns
- Treated 100 acres via aerial
herbicide application to restore
historic potholes
- Completed summer draw down
of the I-2 impoundment and Goose
Pond
- Mowed 25 acres of cattail at
Burnett Impoundment for habitat
improvements
- Placed rip-rap on the I-3 /
Bachhuber dike for bank stabilization
- Completed upland nest searches
on over 1,000 acres to update nesting
ecology information.
In 2003, Horicon Wildlife staff
intends to purse the following projects:
- Complete acquisition, grassland
establishment, and wetland restoration
of 42 acre parcel on Misling Island
Rd.
- Place rip rap on southern leg
of the Bachhuber Dike, and finish
gravel surfacing on the dike
- Continue carp eradication efforts
- Continue summer draw down to
promote summer burning opportunities
and plant diversity
- Complete 100 acres of pothole
restoration
- Continue and expand nest ecology
study
Also wildlife staff
completed an application for North American
Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant.
Thanks for the support of partners like
Superior Glacier Ridge Landfill, Ducks
Unlimited, John Deere, Ozaukee / Washington
Land Trust, Safari Club International,
Wings Over Wisconsin, and Wisconsin
Waterfowl Association this proposal
contained over $1.4 million in matching
funds. If the grant were approved in
December 2002 the partners would receive
over $700,000 in grant funds for habitat
work in the Horicon Marsh Headwaters.
These funds would be used to construct
the new 320-acre East Burnett Impoundment
beginning in 2003. They will also help
acquire and restore habitat throughout
the Marsh watershed. In total the match
and grant funds will improve 1,962.1
acres of wetland and grassland habitat.
If you are interested
in learning more about outgoing management
practices and participating in the effort
to rejuvenate Horicon Marsh, please
attend the next MMC meeting at the Horicon
DNR Service Center. For more information
about the MMC, please call Andy Nelson,
Area Wildlife Manager, at 920-387-7868
