Guide to Significant Wildlife Habitat - Door County Web Map
Guide to Significant Wildlife Habitat - Door County Web Map
Guide to Significant Wildlife Habitat - Door County Web Map
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commercial fishermen. Seventeen species of fish have been identified in the river or the adjoining<br />
bay. However, no net surveys of non-game fish have been conducted in the Mink River.<br />
There has been neither survey of mollusks nor evaluation of the biotic index of the river based on<br />
aquatic invertebrates.<br />
• The dynamics of the wetland communities are driven largely by the short and long-term fluctuation in<br />
lake level. The wetland communities can be broken in<strong>to</strong> five main categories: The emergent [or<br />
deep] marsh along the Mink River; A shallow marsh characterized by an even mixture of the sedges<br />
Carex aquatilis and C. prairea forming extensive sedge meadows that fringe the spring-fed channels<br />
upstream; A wet meadow dominated by sedges Carex stricta and Calamagrostis canadensis that<br />
border the entire marsh; The interface between the marsh and the surrounding upland which is<br />
inhabited by a mixture of small trees, shrubs, and herbaceous wetland species; And the lowland<br />
forest of white cedar, alder, black ash, and tamarack.<br />
• The northern sedge meadow mentioned above is a rare <strong>to</strong> uncommon community in Wisconsin as<br />
many of these sedge meadows have been lost <strong>to</strong> grazing or drainage. The relatively board expanse of<br />
this meadow area near the headwaters of the Mink River is also significant as most sedge meadows in<br />
northern Wisconsin are limited <strong>to</strong> narrow strips between deeper water marshes and a surrounding<br />
shrub carr.<br />
• With water levels near the soil surface fed by alkaline springs, the Mink River sedge meadow is the<br />
breeding site of the federally endangered Hine’s Emerald dragonfly (Soma<strong>to</strong>chlora hineana).<br />
Because of the dolos<strong>to</strong>ne bedrock below, the sedge meadow area supports species more often<br />
associated with fens such as brook lobelia (Lobelia kalmii) and marsh-bellflower (Campanula<br />
aparinoides).<br />
• Mature fruits of the abundant sedge plants are food for some bird species and contribute <strong>to</strong> the<br />
desirability of the Mink River habitat for the rare Yellow Rail, a species considered <strong>to</strong> be critically<br />
imperiled in Wisconsin. The Sedge Wren is a special concern species in the state and appears <strong>to</strong> be<br />
abundant in the sedge meadow area.<br />
• The deep marsh at the Mink River is also valuable <strong>to</strong> the avian community. Especially during fall<br />
migration, waterfowl are attracted <strong>to</strong> the area <strong>to</strong> forage on the seeds of wild rice (Zizania aquatica),<br />
bulrushes (Scirpus americanus and S. validus), and bur-reeds (Sparganium spp.). Common breeding<br />
waterfowl include Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors), Mallards, and Wood Ducks. While not as<br />
common as the preceding species, American Black Duck (Anas rubripes), Northern Pintail (Anas<br />
acuta), and Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) have nested in the Mink River wetlands. Other<br />
rare birds associated with the Mink River wetlands include Black-crowned Night Herons and Caspian<br />
Terns. The terns are listed as endangered in Wisconsin and nest on islands in Lake Michigan and use<br />
the river for foraging. American Bitterns (Botaurua lentiginosus), Double-crested Cormorants<br />
(Phalacrocorax auritus), Yellow Rails, and Great Blue Herons also use the wetland area. Northern<br />
Harriers, Goshawks, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawks, Osprey and Bald Eagles have all<br />
recently nested in the forests surrounding the Mink River.<br />
• The most abundant forest type surrounding the Mink River is the northern wet-mesic forest. Seasonal<br />
pooling and an abundance of bryophytes and liverworts characterize the northern wet-mesic forest,<br />
dominated by white cedar and balsam fir standing in a swampy substrate. The conifer swamp at the<br />
Mink River is the habitat of at least four rare orchids. Three of these orchids: white adder's-mouth<br />
(Malaxis monophyllos var. brachypoda), showy lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium reginae), and large<br />
roundleaf (Platanthera orbiculata) are listed as species of special concern in Wisconsin due <strong>to</strong> rarity.<br />
Mink River / Rowley’s Bay System 117