Guide to Significant Wildlife Habitat - Door County Web Map

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edentula) occurs on Washington Island. The dwarf lake iris (Iris lacustris), a Great Lakes endemic
known only from the shores of Lake Michigan and Huron, occurs in several locations.
• Rare northern wet-mesic forest plants include bird’s-eye primrose (Primula mistassinica), northern
black currant (Ribes hudsonianum), tufted club-rush (Scirpus cespitosus), Ohio goldenrod (Solidago
ohioensis), sticky goldenrod (Solidago simplex var gillmanii), sticky false-asphodel (Tofieldia
glutinosa), and common bog arrow-grass (Triglochin maritimum) (Merryfield 2000).
• The aesthetic value of Washington Island includes its natural sand and cobblestone beaches, large
bluffs and cliff areas, inland lake and wetland areas, and its indented bays that house rare aquatic
plant life.
Coffee Swamp
Coffee Swamp is approximately 1200 acres of low wetlands along the northern coast of
Washington Island. It is designated a State Natural Area and contains a boreal rich fen, northern wetmesic
forest, northern hardwood swamp, and northern sedge meadow (Judziewicz and Kopitzke 1999).
Coffee Swamp is unique because of its sudden transition from a large depression to upland deciduous
forest (Corbisier 2000).
• The central portion of Coffee Swamp contains a small seepage pond. The pond is shallow, and nearly
dry during times of drought and in late summer. Substrate is pure marl. North of the pond is 9 acres
of boreal rich fen (Merryfield 2000).
• Vegetation within the fen is primarily wire-leaved sedge (Carex spp.), sweet gale (Myrica gale),
bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata), bog goldenrod (Solidago uliginosa), and hoary willow (Salix
candida). Invasive species are known to the fen including glossy buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) and
giant reed (Phragmites australis). Near the south side of the pond is a large 225-acre northern wetmesic
forest or white cedar swamp.
• North of the fen is a small 10-acre northern hardwood swamp dominated by black ash. Small
sections of northern sedge meadow also occur throughout the Coffee Swamp complex (Merryfield
2000). The exotic plant glossy buckthorn is invading here as well. Extending to the south and west
of Mountain Tower Park is approximately 100 acres of good quality second-growth beech (Fagus
grandifolia) and sugar maple forest (Judziewicz and Kopitzke 1999).
• White-tailed deer are known to heavily browse the cedar swamp. Frogs and waterfowl also use this
wetland habitat.
• Mountain Tower Park includes a unique moist cliff habitat with rare fern species.
Jackson Harbor Ridges
Jackson Harbor Ridges comprises approximately 225 acres and is located on the northeast side
of Washington Island. This complex has forested ridges and swales with associated Great Lakes dunes
and beaches and interdunal ponds. Most of Jackson Harbor is designated a State Natural Area. The
remaining portion is owned by one landowner that has signed a voluntary Protective Agreement
(Judziewicz and Kopitzke 1999).
• Land use is low density residential and reserved wetlands and ridges. Surrounding waters are used
for boating and recreational purposes.
Grand Traverse Islands