Guide to Significant Wildlife Habitat - Door County Web Map

AHNAPEE RIVER CORRIDOR
LOCATION:
The Ahnapee River Corridor is located in southern Door County (T25-26N, R24E) in the Towns
of Brussels and Forestville. As this report represents general areas of concern, exact locations of
boundary lines have not been designated.
GENERAL SITE DESCRIPTION:
The Ahnapee River Corridor is approximately 5,200 acres in size. Much of the surrounding land
adjacent to the river is composed of woodlots and farmland. Idle land comprises much of the area
categorized as farmland. Therefore, a potential exists to purchase lands not currently utilized for
agriculture or residential purposes for ecological restoration. One significant attribute of the Ahnapee
River is the length of its reaches. The longest river trip via canoe in Door County exists between County
Road H and the Kewaunee County line.
ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
The Ahnapee River Corridor and Kayes Creek/Brussels Hill/Gardner Swamp Complex provide a
continuous habitat passage that stretches from the Kewaunee County line north to the waters of Green
Bay. The overall length of the Ahnapee River Corridor and the land-water interface provided through its
connection to the river and its secondary connection to the bay make the corridor an ecologically
significant area for Door County. Additionally, the river corridor is relatively intact, thereby providing
important habitat for a variety of riparian wildlife.
The Ahnapee River Corridor begins in wetlands north of the river and is a valuable fishing and
boating resource (Zimmerman 1989). The miles of open to shrubby wetland habitat and upland woodlots
along the river corridor form a landscape pattern suitable for a large number of bird species. Birds
commonly seen or heard in the moist meadows of grasses, dogwood and green ash south of Forestville
include Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis), Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana), Yellow Warbler
(Dendroica petechia), Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis), Red-wing Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus),
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas), and Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia). The adjoining
upland woodlots and fields contain Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), American Redstart
(Setophaga ruticilla), Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna), Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum),
American Robin (Turdus migratoriius), Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus), Gray Catbird (Dumetella
carolinensis), and House Wren (Troglodytes aedon). This north-south tending corridor of natural lands
probably also serves as an important spring and fall migration corridor for passerine songbirds.
NOTEWORTHY CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL FEATURES:
The Ahnapee River, formerly known as the Wolf, played a major role in the settlement of the area
and particularly the town of Forestville, which was the third town to be organized (1857) in the county.
Mainly people of Irish and German descent settled the area. The Ahnapee was at one time a deep river
and for more than 20 years steamboats and heavily laden barges navigated its waters (Holand 1917). In
later years after much of the surrounding land had been cleared, the river became too shallow for
commercial use. The river drains much of the southern portion of the county and sedimentation resulting
from timber harvesting, land clearing and the fire of 1871 were contributing factors leading to its loss of
depth.
The Ahnapee River State Recreation Trail is one of the oldest segments of the Ice Age Trail in
Wisconsin and is excellent for hiking, biking, snowmobiling, and horse back riding. The 28-mile long
trail starts at the ship canal in the City of Sturgeon Bay and heads south through Door County and
eventually ends in Kewaunee County. Visitors can view a combination of farmland and natural areas
ranging from cedar swamps to hardwood forests. The marshes along the Ahnapee River offer excellent
viewing opportunities for many waterfowl, mammals, and annual salmon spawning runs (WDNR 2000).
Ahnapee River Corridor 23