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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BLACK ASH SWAMP<br />
LOCATION:<br />
The Black Ash Swamp, located in the Towns of Brussels and Forestville encompasses<br />
approximately 2100 acres in southeastern <strong>Door</strong> <strong>County</strong> (T25N, R25E). As this report represents general<br />
areas of concern, exact locations of boundary lines have not been designated.<br />
GENERAL SITE DESCRIPTION:<br />
Although the largest portion of the Black Ash Swamp lies in Kewaunee <strong>County</strong>, a significant<br />
section of the swamp is located in <strong>Door</strong> <strong>County</strong>. Within close proximity and directly <strong>to</strong> the north of the<br />
Black Ash Swamp is the Ahnapee River Corridor.<br />
The Town of Brussels recently adopted a <strong>to</strong>wn-zoning ordinance and in 2002 was in the public<br />
hearing phase of implementing a comprehensive land use plan. The plan is expected <strong>to</strong> be complete early<br />
in 2003. The Town of Forestville has not as yet adopted a county or a <strong>to</strong>wn-zoning ordinance although<br />
discussions have continued for the past few years.<br />
ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE:<br />
The Black Ash Swamp is the largest contiguous forest in southern <strong>Door</strong> <strong>County</strong> (Zimmerman,<br />
1989), and continues in<strong>to</strong> Kewaunee <strong>County</strong> where it forms, by far, the largest block of forested land in<br />
Kewaunee <strong>County</strong>. The swamp covers approximately 5000 acres in <strong>to</strong>tal and 2100 acres in <strong>Door</strong> <strong>County</strong>.<br />
This 2 mile-wide and 6-mile long habitat is extremely significant ecologically as it represents the largest<br />
contiguous block of habitat in this subregion. Numerous species of wildlife are known <strong>to</strong> utilize the mix<br />
of lowland forest, shrub carr, sedge meadow, emergent marsh and open water habitats that this area<br />
provides. In addition, the Black Ash Swamp is known <strong>to</strong> harbor the state-threatened Red-shouldered<br />
Hawk (Buteo lineatus) and the federally protected and the endangered Hines Emerald dragonfly<br />
(Soma<strong>to</strong>chlora hineana). Lowland forests of this size are regionally rare in Wisconsin and the Black Ash<br />
Swamp represents an opportunity <strong>to</strong> protect such a forest.<br />
NOTEWORTHY CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL FEATURES:<br />
The swamp is 2 miles wide (east-west) and 6 miles long (north-south), three quarters of which is<br />
located in Kewaunee <strong>County</strong> and for generations has been a favored hunting spot for local sportsman.<br />
SITE FEATURES:<br />
Black Ash Swamp<br />
The Black Ash Swamp is the northern tip of a large block of lowland forest and swamp extending<br />
in<strong>to</strong> <strong>Door</strong> <strong>County</strong> from Kewaunee <strong>County</strong>. It is drained by Silver Creek in<strong>to</strong> the lower Ahnapee River.<br />
The swamp has diverse wildlife habitat used by many plants and animals.<br />
• The surrounding land use is mostly agricultural with lesser amounts of woodland, other natural area,<br />
and idle cropland.<br />
• Soils are mostly very poorly drained <strong>to</strong> poorly drained, nearly level organic soils (USDA SCS 1978).<br />
• The primary surface water body is Silver Creek, which discharges in<strong>to</strong> the Ahnapee River near the<br />
city of Algoma.<br />
Black Ash Swamp 29