Guide to Significant Wildlife Habitat - Door County Web Map

LOGAN CREEK / LOST LAKE CORRIDOR
LOCATION:
The Logan Creek / Lost Lake Corridor is approximately 4,950 acres located in the Town of
Jacksonport in the central portion of Door County (T28-29N, R26-27E). As this report represents general
areas of concern, exact locations of boundary lines have not been designated.
GENERAL SITE DESCRIPTION:
The Logan Creek / Lost Lake Corridor encompasses the natural habitat associated with this
wetland corridor. The southern edge borders Clark Lake, Whitefish Dunes State Park and Whitefish
Dune State Natural Area. This is an important wetland habitat for fish and wildlife. Scenery, water
quality, and forest resources are all of high quality (Zimmerman 1989). The Town of Jacksonport has
adopted the county’s zoning ordinance.
ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
The ecological significance of this site is defined by the condition of Lost Lake, the presence of
several species of state significance, a large diverse wetland complex north of Lost Lake, and extensive
riparian conifer forest along Logan Creek south of Lost Lake. Other attributes that contribute to the areas
significance are several tracts of old growth forest, especially north of Lost Lake and at the mouth of
Logan Creek at Clark Lake, and the high volume springs which feed Logan Creek south of Lost Lake and
near Highway 57.
Lost Lake, with an almost completely undeveloped shoreline, represents a rare opportunity to
preserve a large lake-wetland system nearly intact. While its shallow nature precludes a diverse fish
population; perch, northern pike, and black bullheads are present, and lake and wetland associated birds
and aquatic insects (esp. odonates) are abundant. Except for a narrow lawn on the west shore the entire
shoreline of the lake holds natural vegetation. A wide buffer of forest borders the lake on the north,
southwest and south, with a narrow buffer on the east shore.
Based on a very limited inventory, species of state significance observed at the lake and
surrounding forest include, Osprey (feeding), Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia) (feeding), Red-shouldered
Hawk (possibly nesting), and the white adder’s mouth orchid (Malaxis brachypoda). Other natural
communities and rare plant and animal species have been documented in the area. Refer to the Natural
Communities Cross Reference, Appendix “A” and Wisconsin’s Natural Heritage Inventory Listing,
Appendix “B” for further information.
NOTEWORTHY CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL FEATURES:
A settlement located on the shores of Lake Michigan in the vicinity of Clark Lake was started
around 1838. Originally it was a fishing village and a project of John P. Clark, who was the first white
settler in this area of the county. The inland lake was named for him and nearby Whitefish Bay was
named for the large amounts of fish that were being caught there. He packed his tremendous catches in
salt barrels and shipped them to markets on the Great Lakes in his own schooners. Clark bought up 2,500
acres of land that included 9 miles of shore land. Much of the time he had as many as 30 fisherman and a
number of coopers, including several Native Americans, who made barrels in his employ (Lotz 1994)
SITE FEATURES:
Logan Creek
Logan Creek is 5.4 miles in length, approximately 8 feet wide with a gradient of 17.7 feet per
mile, and flows southeast from Lost Lake until it empties into Clark Lake. The creek is designated as a
Wisconsin Outstanding Water Resource, a distinction given by the Outstanding Resource Waters portion
of the Wisconsin Administrative Codes.
Logan Creek / Lost Lake Corridor 91