Property Master Planning
Lower Wolf River Bottomlands Natural Resources Area

The Lower Wolf River Bottomlands Natural Resources Area (LWRBNRA) covers 214,000 acres and includes 14 existing Department of Natural Resource (DNR) projects in portions of Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, and Winnebago Counties. These separate DNR projects, approximately 31,000 acres total, are mostly wildlife areas and some natural areas, a fishery area, and other various remnant fishery areas.

Lower Wolf River floodplain between Cincoe and Partridge Lakes, Waupaca County
DNR Photo

Established in March 2002, the LWRBNRA provides an opportunity to collectively protect and manage regionally significant natural communities. This project area provides necessary habitat for various wildlife and aquatic communities. The area harbors some of the state's largest contiguous tracts of bottomland hardwood forest and numerous wetlands. These floodplain forests and wetlands are the most important and extensive example of these community types in eastern Wisconsin.

Protection of this area contributes to the Lower Wolf and Embarrass River corridors' overall biological health and diversity in addition to providing important downstream water quality benefits. The area's rich land and water resources support many plants and animals, including rare and endangered species like the wood turtle, bald eagle and red-shouldered hawk. The globally rare lake sturgeon uses these river corridors for annual spawning.

The DNR properties are:

• Deer Creek Wildlife Area
• Mack Wildlife Area
• Maine Wildlife Area
• Mukwa Wildlife Area
• Navarino Wildlife Area
• Outagamie Wildlife Area
• Rat River Wildlife Area
• Wolf River Wildlife Area
• Wolf River Bottoms Wildlife Area - Herb Behnke Unit
• Wolf River Bottoms Wildlife Area- LaSage Unit
• Hortonville Bog State Natural Area
• Shaky Lake State Natural Area
• Wolf River Bottoms State Natural Area
• Wolf River Fishery Area
• and various remnant fish habitat lands

Visitors come to these properties seeking experiences such as hunting, fishing, wildlife watching, nature study, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, canoeing, and countless other pursuits.