Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program
Lake Lackawanna (No. 556)

Overview

Location

Within the Peshtigo River State Forest, Oconto County. T33N-R17E, Section 1. 351 acres.

Access

From Crivitz, go west on County W nearly 20 miles, then north on La Fave Road 6 miles, then east on Bucks Ranch Road 1.4 miles, then continue east on Cauldron Falls Road 1 mile, then north on Boat Landing 11 Road 3.6 miles to the northern edge of the site.

Description

Description

Situated on gently rolling morainal and sandy outwash deposits, Lake Lackawanna features an undeveloped drainage lake surrounded by a diverse mosaic of relatively undisturbed wetlands. The shallow, 9-acre lake is fed from the north by a small unnamed stream that drains out of the south end of the lake. Lake Lackawanna supports floating-leaved and submergent aquatic macrophyte vegetation and is surrounded by a narrow border of southern sedge meadow, forested wetlands, hardwood swamp, and northern wet-mesic forest. South of the lake, northern cedar dominates the wet-mesic forest with black spruce, black ash, and balsam fir as canopy associates. The ground layer varies throughout with species including bluejoint grass, fowl manna grass, tussock sedge, three-fruited sedge, three-leaved goldthread, twinflower, naked miterwort, wild sarsaparilla, royal fern, orange jewelweed, and marsh marigold. Rare plants include Blue Ridge blueberry (Vaccinium pallida). Along the outlet stream is an alder thicket of alder, red-osier dogwood, sweet gale, and willows. Other characteristic species include red raspberry, wool-grass, and flat-top aster. The state-threatened red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) has been documented in the area. Lake Lackawanna is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.

Maps

The WDNR's State Natural Areas Program is comprised of lands owned by the state, private conservation organizations, municipalities, other governmental agencies, educational institutions, and private individuals. Therefore, while the majority of SNAs are open to the public, access may vary accordingly. Public use restrictions may apply due to public safety, or to protect endangered or threatened species or unique natural features. Lands may be temporarily closed due to specific management activities. Users are encouraged to contact the land owner for more specific details.

The data shown on these maps have been obtained from various sources, and are of varying age, reliability, and resolution. The data may contain errors or omissions and should not be interpreted as a legal representation of legal ownership boundaries.

• Detailed Map [PDF, 215 KB]

Activities

Please come prepared for your visit. Amenities vary from site to site with most SNAs being primitive and without facilities. See Guidelines for Visitation for details.

Allowable Activities

Most DNR-owned SNAs allow:

• Hiking
• Hunting
• Fishing
• Trapping
• Skiing

Some exceptions apply. Properties closed to the public or closed to specific use, such as hunting, will be posted.

***For non-DNR-owned SNAs: Additional use guidelines may apply. Please verify any use restrictions with the landowner or contact the SNA Program. Landowners may require additional permits or restrict the number of hunters at a given SNA to provide a quality hunting experience. SNA landowners can be found at the bottom of each SNA description page.

Prohibited Activities

• Horseback riding
• Rock climbing
• Vehicles, including bicycles, ATVs, aircraft, and snowmobiles except on trails and roadways designated for their use
• Collecting of plants (including fruits, nuts, or edible plant parts), animals, fungi, rocks, minerals, fossils, archaeological artifacts, soil, downed wood, or any other natural material, alive or dead

Please note that a permit is required for scientific collection and research on State Natural Areas. For more information, contact Thomas Meyer, State Natural Areas Program Specialist.

For more information on rules governing state-owned SNAs and other state lands, please consult Wisconsin's Administrative Code Chapter NR 45 (exit DNR)