Yellow River Oxbows

State Natural Area (No. 361)

Location: Juneau County. T17N-R4E, Sections 5, 6. T18N-R4E, Sections 31, 32. 820 acres.

Access: The area is best viewed by boat. For walk-in access, from the intersection of Highways 21 and 80 in Necedah, go east on 21 about 1 mile, then south on G 6.5, then west on 30th Street 2 miles, then north on 17th Avenue 0.6 mile to a hiking trail leading west into the natural area.

Description: Yellow River Oxbows contains a floodplain forest of silver maple, green ash, swamp white oak, and river birch. Canopy associates are cottonwood, red oak, box elder, yellowbud hickory, red maple, American elm, basswood, and black ash. The low sandy ridges, slightly higher than the surrounding floodplain support white oak, bur oak, shagbark hickory, black cherry, and white pine. The presence of scattered, large, native conifers within a lowland hardwood community is unique and rare in Wisconsin. The shrub layer varies in density from sparse to impenetrable. Common species include buttonbush, gray dogwood, red-osier dogwood, prickly ash, and winterberry. Lianas of wild grape and woodbine are frequent. Poison ivy occurs sporadically, as groundcover, tall shrub, and a robust vine. Herbs typical of the floodplain include wood nettle, gray-headed coneflower, cinnamon fern, green dragon, cardinal flower, and numerous sedges. Near-level topography and sandy soils characterize the Yellow River watershed. The river meanders and turns frequently creating oxbow lakes, cut-off and running sloughs, and small ponds within the floodplain. Many rare, uncommon, and declining animal species have been documented in the Yellow River Bottoms with many being sensitive to the size, isolation, and quality of the habitat. Species include Blanding turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus), cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea), prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea), Acadian flycatcher (Empidonax virescens), yellow-crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea), sedge wren (Cistothorus platensis), and Louisiana waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla). Yellow River Oxbows is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2002.