East Fork Chippewa River

State Natural Area (No. 430)

Location: Within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Ashland County. T41N-R3W, Sections 1, 2, 10-14, 22, 28, 29, 32, 33. T42N-R3W, Sections 35, 36. 1,175 acres.

Access: This site is best seen by water. From the intersection of Highway 13 and County D in Glidden, go south and west on County D about 3.4 miles to Shanagolden. Then continue west on Mertig Road 2.4 miles to the Forest boundary. Continue southwest on FR 167 1.5 miles, then southeast on FR 1285 one mile to a canoe landing. Canoe downstream into the site.

Description: Located along the upper reaches of the East Fork of the Chippewa River, this site includes several mature stands of medium rich, mesic hardwood forest on drumlinized ridges. The forest is dominated by sugar maple with basswood and yellow birch. Inter-drumlin areas are forested with mixed swamp hardwoods with remnant hemlock and yellow birch inclusions on somewhat poorly drained soils. Woodland ephemeral ponds with intermittent drainages are commonly associated with these lowland forest communities. These stands grade down into good quality occurrences of hemlock dominated forest within the river valley. Co-dominants include upland cedar, white pine, white spruce, and yellow birch. Such stands are especially prevalent along the river margin. Also present is a mature white cedar swamp with black spruce and balsam fir with numerous islands forested with red and white pine. Ground flora species include twinflower, American fly honeysuckle, rattlesnake fern, downy rattlesnake-plantain, dwarf red raspberry, and two-seeded bog sedge. Other associated forested wetland communities include an extensive black spruce-tamarack bog, and a narrow, seasonally flooded black ash and silver maple riparian zone, which is characterized by a fern and sedge dominated open understory. Several backwater sloughs are also present, the largest just upstream of Pelican Lake, which is naturally impounded by several sets of rapids downstream. A good diversity of emergent aquatic plants is present within the sloughs and are attractive staging areas for a wide variety of waterfowl and marsh birds during migration. Associated communities include extensive shrub swamps and wet meadow complexes maintained in an open condition by frequent water level fluctuations. In addition to a state-threatened plant, notable species inhabiting the site include bald eagle, river otter, mink frog, Michigan lily, and purple fringed orchid. East Fork Chippewa River is owned by the US Forest Service and was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.