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- WDNR
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Riverine lakes occur naturally within the floodplains of large rivers. They are periodically connected to rivers and streams, therefore behave as drainage systems when water levels are high and have direct connections to flowing waters and like lakes when water levels are low, and they are temporarily isolated. Oxbow lakes are a special type of floodplain lake that form when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. Common plants include American white water-lily (Nymphaea odorata), bull-head pond-lily (Nuphar variegata), and various pondweeds (Potamogeton spp.) species. The more pristine oxbows harbor bladderworts (Utricularia spp.) and water star-grass (Heteranthera dubia). Highly eutrophic systems can become choked with free-floating plants like duckweeds (Lemna spp.), water-meal (Wolffia spp.), and filamentous algae. While bluegill and largemouth bass are common associates at most riverine lakes and ponds, some fish associates reflect the amount of groundwater input. Grass pickerel is associated with significant groundwater input, whereas central mudminnow and golden shiner are associated with lakes that have little groundwater influence.
The following Species of Greatest Conservation Need are listed according to their level of association with the Riverine Lake - Pond natural community type, based on the findings in Wisconsin's 2015 Wildlife Action Plan.
Scores: 3 = high association, 2 = moderate association, and 1 = low association. See the key to association scores for complete definitions.
| Amphibians | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Blanchard's Cricket Frog | Acris blanchardi | 3 |
| Mink Frog | Lithobates septentrionalis | 3 |
| Pickerel Frog | Lithobates palustris | 2 |
| Beetles | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Minute Moss Beetle | Ochthebius lineatus | 2 |
| A Minute Moss Beetle | Hydraena angulicollis | 2 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Colymbetes exaratus | 2 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Ilybius angustior | 2 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Rhantus sericans | 2 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Matus ovatus | 2 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Liodessus obscurellus | 2 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Neoporus hybridus | 2 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Agabus leptapsis | 2 |
| A Water Scavenger Beetle | Agabetes acuductus | 2 |
| Birds | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Nyctanassa violacea | 3 |
| Black Tern | Chlidonias niger | 2 |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | 2 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | Buteo lineatus | 2 |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | 1 |
| Black-necked Stilt | Himantopus mexicanus | 1 |
| Common Goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | 1 |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | 1 |
| Forster's Tern | Sterna forsteri | 1 |
| Purple Martin | Progne subis | 1 |
| Dragonflies and damselflies | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Emerald | Somatochlora cingulata | 3 |
| Mottled Darner | Aeshna clepsydra | 3 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Gomphus graslinellus | 3 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 3 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 3 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 3 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 2 |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 2 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 2 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 1 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 1 |
| Fishes | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Sturgeon | Acipenser fulvescens | 3 |
| Starhead Topminnow | Fundulus dispar | 3 |
| Lake Chubsucker | Erimyzon sucetta | 2 |
| Mud Darter | Etheostoma asprigene | 1 |
| Redfin Shiner | Lythrurus umbratilis | 1 |
| Leafhoppers and true bugs | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Water Strider | Neogerris hesione | 2 |
| Mammals | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Big Brown Bat | Eptesicus fuscus | 3 |
| Little Brown Bat | Myotis lucifugus | 3 |
| Northern Long-eared Bat | Myotis septentrionalis | 2 |
| Silver-haired Bat | Lasionycteris noctivagans | 2 |
| Tricolored Bat | Perimyotis subflavus | 1 |
| Water Shrew | Sorex palustris | 1 |
| Reptiles | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Blanding's Turtle | Emydoidea blandingii | 3 |
| Eastern Ribbonsnake | Thamnophis sauritus | 3 |
| Wood Turtle | Glyptemys insculpta | 2 |
| Butler's Gartersnake | Thamnophis butleri | 1 |
| Plains Gartersnake | Thamnophis radix | 1 |
| Western Ribbonsnake | Thamnophis proximus | 1 |
Please see Section 2. Approach and Methods of the Wildlife Action Plan to learn how this information was developed.
The Natural Heritage Inventory has developed scores indicating the degree to which each of Wisconsin's rare plant species is associated with a particular natural community or ecological landscape. This information is similar to that found in the Wildlife Action Plan for animals. As this is a work in progress, we welcome your suggestions and feedback.
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Callitriche heterophylla | Large Water-starwort | 2 |
The following Ecological Landscapes have the best opportunities to manage for Riverine Lake - Pond, based on the Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin Handbook.
| Ecological Landscape | Opportunity |
|---|---|
| Central Sand Plains | Major |
| Western Coulee and Ridges | Major |
| Central Sand Hills | Important |
| North Central Forest | Important |
| Northern Highland | Important |
| Central Lake Michigan Coastal | Present |
| Forest Transition | Present |
| Northeast Sands | Present |
| Northern Lake Michigan Coastal | Present |
| Northwest Lowlands | Present |
| Northwest Sands | Present |
| Southeast Glacial Plains | Present |
| Southern Lake Michigan Coastal | Present |
| Southwest Savanna | Present |
| Superior Coastal Plain | Present |
| Western Prairie | Present |
Major (3 on map)
A major opportunity for sustaining the natural community in the Ecological Landscape exists, either because many significant occurrences of the natural community have been recorded in the landscape or major restoration activities are likely to be successful maintaining the community's composition, structure, and ecological function over a longer period of time.
Important (2 on map)
Although the natural community does not occur extensively or commonly in the Ecological Landscape, one to several occurrences do occur and are important in sustaining the community in the state. In some cases, important opportunities may exist because the natural community may be restricted to just one or a few Ecological Landscapes within the state and there may be a lack of opportunities elsewhere.
Present (1 on map)
The natural community occurs in the Ecological Landscape, but better management opportunities appear to exist in other parts of the state.
Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the WWAP because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.
Threats/issues and conservations actions for natural communities
Click to view a larger version. Please considering donating your photos to the Natural Heritage Conservation Program for educational uses. Photo use
Extensive bottomland hardwood forests, marshes, running sloughs, scattered ponds in the floodplain of the lower Black River.
Photo by staff.
Note: photos are provided to illustrate various examples of natural community types. A single photograph cannot represent the range of variability inherent in a given community type. Some of these photos explicitly illustrate unusual and distinctive community variants. The community photo galleries are a work in progress that we will expand and improve in the future.