Dorothy Lake State Natural Area
| Dorothy Lake State Natural Area | |
| Wisconsin State Natural Area | |
 Dorothy Lake | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Chippewa |
| Location | Birch Creek |
| - coordinates | 45°13′26″N 91°18′8″W / 45.22389°N 91.30222°WCoordinates: 45°13′26″N 91°18′8″W / 45.22389°N 91.30222°W |
| Area | 95 acres (38 ha) |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Owner | Chippewa County, Wisconsin |
  Location of Dorothy Lake State Natural Area in Wisconsin
| |
Dorothy Lake State Natural Area is a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-designated State Natural Area featuring forested end moraine topography, with many steep-sided ridges and depressions. This results in a diverse mosaic of natural communities, including forests, swamps, fens, lakes, and streams.[1]
Location and access
Dorothy Lake State Natural Area is located in northern Chippewa County approximately 9 miles (14 km) west of Holcombe. Access is via a forest trail off of Deer Fly Trail, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) south of County Highway M.[2]
Description
The namesake of the natural area, Dorothy Lake, is a 5.2 acre soft-water seepage lake, and contains a large, diverse assemblage of invertebrates, as well as three rare plant species. Three smaller, unnamed lakes surround Dorothy Lake, one of which contains a high-quality floating poor fen border. The uplands surrounding the lakes and wetlands contain northern mesic and dry-mesic forests, of primarily white pine (Pinus strobus), red pine (Pinus resinosa), and red oak (Quercus rubra). Rare plant species that can be found on the site include Blunt-Lobe Grape Fern (Botrychium oneidense), Prickly Hornwort (Ceratophyllum echinatum), White Adder's Mouth (Malaxis monophyllos), Farwell's Water Milfoil (Myriophyllum farwellii), Bog Bluegrass (Poa paludigena), and Hidden-Fruited Bladderwort (Utricularia geminiscapa).[1][3]
Boggy moat at one end of one of the unnamed lakes
Unnamed lake south of Dorothy Lake
Unnamed lake north of Dorothy Lake
References
- 1 2 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "Biotic Inventory and Analysis of the Chippewa County Forest" (PDF).
- ↑ Dorothy Lake State Natural Area (PDF) (Map). Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2013-11-29.
- ↑ Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. "Dorothy Lake State Natural Area". Retrieved 2013-11-29.