View source for Swan Lake Wildlife Area

{{Short description|State Wildlife Area in Columbia County, Wisconsin}}
{{distinguish|Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Swan Lake Wildlife Area
| alt_name = Swan Lake State Wildlife Area
| iucn_category = V
| iucn_ref = <ref>[https://www.protectedplanet.net/555586403 Protected Planet Website]- Retrieved April 13, 2023</ref>
| photo = 
| photo_alt = 
| photo_caption = 
| photo_width = 
| map = Wisconsin#USA
| map_alt = 
| map_caption = Location within Wisconsin
| map_width = 
| relief = 1
| location = [[Columbia County, Wisconsin|Columbia County]], [[Wisconsin]]
| nearest_city = [[Columbus, Wisconsin|Columbus]], [[Wisconsin|WI]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|43|32|3.9|N|89|23|48.4|W|region:US-LA|display=title,inline}}
| area_acre = 2,466
| established = 1963
| visitation_num = 
| visitation_year = 
| governing_body = [[Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources]]
| url = 
}}

The '''Swan Lake Wildlife Area''' is a {{Convert|2,466|acre}} tract of [[protected area|protected]] land located in [[Columbia County, Wisconsin|Columbia]] County, [[Wisconsin]], managed by the [[Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources]] ('''WDNR''').<ref>[https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Lands/WildlifeAreas/swanlake.html WDNR Website]- Retrieved 2022-03-07</ref> Land to be used for the wildlife area was first acquired in 1963 to provide for hunting and other outdoor recreational activities in the [[County (United States)|county]]. In addition to outdoor recreation activities, the wildlife area was established to protect the [[Fox River (Green Bay tributary)|Fox River]] watershed.<ref>[https://stateparks.com/swan_lake_state_wildlife_area_in_wisconsin.html State Parks Website]- Retrieved 2022-03-02</ref>

==Swan Lake==
The lake for which the wildlife area is named after has an area of {{Convert|407|acre}} and has a maximum depth of {{convert|82|ft|m|1}} with an average depth of {{convert|32|ft|m|1}}. The Lake is made up of 55% muck, 30% sand and 15% gravel. There is a single boat jetty that provides boating access to the Lake.<ref>[https://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/lakepages/LakeDetail.aspx?wbic=179800&page=facts WDNR Swan Lake Website]- Retrieved 2022-03-07</ref>

There are five different invasive species present in the Lake; the [[Potamogeton crispus|curly-leaf pondweed]], [[Myriophyllum spicatum|eurasian water-milfoil]], [[Reynoutria japonica|Japanese knotweed]], [[Lythrum salicaria|purple loosestrife]] and [[zebra mussel]]. In addition to these invasive plants and animals, while not invasive, the Lake and surrounding Wildlife Area are dominated by large swathes of [[Typha|cattail]] marshes.<ref>[https://www.wisconsinwetlands.org/updates/invasive-plant-profile-cattails/ Wisconsin Wetlands Association Invasive Plant Profile Website]- Retrieved 2022-03-07</ref>

There are ten different types of cover in the wildlife area, including [[Populus tremuloides|aspen]], [[Bottomland hardwood forest|bottomland hardwood]], developed, [[grassland]], [[marsh]], [[Oak woodland|oak]], [[Palustrine wetland|shrub wetland]], [[Larix laricina|tamarack]], upland conifer<ref>[https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/assistance/nrplanning/bigpicture/cwcs/habitats/05.pdf Minnesota State DNR Forest-Upland Coniferous Classifications PDF]- Retrieved 2022-03-08</ref> and the most common, Emergent Wetland.<ref>[https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/documents/Classification-of-Wetlands-and-Deepwater-Habitats-of-the-United-States-2013.pdf Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States PDF from Federal Geographic Data Committee]-Retrieved 2022-03-08</ref><ref>[https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=67390 United States Environmental Protection Agency Classification and Types of Wetlands PDF]- Retrieved 2022-03-08</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border: none;"
|+ Cover type acreage
|-
! Cover type !! Acres !! Percentage cover
|-
! Aspen 
| 150
| 6%
|-
! Bottomland hardwood
| 50
| 2%
|-
! Developed
| 4
| <1%
|-
! Emergent wetland
| 1,227
| 50%
|-
! Grassland 
| 90
| 4%
|-
! Marsh
| 500
| 20%
|-
! Oak
| 190
| 7%
|-
! Shrub wetland
| 230
| 9%
|-
! Tamarack
| 20
| 1%
|-
! Upland conifer
| 5
| <1%
|-
! Total acreage 
| '''2,466'''
| '''100%'''
|-
|}

==Flora and fauna==
There are several different types of trees residing in the wildlife area, the most prominent being oak, [[maple]], [[Tsuga|hemlock]], and [[Pinus resinosa|red pine]]. In addition to the varied flora, in both Swan Lake and the surrounding marshland, [[Muskellunge|musky]], [[Northern pike]], [[largemouth bass]], [[walleye]] and [[northern pike]] are commonly found. Besides sea dwelling fauna, [[black tern]], [[Turkey (bird)|turkey]] and [[Wader|shorebirds]] have been known to frequent the area.

Other flora besides trees include [[Sparganium|bur-reed]], [[Phragmites australis|common reed grass]], various [[bulrush]], [[Pontederia|pickerel-weed]] and [[wild rice]].<ref>[https://widnr.widen.net/s/msgk698whq/fl_mp_columbiacountyplanninggroup_masterplan_lf-066_2012 Columbia County Master Plan WDNR PDF]- Retrieved 2022-03-08</ref>

==See also==
* [[Porcupine Lake Wilderness]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://maps.usgs.gov/padus/#share=g-fc0270507121b415964c8bb39cd7f8a5 U.S. Geological Survey Map] at the U.S. Geological Survey Map Website. Retrieved March 7, 2022.

{{Protected areas of Wisconsin}}

[[Category:State Wildlife Areas of Wisconsin|State Wildlife Area]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Geography of Columbia County, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Protected areas established in 1963]]