White River Marsh Wildlife Area
White River Marsh Wildlife Area is a 12,000-acre property in the northwest corner of Green Lake County and the northeast corner of Marquette County. Find it approximately 6 miles north of the city of Princeton on County Highway D, or approximately 3 miles west of the city of Berlin on County Highway F. The property consists of open marsh/wet meadow, swamp hardwoods/tamarack swamp, upland prairie/oak savanna and shrub carr.
Management Objectives
The preliminary project and first land acquisition on the White River Marsh was approved by the Wisconsin Conservation Commission on March 30, 1962. Aldo Leopold had investigated the marsh in the 1940s and recommended federal or state purchase of the marsh for conservation purposes. Prairie chickens and bobwhite quail were abundant on the marsh.
Much of the uplands were farmed for row or small grain crops and most of the wetlands were drained or altered for farming. The marsh grass (sedge, bluejoint and prairie cordgrass) was used for cattle feed, bedding and the production of carpet fiber at factories in Oshkosh. The marshes were cut by horse-drawn equipment and shipped to Oshkosh via the lock and dam system on the Fox River.
Current management programs include wetland restoration and water level manipulation in the impoundments, upland dry prairie restoration to promote Karner blue butterflies and other grassland-related wildlife and oak savannah restoration. Mourning dove habitat manipulation for banding and hunting opportunities on sunflower and other crop fields.
Recreation
The White River Marsh Wildlife Area offers many recreational opportunities:
- Auto travel (a Rustic Road bisects much of the wildlife area that provides an excellent wildlife viewing opportunity);
- Biking (town road only);
- Birding;
- Canoeing;
- Cross-country skiing (no designated trail);
- Fishing;
- Hiking (no designated trail);
- Hunting (especially noted for pheasant, with noon closure rules applying);
- Snowmobiling trail;
- Trapping;
- Wild edibles/gathering; and
- Wildlife viewing.
Maps
Download a map of this property.
If you are interested in exploring this property further, you can access an interactive map.
