History
Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area
The Chippewa and Flambeau Improvement Co. (CFIC) is a private corporation created by the Legislature in 1911 for the purpose of building, maintaining and operating dams and reservoirs on the Chippewa and Flambeau rivers and their tributaries. The law directs the company to produce as nearly a uniform flow of water as practicable in the Chippewa and Flambeau rivers, by storing in reservoirs surplus water for discharge when the water supply is low, to improve the usefulness of the rivers for all public purposes and to reduce flood damage.
The Turtle-Flambeau Flowage was created in 1926 when the CFIC built a dam on the Flambeau River downstream from its confluence with the Turtle River. The dam flooded 16 natural lakes and forms an impoundment of approximately 14,000 acres. The flowage was intended to provide flood protection and to augment river flows for hydroelectric plants operated by downstream electric utilities and paper mills.
At the time, the dam was quite controversial. The perception was that the project created "the greatest destruction of nature's beauty in the state" as documented in a 1930 silent film. CFIC had offered landowners in the flooded basin either equal land on the shore of the new flowage or a cash buyout. Because of the negative perceptions, most people took the cash. Most of the flowage, therefore, came under the ownership of CFIC.
Perceptions change, however. The Turtle-Flambeau Flowage is now viewed as a unique recreational resource and the closest to a wilderness experience that you will find in the state. It is often referred to as the "crown jewel of the north."
The early perceptions that resulted in CFIC acquiring most of the flowage shoreline ultimately provided an opportunity for the State of Wisconsin to purchase the lands for resource protection and outdoor recreation. The state purchased approximately 22,000 acres from CFIC in 1990 with funding from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. Additional acquisitions have increased state ownership to over 37,000 acres, including 114 miles of flowage shoreline and 195 islands.
This state property, called the Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area, is managed by the Department of Natural Resources. A master plan has been developed for management of the property with direction from a citizen advisory committee. The goal of the plan is to implement management practices that will perpetuate the natural character of the flowage's shoreline. Top priorities are to preserve its scenic qualities and protect its plant and animal communities. The department is also striving to preserve the quality and wealth of outdoor recreational opportunities including fishing, hunting, camping, nature observation, trapping, boating and canoeing.