Devine Lake and Mishonagon Creek State Natural Area

Devine Lake and Mishonagon Creek contains an extensive wetland complex including a large sedge meadow, mixed conifer swamp, shrub-carr, and northern wet forest bordering Devine Lake. Of note, is the exceptional floristic diversity within this complex. The meadow is dominated by blue-joint grass, sedges, and rushes with marsh fern, marsh bellflower, turtlehead, marsh marigold, flat-top aster, and northern bog goldenrod. The tamarack-dominated wet forest occupies the wetland within the Devine Lake basin between the open sedge meadow and a tall shrub community at the upland edge. Understory dominants are sphagnum mosses, and few-seeded sedge. Other characteristic species include large cranberry, round-leaved sundew, northern blue-flag iris, marsh skullcap, rose pogonia, white bog orchid, three-leaved goldthread, and crested shield fern. Shrubs include marsh cinquefoil, leather-leaf, mountain maple, velvet-leaf blueberry, mountain holly, and willows. The 95-acre Devine Lake is a spring-fed, drained lake which occupies a depression in extensive sandy, pitted glacial outwash. Several large springs and seepages feed the lake and surrounding wetlands from the north. The lake harbors numerous aquatic macrophytes including wild rice, which occupies 30-40% of the lake basin in some years. Many rare animals and plants are found here, some of them represented by large populations. Devine Lake and Mishonagon Creek is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2007.