Swamp Creek Fen State Natural Area

Swamp Creek Fen features a diverse mosaic of community types including a high quality boreal rich fen surrounding a small alkaline bog lake. A rare open peatland community of northern Wisconsin, the boreal rich fen is low in nutrients but significantly rich in calcium, which has a direct influence on the composition of plants found here. Groundwater seepage is apparently flowing through the wetland and providing a good source of calcium. Characteristic species include buckbean, white beak-rush, beaked bladderwort, woolly-fruited sedge, livid sedge, bog goldenrod, and pitcher plant. The fen is bordered by a narrow band of open black spruce and tamarack northern wet forest with some areas supporting white cedar. Shrubs are sparse but include bog rosemary, Labrador-tea, bog birch, and mountain holly. The fen provides habitat for a number of rare and specialized plant species, including the state threatened linear-leaved sundew. At least a dozen species of orchid have been documented within this site. Other rare plants are common bog arrow-grass, downy willow-herb, and sparse-flowered sedge. The uncommon spruce grouse is also supported here. Small swamp islands forested with second growth stands of spruce and fir with scattered pine punctuate the northern portion of the swamp. The fen is embedded within a wetland complex large enough to maintain most, if not all, of the ecological processes and functions necessary for long-term maintenance. Swamp Creek Fen is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2008.