The Echo Lake

Echo Lake features a soft seepage lake and bog mat, and several stands of mature hemlock hardwoods situated on rolling moraine, which are among the oldest and least disturbed on the Nicolet. Most of the stand is dominated by large hemlock (to 45 inches in diameter) with yellow birch, and sugar maple. Other species include basswood, white pine, and white spruce. The understory is open with few shrubs and local small canopy gaps filled with sugar maple saplings. The groundlayer is dense in some areas and contains the uncommon ginseng. Characteristic species include jack-in-the-pulpit, shining club-moss, intermediate wood fern, three-leaved goldthread, and blue cohosh. Coarse woody debris and large snags are common giving a pronounced old growth feel to the site. The mature forest provides nesting habitat for numerous neotropical migrant birds including the black-throated blue warbler. Also present is a mosaic of wetland types which includes northern wet forest dominated by black spruce and tamarack, white cedar swamp, alder thicket, and open bog. Black spruce and tamarack dominate in the wetter areas to the south and east giving way to white cedar in the north part of the stands. Red maple also occurs in places. Although some cedar cutting has occurred in the past, regeneration is excellent in places and much has already outgrown the browse level. The open bog surrounding Echo Lake supports and excellent representation of ericaceous species including Labrador tea, velvet-leaf blueberry, bog laurel and leather-leaf. Abundant herbaceous plants include moccasin flower, false mayflower, pitcher plant, marsh marigold, and naked miterwort. The gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis), an uncommon bird species, is present here. Other breeding birds found within the site are least flycatcher, olive-sided flycatcher, blue-headed vireo, wood thrush, blackburnian warbler, northern warbler, ovenbird, and scarlet tanager. Echo Lake is owned by the U.S. Forest Service and was designated a State Natural Area in 2007. This site is also recognized by the Forest Service as an established Research Natural Area.