These regional conservation priorities reflect the mission, vision, and goals of Glacial Lakes Conservancy in its role as a local, non-profit land trust and as a partner in the Lake Michigan Shorelands Alliance.
Niagara Escarpment – A Great Lakes Treasure to Protect
The Niagara Escarpment has emerged as a statewide critical natural resource area in recent years due to its unique geology, the presence of rare plants and animals, and growing development pressure. Known locally as “the Ledge” or “the Bluff,” it is home to thousands of springs, seeps, and vernal water pools and even 1,000-year-old white cedar trees. Read more.
Elkhart Lake Area – Preserving a Glacial Watershed
Glacially formed Elkhart Lake, north of Crystal Lake and Little Elkhart Lake, consists of two kettles. At 119 feet in depth, Elkhart is Sheboygan County’s largest kettle moraine lake and the state’s fourth deepest. Much of the lake’s beauty comes from the heavily wooded, mature cedar trees and shrubs that line its shoreline. Elkhart Lake is sited next to a system of wetlands. Perched just to the northeast, the Broughton Sheboygan Marsh Park and Wildlife Area, rated Excellent in conservation significance. Read more.
Coastal Lake Michigan & Tributary Waters – Protecting Wisconsin’s Coastal Resources
The watershed of Lake Michigan extends through all or part of more than thirty counties in Wisconsin. This coastal resource of eastern Wisconsin represents some of the most scenic and ecologically valuable lands in the state. These coastal sites are only as healthy as their watershed, and planning for future conservation requires a strategic regional perspective for the entire Lake Michigan Basin of Wisconsin. Read more.
Mullet River and Mullet Lake – Connecting Conservation
Mullet Lake and Mullet River are significant primarily because of the unique fish and wildlife habitats they provide. The river flows 62 miles northeast, originating from an outlet at Mullet Lake. The quality of the water flowing in the Mullet River is considered good from its headwaters into Plymouth, and fair from Plymouth downstream to its union with the Sheboygan River. What makes the Mullet River unique is that it flows from its warm water headwaters into a cold water segment, and then into a warm water segment once again for the last third of the river. Read more.
Northern Kettle Moraine – Relics of a Glacial Past
The Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest was formed 20,000 years ago when two fingers of a glacier collided and deposited billions of tons of sand, gravel, and rock as the ice melted away. This legacy has left a stunning array of glacial features—kames, kettles, eskers, and streams mark the landscape throughout this region, much of which is encompassed in the Kettle Moraine State Forest (Northern Unit). Read more.
Point and Fischer Creeks – Partnership in Action
The outlets of Point Creek and Fischer Creek have been recognized for several years by local groups as important and vulnerable sites. These groups have initiated significant protection efforts to preserve the mouths of these creeks, forming innovative and effective partnerships. Read more.
Upper Milwaukee River – Protecting Upstream Resources
The upper stretches of the Milwaukee River flow through rolling farmlands are facing development pressure. Protecting these upstream resources will not only preserve the important habitat of the Upper Milwaukee but also will improve downstream water quality and result in cleaner water entering Lake Michigan. Read more.
The Rio Creek Woodlands – A Wildlife Habitat Project Area
The Rio Creek Woodlands are located near the Lake Michigan shoreline in east‐central Kewaunee County. The area is known for several large forested wetlands, which occur in low areas shaped by glaciers that traveled across the landscape over 10,000 years ago. The site comprises one of the largest complexes of forested habitat in eastern Kewaunee County. Read more.
Black Ash Swamp – A Harbor for Wildlife
Black Ash Swamp is situated on an old glacial lake five miles inland from the Lake Michigan coast. The site is composed of a large lowland forest, and includes species represented in both northern and southern forests. This block of contiguous, high-quality habitat within a fragmented landscape represents a vital harbor for numerous species of plants and animals. Black Ash Swamp lies at the intersection of northern and southern forest types, and includes species from both forest types and supports rare species such as the small yellow lady’s slipper and the Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly. Read more.
West Alaska Lake – A Lake Gem in Kewaunee County
The cedar forest that surrounds West Alaska Lake serves as a shoreland buffer to protect the lake’s good water quality by filtering out pollutants that may drain from farms and homes. This forest buffer also helps maintain the lake’s natural plant community. Native plants such as chara, coontail, northern watermilfoil, nitella, white water lily and spatterdock continue to thrive in the lake’s ecosystem. Clean water translates to good fishing as well. Bluegills, sunfish, black crappie, yellow perch and largemouth bass have been caught in this lake. Read more.