DNR plans draw-down of Collins Marsh to improve wildlife habitat

DNR plans draw-down of Collins Marsh to improve wildlife habitat

GREEN BAY – Wildlife biologists plan to drain the main water body in the Collins Marsh Wildlife Area this summer by opening the gates on the dam at Mud Creek. This periodic drawdown will improve wildlife habitat.

The drawdown also will allow much needed work on the existing berm and concrete portions of the dam as well as the gates used to manage water levels. While the drawdown is expected to temporarily affect hunting opportunities this fall, it will help ensure quality hunting conditions for years to come.

The Collins Marsh Wildlife Area is a 4,200-acre property located about 2 miles south of Reedsville in Manitowoc County. It is managed by the Department of Natural Resources primarily for wetland wildlife.

The marsh is managed primarily as wetland habitat. The primary goal for the main impoundment is to establish waterfowl habitat during the spring and fall migrations. The main body provides food and cover for broods. In addition, the property has numerous smaller wetland impoundments as well as fields of upland prairie grass that serve as nesting cover and brood ponds for ground nesting waterfowl such as mallards and blue-wing teal. A wide variety of wetland loving birds make the marsh their home, including osprey, green herons, black terns, marsh wrens, sedge wrens and yellow headed blackbirds.

Part of managing a wetland is varying water levels seasonally to mimic the natural ebb and flow in an unrestricted system. During longer time frames, wetlands benefit from periodic dry spells. DNR staff plans to drain the marsh during the summer months, beginning in early to mid-June, to mimic a dry spell. This will ultimately be a great benefit to the marsh. The “seed bank” in the muck at marsh bottom will be exposed to sunlight and will be able to germinate. Valuable native aquatic vegetation will become a food source for water birds, waterfowl and shore birds.

After native vegetation has established roots and reached sufficient growth, the marsh will be reflooded, either late in the fall or early next spring. The marsh should refill quickly and provide an important stop-over point for migrating birds.