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Dorothy Lake State Natural Area is a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-designated State Natural Area featuring forested end moraine topography, with many steep-sided ridges and depressions. This results in a diverse mosaic of natural communities, including forests, swamps, fens, lakes, and streams.
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Location and accessEdit
Dorothy Lake State Natural Area is located in northern Chippewa County approximately 9 miles (14 km) west of Holcombe. Access is via a forest trail off of Deer Fly Trail, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) south of County Highway M.
DescriptionEdit
The namesake of the natural area, Dorothy Lake, is a 5.2 acre soft-water seepage lake, and contains a large, diverse assemblage of invertebrates, as well as three rare plant species. Three smaller, unnamed lakes surround Dorothy Lake, one of which contains a high-quality floating poor fen border. The uplands surrounding the lakes and wetlands contain northern mesic and dry-mesic forests, of primarily white pine (Pinus strobus), red pine (Pinus resinosa), and red oak (Quercus rubra). Rare plant species that can be found on the site include Blunt-Lobe Grape Fern (Botrychium oneidense), Prickly Hornwort (Ceratophyllum echinatum), White Adder's Mouth (Malaxis monophyllos), Farwell's Water Milfoil (Myriophyllum farwellii), Bog Bluegrass (Poa paludigena), and Hidden-Fruited Bladderwort (Utricularia geminiscapa).