Overview of the Pleasant Valley Conservancy wetland:
Although wetlands are not common in the Driftless Region
of southwestern Wisconsin, the wetland at Pleasant Valley
Conservancy is relatively large. Over 140 acres are present
in the immediate vicinity, but the whole wetland is considerably
larger.
Only 35 acres of this wetland is actually part of the Pleasant
Valley Conservancy property, but the whole 140 acres, in five
ownerships, can be treated as a unit. (The plant and animal species are not aware of the property boundaries.) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service has conducted major prescribed burns on this whole wetland
in 2005 and 2010, and all owners have signed 10-year access/permission agreements. On 24 April 2013 this wetland was burned under auspices of the Savanna Oak Foundation, Inc.
Since 2013 we have been burning only that wetland actually owned by Pleasant Valley Conservancy. Starting with a 5 acre burn in 2014, we have enlarged the burn each year. In 2017 we burned 15 acres, which included almost all of the high-quality sedge meadow. See this link for a map of the burned area.
The very invasive hybrid cattail (Typha X glauca) first appeared in our wetland in 2015. With support from a Wisconsin DNR Aquatic Invasive Species grant, this plant is being eradicated. See this link for details.
A substantial spring-fed watercourse runs through
Pleasant Valley Conservancy. However, most of the water to
the wetland is supplied by the numerous calcareous springs which rise
throughout the wetland. The acquifer here is the Wonewoc Formation, which is fed by drainage from the
south-facing slope to the east, with its extensive tallgrass prairies and savannas, via the Tunnel City Sandstone. See
geology.
| The wetland contains substantial amounts of sedge meadow
and cattail. Muskrat houses are common, and beaver come and
go. Sandhill cranes nest on the wetland every year. Red-winged
blackbirds, belted kingfishers, great blue herons, and other
wetland birds are seen or heard. See listing of birds found at Pleasant Valley Conservancy. |
The wetland is in the drainage system of East Blue Mounds
Creek, a trout stream that eventually drains into Black Earth
Creek, which feeds into the Wisconsin River. East Blue Mounds Creek is formed by the joining of Elver Creek and Ryan Creek less than a mile upstream. Bohn Creek is also in the drainage basin. Elver Creek has been one of the projects of the local chapter of Trout Unlimited.
| View of the wetland from the top
of the ridge. Early June. The habitat is riddled with springs. |
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| Early Autumn view of part of the wetland trail showing the boardwalk. The trail runs the whole length of the Conservancy parallel to the town road. The boardwalk, built by volunteers, makes it possible to get into the wetland without getting wet feet. Excellent for bird watching. |
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| Typical wetland burn. The principle fuels are sedge meadows and cattails. |
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| View after a wetland burn from the overlook at the top of Pleasant Valley Conservancy. The Conservancy ownership is the part near the bottom of the photo. |
Some of the principal plant species are shown
in the photo gallery below. The Integrated Restorations list gives a
detailed look at the diversity.
Photo
Gallery of Wetland Plants at Pleasant Valley Conservancy
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