Ringelstetter Wetland
Extending wildlife habitat at the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway
The 154-acre Ringelstetter Wetland is an an incredibly rich complex of wetland and bottomland forest characteristic of the Lower Wisconsin River. Nestled within the Lower Wisconsin River Waterway, a wetland complex recently recognized as internationally important, the Ringelstetter family has nurtured this wildlife habitat for decades. This land is home to nesting Trumpeter Swans, Bald Eagles, and at least 4 species of waterfowl. Great Egrets may also nest here. Other notable wetland bird species that use this property include Black Tern, Virginia Rail (likely nesting), and migrating waterfowl such as Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Gadwall, and Green-winged Teal.
In late 2020 and early 2021, Driftless Area Land Conservancy worked with local conservationists, the landowner, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to protect this land forever. We plan to give the property to the DNR to join neighboring public land and create a larger corridor of publicly accessible wildlife habitat.
Read more about the history of this exciting project in DALC's 2022 winter-spring newsletter.
Thank you to all our donors for helping protect this special place forever!
Wildlife Highlights:
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Bald eagles
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Trumpeter swans
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Sandhill cranes
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Beavers
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Muskrats
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Otters
Ringelstetter Wetland is a great place to hunt and view wildlife all year round!
The waterfowl habitat at the Ringelstetter wetland, as part of the Lower Wisconsin River Waterway is, indeed, world class!
In 2019, the Lower Wisconsin River Waterway (44,000 acres) was recognized to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by UNESCO. Today there are over 2,400 Ramsar sites in 171 countries around the world.
