Horicon Marsh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Horicon National Wildlife Refuge |
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IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
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A boardwalk in the marsh
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 Horicon National Wildlife Refuge
Location in Wisconsin
Horicon National Wildlife Refuge
Location in the United States
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| Location | Dodge, Fond du Lac counties, Wisconsin, United States |
| Nearest city | Waupun, Wisconsin |
| Area | 21,400 acres (87 km2) |
| Established | 1941 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge |
| Designated: | 12 April 1990 |
| Reference #: | 511 |
Horicon Marsh is a very large marsh located in Wisconsin, USA. It stretches across parts of Dodge and Fond du Lac counties. This special place is home to both a national and a state wildlife refuge. It is the biggest freshwater cattail marsh in the entire United States.
Contents
How Horicon Marsh Was Formed
Horicon Marsh was shaped by huge sheets of ice called glaciers. This happened during the Pleistocene era, which was the last Ice Age. A part of the glacier, known as the Green Bay lobe, moved across the land. As it moved, it created many drumlins. Drumlins are small, oval-shaped hills made of dirt and rocks left behind by glaciers. Many of these drumlins now form islands within Horicon Marsh. The area around the marsh has more drumlins than anywhere else in the world!
When the glacier melted and pulled back, it left behind a ridge of material called a moraine. This moraine acted like a natural dam. It held back the melting glacier water, forming a huge body of water called Glacial Lake Horicon. Over time, the Rock River slowly wore away at this natural dam. This caused the lake to drain away. As silt, clay, and peat (decayed plant matter) built up in the old lakebed, Horicon Marsh was created.
Horicon Marsh is so important for understanding the Ice Age that it's part of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve. This reserve protects unique places that show evidence of the Pleistocene Ice Age.
A Look at Horicon's Past
People have lived around Horicon Marsh since the end of the last Ice Age. Early groups like the Paleo-Indians and the Hopewellian people lived here. The Mound Builders also built dozens of effigy mounds in the area. These mounds, shaped like animals, are about 1,200 years old. Even older arrowheads, dating back 12,000 years, have been found.
Later, the Potawatomi people lived east of the marsh. The Ho-Chunk people lived to the west. Seven important Native American foot trails met at the southern end of the marsh. This is where the town of Horicon is today.
When European settlers first arrived, they called it "The Great Marsh of the Winnebagos." The first permanent settlement was the town of Horicon. In 1846, a dam was built there. This dam was used to power the town's first sawmill. The dam caused the water level in the marsh to rise by nine feet. This turned the marsh into a large lake, which was called Lake Horicon. At the time, it was said to be the biggest man-made lake in the world!
However, in 1869, the dam was torn down. This happened because the State Supreme Court ruled that it was flooding landowners' property. The area then became a marsh again. By 1883, people noticed huge numbers of geese and ducks in the marsh. They reported that 500,000 ducks hatched there every year. Also, about 30,000 muskrats and mink were trapped in the southern part. Many birds and hunters came to the area. Sadly, the local duck population was greatly reduced.
From 1910 to 1914, there was an attempt to drain the marsh completely. The idea was to turn it into farmland. But these efforts failed, and the land was thought to be useless. In November 1933, a large wildfire accidentally started. It destroyed much of Horicon Marsh. A big project was needed to restore it. The marsh was finally re-opened to the public in April 1935.
Horicon National Wildlife Refuge
In 1927, after many years of effort from conservationists, the Wisconsin State Legislature passed a bill. This bill was called the Horicon Marsh Wildlife Refuge Bill. It allowed for a new dam to be built to bring the water levels back to normal. It also allowed the government to buy the land. During the 1940s, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service bought the northern parts of the marsh.
Today, the northern two-thirds of the marsh is the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge. It covers about 21,400 acres (86.6 square kilometers). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages this part. The entire marsh is about 32,000 acres (129.5 square kilometers). Most of it is open water and cattail marsh.
The southern third of the marsh, about 11,000 acres (44.5 square kilometers), belongs to the state of Wisconsin. This part is called the Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area. It was created as a place for waterfowl to nest. It's also a resting spot for migratory birds that travel long distances. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages this area. Millions of waterfowl, including over 200,000 Canada geese, stop here during their migrations.
These refuges are vital homes for many different kinds of animals and plants. You can find many species of birds, like ducks, pelicans, great blue herons, and Canada geese. There are also fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, muskrats, insects, and many types of plants.
Horicon Marsh was recognized internationally as a Ramsar site on December 4, 1990. A Ramsar site is a wetland of international importance, especially for waterfowl.
Interesting Facts
In 1976, a school band from Racine, Wisconsin was named the Horicon Horns Band. This was because their sound reminded their co-founder, Jackson Parker, of the honking geese at Horicon Marsh. The band became very good and performed at many places, including the state capital and even Disneyworld.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
See also
In Spanish: Marismas de Horicon para niños
