Waubesa Wetlands features a sedge meadow, fen, and shrubb-car habitat in an old lobe of Lake Waubesa.  Overland access is available from a small (2-car) parking area on Lalor Road (aka Rustic Road 19).  From there, a access trail along a fenceline leads to the site.  Further south on the same road the site boundaries abut or cross the road, so roadside parking and walk-in access would be possible here, though I haven’t tried this.  Lastly, it is possible to canoe/kayak from Goodland County Park to the northeast, which would be a 0.75 mile paddle.

This was the first SNA I visited way back in ought-ten, doing so in mid-February and April of that year.  Of course, this means I did not see it at anything approach peak in terms of forbs.  Initially, the reason was that I wanted to see sites further way that first year and figured I could always see Waubesa Wetlands anytime since it was so close.  In February, the wetland was frozen and it was easier to walk around the cattails.  From the access lane, you proceed through a small oak woodland on a slope toward the lake and in April, I noted the emergence of bloodroot, often the first ephemeral wildflower in the spring, as well as the leaves of the white trout lily.  There are likely additional wildflowers in this area as spring progresses.  The wetland was, of course, much wetter in April, but unsurprisingly not that much more ‘alive’.  Most of the vegetation was still flattened from the previous winter’s snow cover.  Needless to say, this site is high on my list to visit again in the coming year and along with Hook Lake Bog, will probably be visited in late spring/early summer and late summer/early fall at a a minimum.

Wetland

Wetland

Wetland

Bloodroot

Eastern Meadowlark

Wetland

Cattail

Wetland

Oak Leaf in the Snow

Wetland

More of my photos (and full-res) from Waubesa Wetlands can be viewed here.

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