Some fields just aren't worth farming. In Waushara County, three local landowners are working with Fox-Wolf and the Waushara County Land Conservation Department to turn those acres into something better for the land and for local water quality.
More than 80 acres of low-yield farmland will be restored with native plants and shallow wetland scrapes to help reduce runoff into Lake Poygan and the rest of the Winnebago System. These restored acres will help hold soil and nutrients in place, keeping them on the land and out of the water.
“Restoring marginal acres is a conservation practice that makes sense for both the land and the farmer,” said Tim Burns, Agriculture Conservation Coordinator with Fox-Wolf. “It helps protect water quality while also giving less productive acres a new purpose. Farmers want to be good stewards, and projects like this give them a real way to put that into practice. These sites will help show what’s possible.”
Each of the restored fields will also serve as a demonstration site. These sites are meant to give other farmers, landowners, and conservation professionals the opportunity to see firsthand how marginal land restoration works and what kind of impact it can have.
A collaboration rooted in local farms
This project is made possible through a collaboration between Fox-Wolf, Waushara County Land Conservation Department, local agricultural landowners, and regional funder the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) through their Great Lakes Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program (GLSNRP). Together, these partners are working to strengthen our region's farmland and waterways.
Why it matters
The Winnebago System is the largest inland lake system in Wisconsin. It includes Lakes Poygan, Winneconne, Butte des Morts, and Winnebago, and drains more than 5,000 square miles of land through the Fox and Wolf Rivers before reaching the Bay of Green Bay and Lake Michigan.
These waters support a multi-million-dollar fishing and boating economy, provide drinking water to nearby communities, and serve as critical habitat for fish and wildlife. They also play a major role in the region’s culture and quality of life.
But the system is vulnerable. Nutrient runoff from fields upstream contributes to harmful algae, low oxygen levels, and water clarity problems. Sediment carried by runoff can bury spawning grounds and degrade habitat.
Restoring marginal farmland upstream helps reduce these impacts. Native vegetation and wetland scrapes slow down runoff, trap nutrients and sediment, and keep pollution out of the lakes. It is a practical solution that improves water quality starting at the field level.
