Amsterdam Sloughs Wildlife Area
DNR staff have developed an Annual Property Implementation Plan (APIP) for the Glacial Lake Grantsburg (GLG) Work Unit (Crex Meadows, Fish Lake and Amsterdam Sloughs Wildlife Areas). The public is encouraged to review the APIP during an open comment period from March 24-30 and provide comments to DNR staff. This is the core public input process on the management of GLG properties year.
APIPs contain the major management and infrastructure projects planned for the property for the upcoming year, such as forest/habitat management treatments and recreation development projects. The GLG APIP also contains the 2024 GLG Water Management Plan and results from the 2023 Water Management Plan.
The GLG APIP can be found on the DNR’s APIP website. Please review the plan and submit any comments to dnrglg@wisconsin.gov or use the contact directory link available on the APIP webpage.
Amsterdam Sloughs Wildlife Area is a 5,000-acre property of wetlands, prairies and forests scattered across a gently rolling landscape. It is located in southern Burnett County just northwest of Siren. Access the area from County Road D on the north, County Road N on the west and several township roads on the south and east.
Amsterdam Sloughs is open year-round, with something to do and see during every season. Most visitors come to view wildlife. The popularity of Amsterdam Sloughs is attributed to its large size, spectacular vistas and great diversity of plants and wildlife.
Some visitors come to hunt or trap, and the entire property is open to hunting and trapping. Amsterdam Sloughs provides abundant hunting opportunities for deer, bears, turkeys, waterfowl and a variety of small game. Trappers have opportunities for nearly every furbearer found in Wisconsin.
The Department has received complaints regarding unauthorized manipulation or interference with water control structures. This impedes the Department’s ability to manage and protect natural resources. Furthermore, alteration to these structures, their components, or embankment soils has the potential to damage or undermine these structures or associated public roads and therefore poses a risk to public health and safety.
Therefore, the Department hereby closes the identified water control structures and their immediate vicinity pursuant to s. NR 45.04 (1)(b). Signage notifying the public of this closure (and identifying the closed area) shall be installed as soon as possible. The closure of these water control structures will not impact nor impede public conveyance over adjacent public roads or public access to the flowages.
View the affected portions of this property.
History
Amsterdam Sloughs is part of the Northwest Sands Ecological Landscape. This landscape extends from northern Polk County to southern Bayfield County and covers nearly 2,000 square miles. This large sand plain is a result of a large glacial lake (Glacial Lake Grantsburg) that covered the area after the retreat of the last glacier approximately 12,000 years ago. The southern portion of the landscape, where Amsterdam Sloughs is located, contains huge sedge marshes. These vast marshes are remnants of the glacial lake.
The sandy uplands of the wildlife area were historically covered by a jack pine savannah or brush prairie. The vegetation consisted of large jack and red pine widely scattered throughout an open expense of prairie grasses and wildflowers and a variety of woody vegetation including sweet fern, hazel, willow, blueberry and oak brush. The plant community was maintained by naturally occurring wildfires that frequently swept through the area.
A change came when white settlers arrived during the late 1800s to farm the sandy land. While farming proved futile, it broke up the prairie and suppressed wildfires. Without fire, the original brush prairie grew into a jack pine and oak forest. In addition, wetlands were being drained at a rapid rate; by the early 1900s, nearly all the wetlands were drained. These major changes caused many native wildlife species to decline or completely disappear.
Management objectives
The primary management objective at Amsterdam Sloughs is to restore portions of the original pre-settlement vegetation and the wildlife associated with it. This includes restoring drained wetlands and brush prairie which grew into a jack pine/oak forest. Management is focused on maintaining a diversity of forested areas to improve habitat for forest wildlife. This mix of habitat types provides habitat for a wide variety of species.
Development of Amsterdam Sloughs began in 1968 when a dike was constructed to create the 500-acre Black Brook Flowage. Since then, several smaller flowages have been constructed. A total of 75 potholes, averaging one-tenth of an acre in size, were dug to function as breeding ponds for waterfowl. Several old farm fields were planted with native prairie grasses to provide nesting cover for waterfowl.
The development of Amsterdam Sloughs is just beginning. Plans include the construction of 13 small flowages totaling approximately 370 acres and 100 potholes. Additional firebreaks are also slated for construction. To facilitate public use and improve access, 11 parking lots, five boat landings and several miles of hiking and cross-country ski trails are planned. A waterfowl closed area is planned for the southeast corner of the property.
For more information on master planning for this and other wildlife areas around the state, visit the property planning page. The Amsterdam Sloughs Wildlife Area is included in the Glacial Lake Grantsburg Master Plan.
Recreation
The Amsterdam Sloughs Wildlife Area offers many recreational opportunities:
- Auto travel (minimal interior roads)
- Birding
- Boating (motorized and non-motorized)
- Canoeing
- Cross-country skiing (no designated trail)
- Hiking (no designated trail)
- Hunting
- Kayaking
- Trapping
- Wild edibles/gathering
- Wild rice harvesting
- Wildlife viewing
Amenities
- Bathroom - none.
- Parking lot - there are 20 parking lots throughout the property.
- Campground and size - none.
- Trails, Types and Lengths - several hunter walking trails.
- Other amenities -
- Boat launches on Blackbrook flowage, Bruss ponds, and Big Doctor Lake.
- Two handicap accessible deer hunting blinds.
Maps
Download a map of this property: Map A or Map B.
If you want to explore this property further, you can access an interactive map.
