Management

Wild Rivers Designation

In 1965, the Wisconsin Legislature designated 3 rivers in Wisconsin as State Wild Rivers. Those initial 3 rivers were the Pine River and its tributary, the Popple River in Florence County and the Pike River in Marinette County. State law protects the rivers from development and keeps them in a natural, free flowing condition, offering visitors a true wild experience. Much of the public lands in the area are often rugged and undeveloped, with access limited. 

The Pike River starts out as two separate branches (North and South), both beginning at impoundments in private conservation ownership. These branches then flow through Marinette County Forest land before traveling through a combination of state-owned, county-owned and privately-owned lands. The 32.5-mile North Branch and 26-mile South Branch combine west of the town of Amberg to form the main Pike River which then flows for another 15.5 miles to the Menominee River.

Objective

Management of the state-owned land along both branches of the Pike River is designed to show as few traces of human intervention as possible. Except for limited walk-in sites, development is kept back from the river’s edge. A management “protection zone”, to maintain the Pike River’s wild and natural condition, extends 150 feet from the river’s edge, or to the visual horizon, whichever is greater. Lands more than 150 feet from the rivers are managed for forestry production, wildlife and public recreational purposes. Except for road crossings, motorized vehicle access is restricted to designated areas outside the protection zone. Through agreements with Marinette County, lands under their ownership along the Pike River are also managed under similar philosophies.

A Wild Rivers Advisory Committee meeting is held annually by staff and partners for the state lands owned and managed by the DNR. The meeting enables staff with property management responsibilities to accomplish multiple objectives — debriefing on the previous year's accomplishments, consideration of work planned for the upcoming year, and providing the opportunity for public feedback on planned management actions.