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Protect the Flowage

Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area

The Turtle-Flambeau Scenic Waters Area offers the opportunity to camp and fish and enjoy the outdoors in a scenic wilderness type setting. The undisturbed wooded shorelines and islands are what make this area unique. Please help us protect the flowage by considering the following concerns.

  • Do not pound nails into trees; this damages the trees and could create a hazard for other campers or for maintenance crews.
  • Do not peel bark, carve the bark or prune limbs of trees; damaging the bark will eventually kill the tree.
  • Set your tent on the leveled tent pad or in an opening away from trees; too much traffic on tree roots near the ground surface will eventually kill the tree.
  • Hang your lantern away from tree trunks; heat will damage the tree's bark.

Invasive Species

Exotic species are one of the biggest threats to our natural environment. You can help prevent the introduction of invasives to the flowage.

  • Do not bring firewood from outside the area.
  • Do not release live bait including worms, minnows or crayfish into the environment.
  • Drain all water from your boat including live wells, bilges and bait buckets before you leave any lake, river or stream.
  • Do not transport any live fish away from a lake, river or stream unless they are bait fish purchased from a bait dealer that has not been exposed to water from that water body.
  • Inspect your boat and trailer and remove all aquatic plants, animals and mud before leaving any lake, river or stream.
  • Spray/rinse your boat and equipment with hot and/or high-pressure water or dry your equipment for five days before going to another water body.

The DNR, with volunteer help from the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage & Trude Lake Property Owners Association, is working to control purple loosestrife on the flowage. If you observe purple loosestrife (or other invasive plants) please report the location. We will then remove the plants and monitor the location in the future.

Driftwood

Driftwood provides valuable fish and wildlife habitat and adds to the unique character of the flowage; it is rapidly disappearing through natural processes and from illegal harvest.

State law prohibits removal of driftwood from the property. We also ask that you not try to burn driftwood. Generally, driftwood is water-logged and does not burn well (even if it appears dry on the outside).