Rieth Fen

The Rieth Fen is a <1-acre area within a larger remnant marl-beach/wet prairie that surface drains calcium-rich water into adjacent Bear Lake. Work was initiated November 2012 to remove invading tree and shrub cover. Decadent shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa)–an endemic species of fens–was high-mowed. This stimulated its growth and provided more sunlight to encourage a robust herbaceous ground cover of endemic species.  The site was burned in 2016 to encourage and maintain this growth and diversity.