ï~~2001
THE MICHIGAN BOTANIST
53
TABLE 1: Average water quality measurements of spring stream at NBW
Temperature 12.7Â~Celsius
pH 7.8
Conductivity 250.9 mg/L
Turbidity 34.7 NTU (nephelometric turbidity units)
Flow Rate 0.084 m/sec
Dissolved 02 7.0 mg/L
Ammonium (NH4+) 7.1 mg/L
Nitrate (NO3-) 10.7 mg/L
Calcium (Ca+2) 3.1 mg/L
Chloride (Cl-1) 11.7 mg/L
units of St. Peter sandstone and Prairie du Chien dolomite, respectively (Martin
1965).
Green Lake formed in an ancient preglacial river valley that became dammed
by recessional moraines deposited during the Woodfordian stage, 12,000-23,000
years before present (B. P.). The Woodfordian drift, in turn, is covered by glaciolacustrine sediments deposited by Glacial Lake Oshkosh during the Valders
stage, 6,000-12,000 years B. P. (Paull & Paull 1977). The NBW are situated on
the extinct lakebed, below the eastern edge of the recessional moraines.
Soils of the NBW include mostly Houghton muck, with smaller areas of
loamy sands and gravels also present. The nearly level and often saturated
Houghton muck is derived from lacustrine deposits and oxidized plant material.
Besides functioning as a natural buffer that filters, absorbs and stores surface
runoff, the organic soils are invaluable for supporting a rich wetlands biota.
An unnamed spring-fed stream, which does not appear on the Princeton East
quadrangle map, flows from the northwest property boundary and drains east
into a shallow inlet. The thread-like rivulet meanders from west to east through
buckthorn thickets, a rich fen assemblage and calcareous meadows. Average
water quality measurements near the mouth of the flowage, collected with a
CBL (calculator-based laboratory) system in May and August 2001, indicate the
stream is of average to above average water quality (Table 1).
ORIGINAL LAND SURVEY RECORDS
The earliest known reports that contain references of specific plants from the
NBW area are from the field notes of the original land surveys (General Land
Office, 1834 and 1835). The survey records for Township 15 North and Range
12 East were begun on December 26, 1834 and finished January 3, 1835, while
surveys for Township 16 North and Range 12 East were begun January 6, 1835
and completed January 15, 1835. A resurvey of the south boundary of T16N was
certified on January 3, 1891.
The present-day vegetation patterns for the NBW and adjoining sections correspond closely to the specific names of "witness" trees cited in the original land
survey records. Oak forest and savanna were prevalent communities that sur
