Mead Wildlife Area
The Mead (George W.) Wildlife Area is a state wildlife area covering over in central Wisconsin. It includes portions of Marathon, Portage, and Wood counties. It is managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). The Area is commonly referred to as "the Mead". Five WDNR staff manage the Area. The non-profit organization Friends of the Mead/McMillan Association, Inc. assist with raising funds to support the area's activities. The Mead has over 70 miles of maintained hiking trails and a 7-mile hiking loop around the Berkahn Flowage. It is home to 291 species of birds every year. A total of 278 bird species have been recorded as of 2018 for the Mead SWA. Currently, there are 126 bird species known to breed in this area. History Originally in the early 1900s, the lowlands in the area were to be used for farming. They were drained by digging ditches and dredging and straightening a five-mile (8 km) section of the Little Eau Pleine River. Farming failed, however, as the lowlands were too cold and acidic for farming. In 1933, the area was to be the site of two reservoirs impounding the Big and Little Eau Pleine Rivers. Land was purchased