20 Gene's Pond
wildlife viewing | directions and facility information
Over two miles of open water, with flooded woodlands on the west end
provide a rich variety of habitats. Eagles, osprey, geese, herons and
cormorants common summer residents on the impoundment. Photo: MI DNR
This impoundment was built in the 1980s for flood control by Dickinson county.
The large impoundment provides excellent habitat for waterfowl,
shorebirds, and many other wetland-related wildlife. The site features a
nice state forest campground, but the best wildlife viewing opportunities
are found by canoe or small boat on the impoundment itself. This area is
in the middle of a huge deer wintering complex -- a mixture of white
cedar and other swamp conifer habitat with upland islands covering many
square miles. Deer concentrate in this sheltered habitat during severe
winter months, many migrating from as far away as 50 miles.
 Wildlife Viewing
This site is a jewel for people who like to view large,
unique birds. On the water’s surface, watch for loons and cormorants
diving for fish. In the treetops near the campground, you can see a great
blue heron rookery, or nesting colony. Herons and cormorants both raise
their young in this colonial nesting site. Over two miles of open water,
with flooded woodlands on the west end, offer a wide variety of viewing
opportunities by canoe or boat. There are no motor restrictions on
boating in this area, but remember that loud noise or disturbance can
cause birds to abandon their nests. Watch for circling bald eagles and
osprey high above the water. These aerial hunters will circle above or
sit in trees on the shoreline scouting for fish near the surface. Then
they fly down snatching fish from the water with their powerful talons.
Access roads offer one of the
few sites where visitors can drive through a large cedar and swamp
conifer complex, and get a sense of this special cool, moist habitat. A
wide variety of songbirds plus bobcat, bear, fisher, martin, even the
threatened gray wolf, are found in this lowland habitat and adjacent upland
areas. The large, state-owned aspen habitat area south of Gene’s Pond has
diverse aspen and hardwood age classes caused by scheduled timber
harvests, and has been used by Northern Michigan University as a woodcock
project research area since the early 1980s. This area offers a variety
of forest songbirds living in the many different stages of aspen-hardwood
habitats.
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