The Butte des Morts Conservation Club was formed in February of 1994 by a small group of individuals who shared a common goal. That goal was to simply Conserve, Preserve, and Restore (CPR) precious and endangered wildlife habitat within Lake Butte des Morts, its adjacent watershed and wetlands.
Lake Butte des Morts is located within the heart of the historic Fox River Valley of East Central Wisconsin and is part of the upriver lakes pool formed by Lake Butte des Morts, Lake Winneconne, and Lake Poygan. Lake Winnebago lies directly to the east separated only by the city of Oshkosh. The Fox river flows into Lake Butte des Morts from the city of Omro and the Wolf River flows from the other upriver lakes. They both join in Lake Butte des Morts and continue through the city of Oshkosh into Lake Winnebago. For centuries, Lake Butte des Morts has been a vitally important staging area and nesting habitat for North American migratory waterfowl as well as a thriving and productive fishery. Through decades of mismanagement, rising water levels due to dams, and increased recreational pressure, most of these natural wetlands have been destroyed.
The Butte des Morts Conservation Club is committed to doing whatever it takes to save this valuable habitat and restoring Lake Butte des Morts and its surrounding habitat to a productive wetland marsh and waterway for the use, benefit, and enjoyment for our generation and generations to come.
Each year, we conduct and participate in various projects which will help us achieve our goals. We strive to form partnerships with other conservation organizations, clubs, and government agencies to benefit lake Butte des Morts, its surrounding wetlands and tributaries and lakes. In July 1998, the Butte des Morts Conservation Club, with financial support from the public and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources grant programs, purchased 1183 acres of Lake Butte des Morts wetlands and placed it in a "public trust" for perpetuity. This wetland area, known as Terrell's Island,has all the base ingredients necessary to rebuild a healthy and productive wildlife habitat and spawning grounds for a variety of marine life. This property is available for a variety of environmental educational experiences from grade school field trips, to post graduate studies, and personal enjoyment. At the appropriate times, it provides the avid sportsperson with areas of quality hunting and fishing opportunities. As the membership of the Butte des Morts Conservation Club grows, we will expand our efforts to provide everyone with a quality environmental experience and at the same time, continue CPR on Lake Butte des Morts and its surrounding lakes, tributaries, and wetlands.