Who We Are

WHO WE ARE

Three Waters Reserve is a mission-driven event center and nature reserve offering private venue rentals, nature-based educational programming and public trails. Owned by a charitable land trust, proceeds from TWR venue rentals support conservation efforts on the property and in the Sugar River watershed.

A HISTORIC VENUE RESTORED TO ITS NATURAL BEAUTY

Home to the Decatur Lake Golf Course for nearly a century, the event center now sits on 71 acres of protected lands restored to their wild landscapes and managed by our owner, Southern Wisconsin Land Conservancy (501-c3). If you are interested in supporting the conservation work here at Three Waters Reserve, you can learn more about becoming a member and other options on SWLC's Ways to Give page.

A CONSERVATION COLLECTIVE

Three Waters Reserve serves as headquarters for Southern Wisconsin Land Conservancy, the Lower Sugar River Field Station, the Lower Sugar River Watershed Association and the Applied Ecological Institute, making it an important hub for watershed research and education.

PUBLIC EVENTS PROGRAMMING

Public events at Three Waters Reserve aim to highlight the critical connection between watershed health, human health, and the quality of our food. Our unique culinary experiences feature wild foraged foods & ingredients sourced from local regenerative farms.

ABOUT THE RESERVE

The dramatic topographic relief and panoramic vistas on the property range from wildflower prairie to majestic oak savanna with century old trees. The unique blend of habitats on the property make it an important area for biodiversity, including a variety of wildlife and several state-threatened plant species. Today, more than 80% of Lower Sugar River Watershed is agricultural, making the remaining natural fragments critical to protect. TWR and surrounding preserves and wildlife management areas now comprise over 7,000 acres of conservation lands.

OUR TEAM

We are a dynamic group of ecologists, conservationists, chefs and entrepreneurs bound by a drive to sow purposeful connections and a shared mission for leaving the planet a better place than we found it.