Minnesota Seasons - Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Pavia Unit

About • Location • Activities • Ecology

About

Ownership

Links

The Nature Conservancy

Overview

History

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) acquired the land with funds provided by the Outdoor Heritage Fund. They transferred the land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under a program recommended by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.

Management

Comments

Location

Size

145.4 acres

Driving Directions


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				Norman County
				Northwest Minnesota

Parking

N47 15.170, W96 23.151

Hours

Fees

There is no charge to visit.

No National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota charges a fee

Maps

Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates

Activities

Hiking

Biking

Mountain biking

Horseback riding

Picnicking

Camping

Swimming

Boating

Canoeing

Birding

Nature photography

Geocaching

Cross country skiing

Skate-skiing

Winter hiking

Snowshoeing

Snowmobiling

Trails


Hiking	No maintained trails
Snowshoe	Anywhere on the site

Hunting and Fishing

All huinting. See Hunting and Trapping Regulations (MN DNR) for details.


Ecology

Ecological Classification
Ecological Province			Prairie Parkland Province
Ecological Section			Red River Valley
Ecological Subsection			Red River Prairie
Land Type Association			Barnesville Beach Complex

Native Plant Communities*
Wet Prairie (Northern)
* Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources

Natural Features


Visitor Photos

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Dan W. Andree

Northern Tallgrass Prairie Pavia Unit... I drove out by NWR Pavia Unit today and took a couple photos. It was so windy I just used my phone. While we had a lot of rain earlier in the season this past 3-4 weeks or so have been dry and several days warmer than normal. Today though it was a stiff NW wind and only in the 50’s for highs. Suppose to freeze overnight the next couple days then a warm up.

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR Pavia Unit early Spring 2021...

The pond has a lot of water in it and things are slow but surely greening up. Note the fence crossing under water. This previously burned area is very important to a lot of different species birds, etc. not just ones that will nest there but many migrating through as a temporary stop over area. The frogs etc. seem to like the pond and cattails.		... a couple marbled godwits on shore and some of those greater yellowlegs at waters edge.

... intermittent stream or outflow. It is not a regular stream channel like most streams or creeks it just kind of finds its way though the grasses and terrain as it meanders out. It has become less noticeable in the past weeks compared to when it actually had a flow or current noticeable.

Burned out 3-18-21... They had real good weather yesterday barely a breeze. It needed a cleaning out. Glad they got it burned out this early in the season. Should grow back nicer than before.





Northern Tallgrass Prairie Geese and Pond...


MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos



Parking		Parking


		Dried seasonal pond


Minimal signage


Wet Prairie (Northern)		Wet Prairie (Northern)


Wet Prairie (Northern)		Wet Prairie (Northern)

Camera

Slideshows

slideshow


Visitor Videos

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Dan W. Andree

Stream Flowing out of the pond at Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR Pavia Unit Spring 2021.
4/30/2021

About

This was a week or so ago. As of today April 27, 2021 the flow is not noticeable and the water seems to more so sit. Probably moving but so slow you don’t see it. Guessing some of the plants growing now are also helping to soak it up.

Some time back we had some rain up here and some snow and that brought up that pond and got that outlet draining. A few weeks or so after the prescribed burning there was no water draining since there hadn’t been much snow all winter. But we did get some spring rain and snow after that...

There are a lot of Snipes at the Pavia Unit I noticed too. Hard to notice them they blend right in. It can be hard to sometimes even see those marbled godwits but with the greening up they are starting to be more noticeable.


Other Videos

Camcorder


Visitor Sightings

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Dan W. Andree

MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

Visits

8/15/2019


Amphibians
northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens)


Bacteria, Viruses, and Other Pathogens
apical chlorosis of Canada thistle (Pst) (Pseudomonas syringae pv. tagetis)

Birds


One bird species with conservation status in Minnesota has been seen here:
Special Concern	Greater Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido)

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Greater Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido)

Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)

Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis tabida)

Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis)

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)

Insects and Arachnids


One insect and arachnid species with conservation status in Minnesota has been seen here:
Special Concern	regal fritillary (Argynnis idalia)

clouded sulphur (Colias philodice)

dogbane saucrobotys moth (Saucrobotys futilalis)

goldenrod bunch gall midge (Rhopalomyia solidaginis)

great spangled fritillary (Argynnis cybele)

monarch (Danaus plexippus)

regal fritillary (Argynnis idalia)

silver-bordered fritillary (Boloria selene)

thirteen-spotted lady beetle (Hippodamia tredecimpunctata)


Plants
Plants frequently found in: Wet Prairie (Northern) WPn53c

Common Name Scientific Name American bugleweed (Lycopus americanus) Baltic rush (Juncus balticus var. littoralis) big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi) bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus) black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima) blue vervain (Verbena hastata) bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii) bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) Canada anemone (Anemonastrum canadense) Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) candle anemone (Anemone cylindrica) common blue violet (Viola sororia) common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) common plantain (Plantago major) common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) common smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve) common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) crested sedge (Carex cristatella) curly dock (Rumex crispus) dotted smartweed (Persicaria punctata) Flodman’s thistle (Cirsium flodmanii) four-flowered yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia quadriflora) foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum ssp. jubatum) fringed loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata) giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) giant sunflower (Helianthus giganteus) golden alexanders (Zizia aurea) grass-leaved goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia) heart-leaved golden alexanders (Zizia aptera) hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium) hedge nettle (Stachys sp.) hybrid cattail (Typha × glauca) Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum) Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) intermediate bellflower (Campanula intercedens) Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis ssp. pratensis) lance selfheal (Prunella vulgaris ssp. lanceolata) little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) marsh vetchling (Lathyrus palustris) Maximilian’s sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani) mountain death camas (Anticlea elegans) narrow-leaved meadowsweet (Spiraea alba var. alba) narrow-leaved purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) northern bedstraw (Galium boreale) northern plains blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis) northern reed grass (Calamagrostis stricta ssp. inexpansa) northern water plantain (Alisma triviale) orange daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) palespike lobelia (Lobelia spicata) panicled aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum) perennial sow thistle (Sonchus arvensis) plumeless thistle (Carduus acanthoides ssp. acanthoides) prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya var. pycnostachya) prairie cordgrass (Sporobolus michauxianus) prairie goldenrod (Solidago ptarmicoides) prairie ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata ssp. fasciculata) prairie onion (Allium stellatum) prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea) redtop (Agrostis gigantea) reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) Riddell’s goldenrod (Solidago riddellii) rough barnyard grass (Echinochloa muricata) rough bugleweed (Lycopus asper) Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) shorthair goldenrod (Solidago altissima var. gilvocanescens) showy goldenrod species complex (Solidago speciosa complex) showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila) sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula var. curtipendula) silverweed (Argentina anserina ssp. anserina) slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus ssp. trachycaulus) smooth brome (Bromus inermis) smooth scouring rush (Equisetum laevigatum) spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos) spotted lady’s thumb (Persicaria maculosa) spotted water hemlock (Cicuta maculata) stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida ssp. rigida) stiff sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus) switch grass (Panicum virgatum var. virgatum) timothy (Phleum pratense ssp. pratense) Torrey’s rush (Juncus torreyi) Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) water smartweed (Persicaria amphibia) western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya) white heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides) white sweet clover (Melilotus albus) wild mint (Mentha arvensis) wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) witch grass (Panicum capillare) wolfberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) yellow foxtail (Setaria pumila ssp. pumila) Achillea millefolium (common yarrow) Agrostis gigantea (redtop) Alisma triviale (northern water plantain) Allium stellatum (prairie onion) Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed) Ambrosia psilostachya (western ragweed) Andropogon gerardi (big bluestem) Anemonastrum canadense (Canada anemone) Anemone cylindrica (candle anemone) Anticlea elegans (mountain death camas) Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp) Argentina anserina ssp. anserina (silverweed) Asclepias speciosa (showy milkweed) Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) Bouteloua curtipendula var. curtipendula (sideoats grama) Bromus inermis (smooth brome) Calamagrostis stricta ssp. inexpansa (northern reed grass) Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed) Campanula intercedens (intermediate_bellflower) Carduus acanthoides (plumeless thistle) Carex cristatella (crested sedge) Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos (spotted knapweed) Cicuta maculata (spotted water hemlock) Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) Cirsium flodmanii (Flodman’s thistle) Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle) Cornus sericea ssp. sericea (red osier dogwood) Echinacea angustifolia (narrow-leaved purple coneflower) Echinochloa muricata (rough barnyard grass) Elaeagnus angustifolia (Russian olive) Elymus trachycaulus ssp. trachycaulus (slender wheatgrass) Equisetum laevigatum (smooth scouring rush) Eragrostis spectabilis (purple lovegrass) Euthamia graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod) Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry) Galium boreale (northern bedstraw) Gentiana andrewsii (bottle gentian) Helenium autumnale (common sneezeweed) Helianthus giganteus (giant sunflower) Helianthus maximiliani (Maximilian’s sunflower) Helianthus pauciflorus (stiff sunflower) Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke) Hemerocallis fulva (orange daylily) Hordeum jubatum ssp. jubatum (foxtail barley) Juncus balticus var. littoralis (Baltic rush) Juncus torreyi (Torrey’s rush) Lathyrus palustris (marsh vetchling) Liatris ligulistylis (northern plains blazing star) Liatris pycnostachya var. pycnostachya (prairie blazing star) Lobelia spicata (palespike lobelia) Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus (bird’s-foot trefoil) Lycopus americanus (American bugleweed) Lycopus asper (rough bugleweed) Lysimachia ciliata (fringed loosestrife) Lysimachia quadriflora (four-flowered yellow loosestrife) Melilotus albus (white sweet clover) Mentha arvensis (wild mint) Solidago riddellii (Riddell’s goldenrod) Panicum capillare (witch grass) Panicum virgatum var. virgatum (switch grass) Persicaria amphibia (water smartweed) Persicaria maculosa (spotted lady’s thumb) Persicaria punctata (dotted smartweed) Phalaris arundinacea (reed canary grass) Phleum pratense ssp. pratense (timothy) Plantago major (common plantain) Poa pratensis ssp. pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass) Prunella vulgaris ssp. lanceolata (lance selfheal) Pycnanthemum virginianum (Virginia mountain mint) Rosa arkansana (prairie rose) Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima (black-eyed Susan) Rumex crispus (curly dock) Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) Setaria pumila ssp. pumila (yellow foxtail) Solidago altissima var. gilvocanescens (shorthair goldenrod) Solidago gigantea (giant goldenrod) Solidago ptarmicoides (prairie goldenrod) Solidago rigida ssp. rigida (stiff goldenrod) Solidago speciosa complex (showy goldenrod species complex) Sonchus arvensis (perennial sow thistle) Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass) Spiraea alba var. alba (narrow-leaved meadowsweet) Sporobolus michauxianus (prairie cordgrass) Stachys spp. (hedge nettle) Symphoricarpos occidentalis (wolfberry) Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides (white heath aster) Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve (common smooth blue aster) Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (panicled aster) Typha × glauca (hybrid cattail) Ulmus pumila (Siberian elm) Verbena hastata (blue vervain) Vernonia fasciculata ssp. fasciculata (prairie ironweed) Viola sororia (common blue violet) Zizia aptera (heart-leaved golden alexanders) Zizia aurea (golden alexanders)