Savage Fen SNA
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| Scott County | |||
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| Size | East Unit: 152 acres West Unit: 136 acres |
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| Parking | East Unit Park to the left of the gate across the utility road. Do not block the gate. West Unit The paved lot bordering the northwest corner of West Unit is private property. Park between the wood routed sign and the SNA corner boundary sign. There is room for two cars. Additional cars should park along 128th St. |
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| Hiking Trails | Although there are no maintained trails, there are several trails on the East Unit. A utility road leads from the parking area south into the SNA then west to Quentin Ave. S. The roadbed is raised and should be accessible even during spring flooding. Near the east end of this road a forest road (former USF&WS administrative road) leads south into the forest then west along the base of the bluff. Where the administrative road turns west a well worn trail continues straight up the bluff. This trail and a few connecting trails lead west and south to a housing development. The land acquired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2013 came with the stipulation that a bike trail be constructed through the East Unit. A potential trail was surveyed in 2014. The route follows the old forest road along the base of the bluff. It was subsequently determined that the proposed route could not be made in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. |
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| Hunting | Archery only. See Hunting and Trapping Regulations (MN DNR) for details. |
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| Ecological Classification | Province | Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province |
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| Section | Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal |
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| Subsection(s) | Big Woods |
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| Land Type Association(s) | Elko Moraine Le Sueur Alluvial Plain |
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| Native Plant Communities1 | Calcareous Fen (Southeastern) Elm - Basswood - Black Ash - (Hackberry) Forest Mesic Prairie (Southern) Seepage Meadow/Carr Sugar Maple - Basswood - (Bitternut Hickory) Forest |
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| Comments | Wet Recent Acquisitions Management A 25-acre area at the southeast corner of the West Unit has been the focus of recent management activity. The West Unit has not been burned since 1970. In the winter of 2015-16 woody species were selectively cut down and a fire break was cleared. The smaller stems, shrubs, were left where they were cut. The larger stems, trees, were piled for later removal. Buckthorn was cut and treated with herbicide. Seeds of native grasses and forbs were collected. All in preparation for a prescribed burn in the spring of 2016. That burn has been postponed indefinitely. In the fall of 2016, removal of native and non-native Phragmites began in two small selected areas. That work continued in the fall of 2017. In the winter of 2017-18, woody species were cut and removed from the westernmost portion of the West Unit. The trees and shrubs that had been cut and piled in 2015-16 were also removed. |
Waterproof footwear recommended |
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| Visits | 5/22/2006 3/9/2014 3/30/2014 4/20/2014 5/25/2014 6/25/2014 7/17/2014 8/2/2014 9/19/2014 10/24/2014 |
5/2/2016 5/9/2016 5/14/2016 5/20/2016 5/22/2016 6/2/2016 6/5/2016 6/6/2016 6/15/2016 7/11/2016 |
12/28/2016 1/31/2017 2/27/2017 3/28/2017 4/1/2017 4/23/2017 5/8/2017 5/26/2017 6/1/2017 6/15/2017 |
5/31/2018 6/30/2018 7/27/2018 8/3082018 9/30/2018 3/23/2019 4/20/2019 5/25/2019 6/28/2019 9/28/2019 |
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11/19/2014 11/22/2014 12/28/2014 1/17/2015 2/24/2015 3/30/2015 4/26/2015 5/13/2015 6/6/2015 6/19/2015 |
7/16/2016 7/25/2016 8/6/2016 8/18/2016 9/18/16 9/27/16 9/30/2016 10/6/2016 10/9/2016 10/14/2016 |
7/31/2017 8/30/17 9/14/2017 9/21/2017 9/272017 9/30/2017 10/4/2017 10/8/2017 10/11/2017 10/16/2017 |
10/26/2019 1/6/2020 2/6/2020 |
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7/30/2015 8/28/2015 9/29/2015 10/27/2015 11/25/2015 12/27/2015 1/24/2016 2/24/2016 3/28/2016 4/20/2016 |
10/16/2016 10/20/2016 10/22/2016 10/23/2016 10/24/2016 10/28/2016 11/1/2016 11/4/2016 11/6/2016 11/10/2016 |
10/18/2017 10/20/2017 10/23/2017 10/26/2017 11/8/2017 11/13/2017 11/18/2017 3/17/2018 3/19/2018 4/22/2018 |
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| Visitor Photos | |||
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| MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos | |||
| East Unit | |||
Parking |
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Wood Routed Sign |
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Interpretive Sign |
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Utility Road |
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Old Forest Road |
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Chain Link Fence |
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Cinderblock Wall |
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Duck Pond |
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Pond |
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Spring |
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Credit River |
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Elm - Basswood - Black Ash - (Hackberry) Forest |
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Seepage Meadow/Carr |
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Sugar Maple - Basswood - (Bitternut Hickory) Forest |
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| West Unit | |||
Parking |
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Entrance |
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Wood Routed Sign |
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Interpretive Sign |
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Buried Pipeline |
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Glacial Erratic |
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Perennial Stream This stream has sunk 16" to 20" into the peat. Protected from cold tempreatures, it remains unfrozen and flowing year round. |
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East Pond |
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Frog Pond This was once a beaver pond. Beavers were actively hunted here and eventually extirpated. Only frogs live here now. |
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Seepage Meadow/Carr |
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Calcareous Fen (Southeastern) |
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Sugar Maple - Basswood - (Bitternut Hickory) Forest |
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Woody Species Removal, Winter 2015-16 |
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Fen Restoration |
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| April 2018 | |||
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| April 2018 | May 2018 | ||
Sunrise on Savage Fen |
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Pussy Willows Flowering in April |
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| Slideshows | ||
| Savage Fen SNA Mikes Orchids |
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About
This is a visit to Savage Fen Scientific and Natural Area in Savage Minnesota. Savage Fen is located below the bluffs along the Minnesota River on the south side. It is a unique example of one of Minnesota's rarest plant and animal communities. It is a calcareous fen, meaning that it is a wetland adapted to growing in the highly alkaline water seeping out of the bluffs. The wetland acts like a sponge, absorbing this water and holding it there supporting a unique assembly of plants and animals. See more here: www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/sna00999/index.html |
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| Visitor Videos | |||
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| Other Videos | |||
_02.jpg "Cort")
_03.jpg "oil beetle")
_02.jpg "bur oak (var. macrocarpa)")
_01.jpg "lesser fringed gentian (ssp. virgata)")
_02.jpg "mountain death camas (var. elegans)")
_01.jpg "prairie fleabane (var. strigosus)")
_10.jpg "prairie ironweed")
_11.jpg "showy goldenrod (var. speciosa)")
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