Kellogg-Weaver Dunes SNA
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697 Acres Located from Kellogg 4.3 miles SE on Co Rd 84. Park on E side of road. Wabasha County Twp 109N Rng 09W Sec 05-18 & 18 Type: Deciduous Woods ECS Subsection: Blufflands |
Description:
Kellogg-Weaver Dunes contains a rolling sand dune topography well above the current floodplain of the Mississippi River, on a terrace where the Mississippi, Chippewa, and Zumbro Rivers once came together. Some dunes are 30 feet high. The site encompasses a diversity of successional stages ranging from blowouts with bare sand, to mature dunes with dry, mesic, or wet prairie species. An oak savanna, with pin oak, bur oak, and jack pine, occurs along the edges. One of the largest populations of the rare Blanding's turtle uses this site, which provides an ideal habitat of calm, shallow waters rich in aquatic vegetation, with sandy uplands for nesting. Unfortunately, roadways separate the water and upland Blanding's habitats, which means that both the mature females and their hatchlings risk roadkill during their journeys in June and late August. The sand dunes provide another special mid-summer event when the rough-seeded fameflower blooms daily after 4:30 p.m. for just three hours. Midsummer is a good time, too, to observe the rare yellow-fruited sedge and Ottoe skipper butterfly amidst the unusual grasses and wildflowers. Other good times to visit are in mid- to late-spring to see pasque flowers in bloom, and again in the fall for blazing stars, purple coneflowers and sunflowers. * indicates ownership in part or in whole by The Nature Conservancy.
