St. Croix Savanna SNA
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148 Acres Located approximately 0.5 miles S of Bayport on MN Hwy 95. Park along the shoulder of Hwy 95 near the SNA sign. Washington County Twp 29N Rng 20W Sec 14-15 Type: Deciduous Woods ECS Subsection: St. Paul-Baldwin Plains & Moraines |
Description:
The St. Croix Savanna occurs along the top and side of a south-facing bluff, with views of the St. Croix River. Its slopes of loamy sand have eroded extensively, their soils now supporting an alluvial forest along the bottom. Scattered bur oak and pin oak on the open gravel prairie become increasingly dense toward the northeast and northwest, forming first an oak woodland and then an oak forest. Prescribed burning and removal of the exotic black locust has greatly enhanced the savanna. The dry savanna exhibits a significant diversity of grasses: hairy and side oats grama, needle and thread, prairie dropseed, and many others. Several species of goldenrod, sunflower, aster, and blazing star join the pasque flower, prairie gentian, coreopsis, flowering spurge, potentilla, fleabane, coneflowers, and hoary vervain in an ever-changing palette of prairie color. Rare kitten tails grow in the partial shade of bur oaks; other rare species found here include James' polanisia, Illinois tick-trefoil, and a species of pinweed. The St. Croix Savanna is the best hill prairie and oak savanna along the Lower St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. Portions of the site are gifts of Ann McMannus and the estate of Hattie Miller.
Bird List 
