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 he Minnesota River runs through a rich mosaic of plant and animal communities. The valley holds floodplain marshes, wet meadows, fens, and lakes—all maintained by the river and by the spring-fed streams draining from the base of some remarkable bluffs. These bluffs support oak forest and oak savanna remnants, and nearby wooded ravines are home to wild turkeys and many other species. As the seasons unfold, visitors to the valley will find spring wildflowers, fall colors, abundant wildlife, and the ever-changing river landscape.
The river valley is important to those in the Twin Cities region. From Le Seuer to its confluence with the Mississippi in St. Paul, the river and valley provide some of this area's most beautiful scenic overlooks. They also are used for wide-ranging outdoor enjoyment and education, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. Given the valley's location with respect to a growing Twin Cities population, pressures on valley land resources can only be expected to grow in the future.
When river valley residents were surveyed by the Department of Natural Resources in 2002, most respondents agreed that efforts to preserve fish and wildlife habitat along the river should be increased and that government purchases of private land in the valley for land protection purposes should also be increased. They also believed that promoting the use of the land by businesses to bring in new jobs and income wasn't a good idea.
Two areas in particular need protection: Bevins Creek in Carver County, which has been identified by the county's parks plan as a future park area, and the dramatic bluffs and ravines (a 300-foot elevation change!) of Scott County and Blakely Township. The Bevins Creek watershed is home to remnants of maple-basswood forest, oak forest, maple floodplain forest, and oak woodland/brushland as identified by the Minnesota County Biological Survey. Blakely Township in Scott County also has significant stands of diverse forest types along the Minnesota River. Both areas provide residents of the Twin Cities an opportunity to experience what the Lower Minnesota Valley was like in pre-settlement times.
A number of organizations and government units are working to protect and enhance the cultural and natural resources of the Minnesota River Valley, including Friends of the Minnesota Valley, Great River Greening, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota River Valley Trust, Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust, Sierra Club, Scott and Carver counties, and others.
About the photographs
Large photo: Doug Beasley; small photo: Friends of the Minnesota Valley.
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