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NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



Croix Falls, the fauna is of necessity 

 limited. 



Streams swift, clear. Springs nu- 

 merous, cold. 



700-950 ft., precipitous. 



St. Paul and Minneapolis 55 mi. N. 

 E. N. P. and Soo Line R. R. 



Outskirts of (W) Taylors Falls village. 



J mi. south from (W) St. Croix 

 Falls, Chicago County, Minnesota. Polk 

 County, Wisconsin. — C. O. R. 



*Ft. Snelling Military Reservation]. 

 (B4.) Approximately 1000 acres at the 

 confluence of the Mississippi and Min- 

 nesota Rivers. Glacial topography. A 

 large part of this area is made up of a 

 sandy, slightly undulating outwash 

 plain. On the higher portions of this 

 plain is found a typical prairie vegeta- 

 tion while in the lower places occur 

 copses of oak, aspen, cherry, hazel, 

 plum, and dogwood, alternating with 

 moist meadows, willow thickets, and a 

 few shallow ponds. On the northeast 

 the Reservation is bounded by the 

 Mississippi River gorge which is ex- 

 cavated to a depth of about 100 ft., 

 and is of comparatively recent origin. 

 The narrow flood-plains support a mixed 

 forest of elm, soft maple, cottonwood, 

 ash, and hackberry. The slopes, where 

 not too precipitous, and the upland 

 immediately back are covered by a 

 mixed deciduous forest of oak, elm, 

 sugar maple, and basswood. This forest 

 is gradually invading the prairie and in 

 this invasion the bur oak and northern 

 pin oak, together with hazel form the 

 skirmish line. Along the edge of the 

 gorge are numerous springs. On the 

 south and southeast, the Reservation is 

 bounded by the ancient Minnesota 

 River gorge. The slopes are rounded 

 and except where cut by ravines, are 

 mostly covered with a prairie vegetation. 

 The ravines are mostly wooded and in 

 some of these are clear, cool, fast flowing 

 streams. 



The flood plains of the Minnesota 

 River are extensive and are covered with 

 wide stretches of Scirpus americanus, 

 Phragmites, wild rice, and other tall 



grasses and sedges. Many species of 

 birds nest on these bottom lands. 



The fauna of the mixed forest and the 

 upland portions of the Reservation con- 

 sists mostly of the red and the gray 

 squirrel, the striped ground-squirrel, the 

 cottontail rabbit, woodchuck, quail, 

 ruffed grouse, and various species of 

 summer visiting birds. 



The reservation is under Federal 

 control but the proximity to the two 

 large cities of Minneapolis and St. 

 Paul makes it difficult to prevent poach- 

 ing, and the extensive picking of flowers. 

 Many species of spring flowers are 

 becoming rare on the Reservation. 



Mississippi River moderate, usually 

 clear, but polluted with Minneapolis 

 sewage; Minnesota River usually slug- 

 gish, but given to frequent flooding in 

 early summer; muddy. 



Rivers and flood plains 700 ft. — 

 Upland. 800-850 ft. 



(a) Minneapolisf (7 mi. south). 



(a) St. PaulJ (7 mi. southwest). 



Snelling-Minnehaha Electric R. R. 



through (w) Reservation. 



Hennepin County. — C. 0. R. 



*Fort Ridgeleij State Park. (C3.) 



This park embraces 160 acres and is 



located in the Minnesota River valley 



near the northwest corner of Nicollet 



County. It marks the battlefield of 



the first engagement of the Indian 



uprising of 1862. Here are located the 



stone buildings which were the agency 



post and most important structures of 



frontier days: nearby are the sites of 



the early trading points, the Indian 



stone church, Birch Coulee battlefield, 



Brown's Castle, and several monuments. 



Glacial topography flat till plain 



above, bordered on the southwest by 



river valley 175 ft. deep; coolees with 



swift streams descending from the 



uplands; bluffs with terraces and rock 



outcrops below; river bottoms and flood 



plains. 



Deciduous climax forest in the river 

 valley of which the principal species 

 are white and slippery elm, basswood, 

 silver and sugar maple, box-elder. 



