Canoeing the Mississippi River: A Return to Weaver Bottoms for Wetland Plant Identification

Where: Weaver, Minnesota
When: Saturday July 22nd, 2017 (10:30 AM to 3:30 PM)
Leader: Steve Eggers, Senior Ecologist for the St. Paul District Corps of Engineers and MNNPS Board Member

Come join Steve Eggers and other MNNPS members for a day of wetland plant identification canoeing through the unique plant communities of Weaver Bottoms. Weaver Bottoms is located on the Upper Mississippi River within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. This 5,500 acre habitat complex includes areas of open water, flowing channels, backwater lakes, isolated wetlands and forested wetlands.

We hope to see American lotus in full bloom as well as 9-foot tall wild rice stands since the timing of this trip coincides with the typical peak bloom of lotus. An array of emergent, floating and submergent aquatic vegetation will be viewed throughout the day at the bottoms.

To begin the day we will meet at 10:30 AM at the USFWS boat landing/parking lot just 100 feet east off Highway 61 in Weaver, MN, this is just north of where the Whitewater River crosses Highway 61. Participants will need to provide their own canoe. We will be enjoying flat-water canoeing into backwater areas at a nice and slow pace for the day.

Field trips are open to MNNPS members only and pre-registration is required. To register, send an email to: Ken Arndt <ken.arndt@mnrinc.us>