Rapids Lake Education and Visitor Center
Phone: 952-854-5900 |
 Beavers have changed the landscape of the Louisville Swamp by building dams and cutting down trees. |
This 2,600 acre property has a unique mix of old fields, prairie remnants, oak savanna, floodplain forest, and stone farmsteads. Historically elk and buffalo grazed the oak savannas, waterfowl filled the surrounding marshes, and the lakes teemed with fish. Today, whitetail deer, turkey, beaver, otter, and eagles are frequently observed. Bird watching enthusiasts have documented over 200 species of birds, including redheaded woodpeckers. Waterfowl, tanagers, wood warblers, flycatchers, and thrushes are a sample of the variety of species commonly seen. Plants native to prairie and oak savanna ecosystems thrive here. Big bluestem, switch grass, butterflyweed, cone flower, blazing star, can be discovered though out the summer months.
Louisville Swamp floods three out of every five years. More than 80% of the wetlands upriver have been drained and no longer function as natural sponges to hold water on the land, thus causing flooding down river in Louisville Swamp. To control the flooding and help manage for more productive wildlife there is a water control structure located near Sand Creek.
Several established trails cross through Louisville Swamp, favored by hikers in the warmer months and cross-country skiers in the winter. A portion of Minnesota DNR land, the Carver Rapids Unit, is located entirely within the refuge's Louisville Swamp Unit. The Minnesota Valley State Corridor Trail runs the entire length of the Unit from north to south. It can be reached via an access trail from the main Louisville Swamp parking lot. The trails can be flooded during spring and summer. Call the Bloomington Visitor Center at 952.854.5900 for an update.
Re-establishing Oak Savanna through Biomass Utilization
 Oak Savanna Restoration through fire. |
The removal of woody plants not associated with oak savannas has enabled 60 acres in Louisville Swamp Unit to be less prone to disastrous wildfire and provide higher quality habitat for wildlife. This project was completed through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources in 2010 with biomass utilization from the removal of woody vegetation.
Refuge staff is actively managing the landscape through prescribed fire and removal of exotic species and invading woody vegetation. This process takes several years in order to re-establish native grasses and forbes common to oak savanna.
Wetland Restoration at Louisville Swamp Unit's Jailhouse Marsh
Jailhouse Marsh often receives floodwaters from the Minnesota River and Sand Creek. In recent years a combination of flood debris and beaver activity has changed the outlet of the marsh. This restoration project will reconstruct the damaged outlet and provide the ability to manage water levels. During part of the restoration project, water levels in the marsh will temporarily lowered. With water level management the Service will be able to provide mudflats for migrating shorebirds and encourage the growth of high-energy waterfowl foods around the edges of the marsh.
This restoration project is a partnership between the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the Friends of Minnesota Valley, and the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.
For more information on the State Corridor Trail and the Carver Rapids Unit, contact:
MN Valley State Trail/Recreation Area
19825 Park Blvd.
Jordan, MN 55352
952.492.6400
Trail Map
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| [ Click for .pdf ] |
Main parking area:
3801 145th Street West, Shakopee
The main Louisville Swamp trail head is located about 4 1/2 miles south of Shakopee. Exit
Highway 169 onto 145th Street West. Follow the road past the main entrance to the Renaissance Festival and over the next set of
railroad tracks. The Louisville parking lot is located on the left.
