Norway Point Bottomlands

State Natural Area (No. 151)

Location: Within Governor Knowles State Forest, Burnett County. T40N-R18W, Sections 19, 20, 29, 30. 330 acres.

Access: From the intersection of Highways D and F at the north end of Grantsburg, go north on County Highway F 9 miles, then north on Norway Point Road 2 miles to a boat landing on the St. Croix River. Walk northeast into the area. An interpretive trail loops through the swamp.

Description: Norway Point Bottomlands lies along a bend in the St. Croix River and encompasses five major lowland plant communities including a southern wet-mesic forest at its northern range limit in Wisconsin. Also present are a northern wet-mesic forest, shrub carr, northern sedge meadow, and a 0.3-mile reach of Iron Creek. Closest to the river is a bottomland hardwood forest with silver maple, American elm, white ash, and black ash. Between the floodplain and uplands are swamp hardwoods dominated by black ash with yellow birch and elm. Along the base of the river terrace escarpment are similar hardwoods and white cedar with numerous springs and seeps that feed into Iron Creek. Willow, alder, dogwood, and Spirea dominate the surrounding shrub thickets. The adjacent sedge meadow was historically used for mowing prior to state ownership. Iron Creek is a minnow stream with turbid, acid, and infertile waters. The wetlands provide nesting habitat for waterfowl and the area is home to high beaver and deer populations. Common breeding birds include eastern bluebird, eastern wood pewee, veery, red-eyed vireo, ovenbird, mourning warbler, black and white warbler, and pileated woodpecker. Norway Point is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1979.