Germania Wet Prairie

State Natural Area (No. 366)

Location: Located within Germania Marsh Wildlife Area, Marquette County. T17N-R10E, Sections 27, 34. 95 acres.

Access: The area is best seen by canoe. From the intersection of Highway J and Eagle Road in Germania, go north on N 1.4 miles, then west on Duck Creek Road 1.3 miles to the second access road heading south (about 0.2 mile) to a boat launch. Canoe upstream about one mile upstream into the natural area. Or for walk-in access, from Eagle, go west and north on Eagle Road 2.7 miles to a DNR parking lot on the east side of the road. Walk east overland about 0.3 mile into the natural area.

Description: Situated on the terraces above the Mecan River is Germania Wet Prairie, a diverse wet to wet-mesic prairie with a showy flora and some sedge meadow and fen affinities. The natural area has had little to no previous disturbance such as grazing, which is a common occurrence in the surrounding area. Grasses include prairie cord grass, blue-joint grass, and slender wheat grass. Herbaceous plants include wild bergamot, prairie blazing-star, mountain mint, swamp thistle, Michigan lily, marsh bellflower, downy phlox, boneset, tall meadow-rue, pale-spike lobelia, and royal fern. Germania Wet Prairie is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 2002.