Beaver Creek Valley State Park
Encyclopedia
Beaver Creek Valley State Park is a state park
of Minnesota
, USA, featuring a steep, narrow valley carved by East Beaver Creek. This spring-fed stream is a fishing destination for its native brown trout
. The heavily forested valley, up to 250 feet (76.2 m) deep in places, is a hidden natural oasis amidst the farmland of southeastern Minnesota. Located near the town of Caledonia
, the park was developed in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration
. The parkland exhibits the highly stream-carved terrain characteristic of the Driftless Area.
followed by a layer called Jordan sandstone
, followed by a second layer of dolomite. Today the Jordan sandstone forms the walls of the valley while the upper layer of dolomite caps the ridges. Both types of rock are water-permeable, resulting in numerous springs.
The deep valley of East Beaver Creek is indicative of the Driftless Area. Whereas most of the Midwestern United States
was blanketed with till
, or drift, by three successive ice age
s, the Driftless Area remained ice-free. Therefore streams and rivers have had a longer time to cut into their beds, eroding deep valleys and leaving high ridges.
East Beaver Creek, which joins with West Beaver Creek at the north end of the park, is in the drainage system of the Root River
. Flash flood
ing can occur after heavy rainfall. The creek supports a naturally-occurring population of brown trout
(unlike those trout streams which are created by fish stocking
).
Within the valley the vegetation is bottomland hardwoods such as black ash
, willow
, box elder
, cottonwood, and elm
. Higher on the valley walls and on the flat ground beyond the forest is a mix of maple
, walnut
, basswood
, and oak
. Some south and west-facing slopes bear remnant prairie
patches. Several rare or endangered plants are found in the park.
Acadian flycatcher
s and Louisiana waterthrush
es, birds rare in Minnesota, nest within the park. There are also resident timber rattlesnakes
but they are rarely encountered by visitors. When a hiker was bitten in the park in July 2011, it was the first unprovoked attack by a timber rattlesnake in Minnesota since 1996.
village was once located in Beaver Creek Valley, as indicated by archaeological field survey
s. Some prehistoric stone tools have been found.
Europeans began homesteading the area in the 1850s, attracted by rich farming soil, hardwood lumber, and streams conducive to milling. Much of the land around Beaver Creek Valley was too rugged to farm, so most of the parcels were used as pasture
or woodlot
s. In 1876 a gristmill
was built on Beaver Creek. Now known as the Schech Mill
, it is the last water-powered mill in Minnesota still operating with its original equipment.
Beaver Creek Valley was proposed as a state park in the 1930s, and acquisition of the privately-owned lots began in 1936. The park was authorized by the Minnesota Legislature
the following year. A small Works Progress Administration
crew arrived in 1938 and built the entrance road, flood control structures, picnic ground, and trails. The campground was developed in the late 1940s. The boundaries of the park were extended in the late 1960s out of concern that landowners along the blufftops might cut the timber, causing erosion
. However few owners were willing to sell these lots, as most of it was good farmland which, moreover, wouldn't be easily accessible to parkgoers on the valley floor. In the face of anti-expansion sentiment, the 1978 state legislature redrew the statutory boundaries of the park to include only state-owned land. A provision remains by which additional land could be acquired from willing sellers without legislative action. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
has been interested in adding the Schech Mill to the park, but the family that has owned it since 1887 has preferred to operate the mill privately as a tourist attraction.
In the mid-1990s Beaver Creek Valley State Park was caught in a dispute between fishing
and birdwatching
interests. To improve the habitat for large trout, fisheries staff were setting rocks along the banks of the creek to prevent erosion and create overhangs where the fish could hide. However Louisiana waterthrushes and sometimes cerulean warblers
nest at the base of creekside trees, some of which were being removed to make space for the rocks. After a public battle over the state's wildlife management
policies, the upper and lower sections of East Beaver Creek were modified and the middle section left alone.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, USA, featuring a steep, narrow valley carved by East Beaver Creek. This spring-fed stream is a fishing destination for its native brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
. The heavily forested valley, up to 250 feet (76.2 m) deep in places, is a hidden natural oasis amidst the farmland of southeastern Minnesota. Located near the town of Caledonia
Caledonia, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,965 people, 1,223 households, and 754 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,037.1 people per square mile . There were 1,286 housing units at an average density of 449.8 per square mile...
, the park was developed in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
. The parkland exhibits the highly stream-carved terrain characteristic of the Driftless Area.
Natural history
Between 500 and 450 million years ago shallow inland seas covered the region. Sediment built up into a layer called Oneota dolomiteDolomite
Dolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....
followed by a layer called Jordan sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, followed by a second layer of dolomite. Today the Jordan sandstone forms the walls of the valley while the upper layer of dolomite caps the ridges. Both types of rock are water-permeable, resulting in numerous springs.
The deep valley of East Beaver Creek is indicative of the Driftless Area. Whereas most of the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
was blanketed with till
Till
thumb|right|Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material , and this characteristic, known as matrix support, is diagnostic of till....
, or drift, by three successive ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
s, the Driftless Area remained ice-free. Therefore streams and rivers have had a longer time to cut into their beds, eroding deep valleys and leaving high ridges.
East Beaver Creek, which joins with West Beaver Creek at the north end of the park, is in the drainage system of the Root River
Root River (Minnesota)
The Root River flows for through the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota and is a tributary of the Upper Mississippi River. It is an excellent river for canoeing...
. Flash flood
Flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas—washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a storm, hurricane, or tropical storm or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields...
ing can occur after heavy rainfall. The creek supports a naturally-occurring population of brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
(unlike those trout streams which are created by fish stocking
Fish stocking
Fish stocking is the practice of raising fish in a hatchery and releasing them into a river, lake, or the ocean to supplement existing populations, or to create a population where none exists...
).
Within the valley the vegetation is bottomland hardwoods such as black ash
Fraxinus nigra
Fraxinus nigra is a species of Fraxinus native to much of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, from western Newfoundland west to southeastern Manitoba, and south to Illinois and northern Virginia....
, willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
, box elder
Acer negundo
Acer negundo is a species of maple native to North America. Box Elder, Boxelder Maple, and Maple Ash are its most common names in the United States...
, cottonwood, and elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
. Higher on the valley walls and on the flat ground beyond the forest is a mix of maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
, walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
, basswood
Tilia
Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The greatest species diversity is found in Asia, and the genus also occurs in Europe and eastern North America, but not western North America...
, and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
. Some south and west-facing slopes bear remnant prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
patches. Several rare or endangered plants are found in the park.
Acadian flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
The Acadian Flycatcher is a small insect-eating bird of the tyrant flycatcher family.- Description :Adults have olive upperparts, darker on the wings and tail, with whitish underparts; they have a white eye ring, white wing bars and a wide bill. The breast is washed with olive. The upper part of...
s and Louisiana waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
The Louisiana Waterthrush is a New World warbler. It breeds in eastern North America from southernmost Canada and south through the eastern USA, excluding Florida and the coast....
es, birds rare in Minnesota, nest within the park. There are also resident timber rattlesnakes
Crotalus horridus
Crotalus horridus, the timber rattlesnake, is a species of venomous pitviper found in the eastern United States. This is the only rattlesnake species in most of the populous northeastern United States. No subspecies are currently recognized....
but they are rarely encountered by visitors. When a hiker was bitten in the park in July 2011, it was the first unprovoked attack by a timber rattlesnake in Minnesota since 1996.
Cultural history
A Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
village was once located in Beaver Creek Valley, as indicated by archaeological field survey
Archaeological field survey
Archaeological field survey is the method by which archaeologists search for archaeological sites and collect information about the location, distribution and organization of past human cultures across a large area...
s. Some prehistoric stone tools have been found.
Europeans began homesteading the area in the 1850s, attracted by rich farming soil, hardwood lumber, and streams conducive to milling. Much of the land around Beaver Creek Valley was too rugged to farm, so most of the parcels were used as pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
or woodlot
Woodlot
A woodlot is a term used in North America to refer to a segment of a woodland or forest capable of small-scale production of forest products such as wood fuel, sap for maple syrup, sawlogs, as well as recreational uses like bird watching, bushwalking, and wildflower appreciation...
s. In 1876 a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
was built on Beaver Creek. Now known as the Schech Mill
Schech Mill
The Schech Mill is located in Beaver Creek Valley State Park in the U.S. state of Minnesota in the Driftless Area—an area in the American Midwest noted for its deeply carved river valleys. It is one of three watermills in Minnesota still operating solely with water power and the only one to...
, it is the last water-powered mill in Minnesota still operating with its original equipment.
Beaver Creek Valley was proposed as a state park in the 1930s, and acquisition of the privately-owned lots began in 1936. The park was authorized by the Minnesota Legislature
Minnesota Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is the legislative branch of government in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is a bicameral legislature located at the Minnesota Capitol in Saint Paul and it consists of two houses: the lower Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate...
the following year. A small Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
crew arrived in 1938 and built the entrance road, flood control structures, picnic ground, and trails. The campground was developed in the late 1940s. The boundaries of the park were extended in the late 1960s out of concern that landowners along the blufftops might cut the timber, causing erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
. However few owners were willing to sell these lots, as most of it was good farmland which, moreover, wouldn't be easily accessible to parkgoers on the valley floor. In the face of anti-expansion sentiment, the 1978 state legislature redrew the statutory boundaries of the park to include only state-owned land. A provision remains by which additional land could be acquired from willing sellers without legislative action. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with conserving and managing the state's natural resources. The agency maintains areas such as state parks, state forests, recreational trails, and recreation areas as well as managing minerals,...
has been interested in adding the Schech Mill to the park, but the family that has owned it since 1887 has preferred to operate the mill privately as a tourist attraction.
In the mid-1990s Beaver Creek Valley State Park was caught in a dispute between fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and birdwatching
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
interests. To improve the habitat for large trout, fisheries staff were setting rocks along the banks of the creek to prevent erosion and create overhangs where the fish could hide. However Louisiana waterthrushes and sometimes cerulean warblers
Cerulean Warbler
The Cerulean Warbler, Dendroica cerulea, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family.-Description:Adult males have pale cerulean blue upperparts and white underparts with a black necklace across the breast; they also have black streaks on the back and flanks...
nest at the base of creekside trees, some of which were being removed to make space for the rocks. After a public battle over the state's wildlife management
Wildlife management
Wildlife management attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science. Wildlife management can include game keeping, wildlife conservation and pest control...
policies, the upper and lower sections of East Beaver Creek were modified and the middle section left alone.