Bixby State Preserve
Encyclopedia
Bixby State Preserve is located in southwestern Clayton County, Iowa
, about three miles north of Edgewood, Iowa
. It is operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
.
It is one of the few places in the world to contain algific talus slopes and consequently has an ecosystem encountered in only a few other sites, mainly elsewhere in Iowa, but also in southeastern Minnesota
, southwestern Wisconsin
and northwestern Illinois
, all in the Driftless Area.
In winter and early spring comparatively warm air rises from the elaborate system of sinkholes, causing cold moist air to be drawn into the north-facing talus slopes and sent through fissures into ice cave
s, where it turns to ice on the walls of the cave. In summer and fall, the system is reversed, with cool moist air venting to the talus slopes, creating a unique ecosystem.
It can be visited as a day trip.
Clayton County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 18,129 in the county, with a population density of . There were 8,999 housing units, of which 7,599 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, about three miles north of Edgewood, Iowa
Edgewood, Iowa
Edgewood is a city in Clayton and Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 923 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Edgewood is located at ....
. It is operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is a department/agency of the U.S. state of Iowa charged with maintaining state parks and forests; protecting the environment; and managing energy, fish, wildlife, land resources, and water resources of Iowa.The Mission Statement: To conserve and enhance...
.
It is one of the few places in the world to contain algific talus slopes and consequently has an ecosystem encountered in only a few other sites, mainly elsewhere in Iowa, but also in southeastern 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...
, southwestern Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and northwestern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, all in the Driftless Area.
In winter and early spring comparatively warm air rises from the elaborate system of sinkholes, causing cold moist air to be drawn into the north-facing talus slopes and sent through fissures into ice cave
Ice cave
The term ice cave refers to any type of natural cave that contains significant amounts of perennial ice...
s, where it turns to ice on the walls of the cave. In summer and fall, the system is reversed, with cool moist air venting to the talus slopes, creating a unique ecosystem.
It can be visited as a day trip.