Coldwater Spring

News Release: The National Park Service at Mississippi National River and Recreation Area intend to conduct a prescribed fire at Coldwater Spring on Monday, March 18; weather conditions permitting. The event is part of a long-term effort by the National Park Service to improve prairie and savanna habitats within Coldwater Spring.

Prescribed fire is a land management tool that helps to restore and maintain fire dependent ecosystems like prairies and oak savannas. Benefits to the landscape include stimulating native grass growth and wildflower germination, increased native plant species diversity, suppressing non-native grasses and forbs, and preventing encroachment of unwanted woody species into the landscape.

The NPS has developed detailed plans for controlled burning and the fires are carried out by trained and certified personnel. Smoke will impact the Coldwater Spring Unit on the day of the prescribed burn, and access will be limited. Smoke may also be visible from MN Hwy 55 and MN Hwy 62. Access to nearby Minnehaha Regional Park and Fort Snelling State Park will be unaffected. The fires are anticipated to last no more than one day, with up to two additional days for monitoring and patrol.

Read more about plans and potential impacts in the press release here: https://ow.ly/BnyL50QV9nr

Image: The prairie at Coldwater Spring during a prescribed fire in 2021. Fire and billowing smoke mark a new start for the prairie while NPS workers in fire gear patrol the fire's limit. Credit: NPS.

New Hiking Trail Loops at Coldwater Spring — Mississippi Park Connection Check out these new hiking trails at Coldwater Spring near the Mississippi River in Minneapolis! Baltimore Oriole Loop, Scarlet Tanager Loop, and the Indigo Bunting Loop.