A complex of wetland seepage communities comprises Gully Fen SNA, where east meets west on the glacial Lake Agassiz lake bed. This is the western limit for coniferous species such as twin flower, small cranberry, bog rosemary, starflower, and creeping snowberry. Water slowly makes its way northward through patterned peatlands. The SNA includes calcareous seepage fens, tamarack and shrub seepage swamps, conifer and hardwood swamps, and rich fens. Two special treasures occur in the site's upper reaches a 100-acre calcareous fen and a complex of tamarack with calcareous and rich fens.
Plant communities shift in close, intricate patterns reflecting the maze of drainage and soils.
One can see bog plants such as pitcher plant and bog rosemary, only inches away from fen plants false asphodel and beak rush all in easy reach of prairie plants such as goldenrod and lobelia. Previously threatened by development of rice paddies and logging, these sensitive areas and their surrounding landscapes now receive SNA protection from fragmentation and groundwater degradation. All rights reserved.