Tiffany Bottoms

State Natural Area (No. 30)

Location: Buffalo County. T24N-R14W, Sections 25, 26, 35, 36. 402 acres.

Access: From Nelson go north on Highway 25 seven miles to a parking area, then overland and across Buffalo Slough to the site. Or from Ella by boat, directly across the Chippewa River to the north boundary.

Description: Tiffany Bottoms State Natural Area is a small portion of the most extensive river delta in the Midwest and contains a representative portion of the larger Tiffany Bottoms floodplain forest. The site captures the transition between typical floodplain forest of silver maple, river birch, ashes, and basswood in the southern portion and the more oak-dominated forest in the northern part (swamp white, bur, and black). Soil types also change, from sandy outwash in the north to sand with accumulations of silty alluvium in the south. The bottoms abound in wildlife. Besides the typical game species, the area contains rare and uncommon birds such as red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus), great egret (Ardea alba), cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea), prothonotory warbler (Protonotaria citrea), and great-blue heron, pileated woodpecker, and blue-gray gnatcatcher. There is an extensive beaver/otter closed area, which has permitted these species to maintain carrying capacities. Tiffany Bottoms is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1958.