Hubbard County Tullibee Refuge Acquisition

Leech Lake Area Watershed Foundation (LLAWF), in partnership with MNDNR, is working to create a protective class of Tier I and Tier II tullibee lakes in North Central MN.This project involves the acquisition of 13.28 acres on Kabekona Lake (KL), Hubbard County, that once aquired will be managed as an Aquatic Management Area (AMA). The acquisition is supported by the Kabekona Lake Association (KLA),Kabekona Lake Foundation (KLF) and LLAWF. KLF is providing $25,000 cash as matching funds, the landowner is donating $10,000 and LLAWF is providing $200. KL is a high priority refuge lake for tullibee, a fish species at high risk and requiring cold, well oxygenated waters. We can protect the sensitive tullibee populations by protecting land in Kabekona Lake?s watershed.

The most recent DNR fisheries surveys on the 133 foot deep KL report 20 tullibee per net, nearly 10 times the statewide average of number of tullibee per survey net. The lake has been scored for ?sensitive shorelines? and these parcels proposed for acquisition scored from 0.3 ? 0.7 (1.0 highest). Although these parcels are not considered highly sensitive shoreland, there is ?sensitive lakeshore? located in the southeast and northwest ends of KL. The shoreline is type 6 and 7 wetlands dominated by hummock sedge, water hemlock, speckled alder, alternate leaved dogwood, black ash, and balsam fir. Upland vegetation is dominated by large leaved aster, American hazel, alternate leaved dogwood, and American basswood.

The parcel is currently on the market to be sold as 5 lots. On KL their are very limited undeveloped shoreline parcels that can be protected thus making this acquisition more strategic.

Additionally, tullibee/cisco are the forage fish that is critical to maintaining a high quality sport fishery on KL.