Fisheries Habitat Protection on Strategic North Central Minnesota Lakes - Phase V
Project Partners Northern Water Land Trust (NWLT) and Minnesota Land Trust (MLT) successfully concluded this grant, exceeding all proposed acre and leverage goals. Minnesota Land Trust and the Northern Waters Land Trust protected 1,114 acres (170% of goal) of high priority critical fish habitat and 5.61 miles of shoreline associated with priority tullibee "refuge" lakes and their associated watersheds through conservation easement and fee title acquisitions, and enhanced 73 acres (122% of goal) of associated forest habitat. The Partnership realized $474,000 in leverage (93% of goal) from lake associations and landowner donation of conservation easement value.
Sustaining a strong angling heritage revolves largely around protecting fisheries habitat. Resurging shoreland development pressures and looming climate change are direct threats to the ecology of Minnesota's lakes. This project focused on fisheries habitat protection on lakes that have the best biological integrity for a sustained sport fishery. Our protection efforts are focused on tullibee (aka cisco), a preferred forage fish of walleye, northern pike, muskellunge and lake trout. They require cold, well-oxygenated waters, a condition most common in deep water lakes with healthy watersheds. Minnesota DNR Fisheries researchers studied tullibee lakes and designated 68 lakes in Minnesota as the primary "refuge lakes" for tullibee that need protection. Fisheries research has shown that healthy watersheds with intact forests are fundamental to good fish habitat.
The Clean Water Critical Habitat (CWCH) Technical Committee evaluated all tullibee lakes in our project area and prioritized 16 lakes for action based on: ecological value of the lake; percent of the minor watershed currently protected; number of parcels in the watershed >20 acres in size; partner organizations advising on outreach efforts; and investment by other agencies/organizations in land/watershed protection. Landowner willingness to donate a portion of the easement value was a key component of parcel evaluation.
NWLT conducted landowner outreach and oversaw the review of applications from landowners. NWLT also negotiated and acquired properties in fee. MLT managed the grant, negotiated and closed all associated conservation easements, and served as project manager for R/E projects. Fee and conservation easement acquisition was facilitated by County SWCDs and MNDNR Fisheries, who both assisted with outreach and evaluation of projects.
Six conservation easements were completed by MLT. Each of these is described in more detail in the Project Summary Sheets uploaded into the final report.
-Kabekona River (Casson): 192 acres of upland hardwood forest; 4,280 feet of shoreline on the Kabekona River (Kabekona Lake watershed).
-Bad Axe Lake (BSA): 112 acres of upland hardwood forest; 3,600 feet of shoreline on Bad Axe Lake (Big Sand Lake watershed).
-Shurd Lake (YMCA): 465 acres of upland hardwood forest encompassing Shurd Lake (Woman Lake and Cooper Lake watersheds).
-Stony Lake (Patmos): 44 acres of upland forest, wetlands; 2,489 feet of shoreline on Stony Lake (Man-Girl Lake watershed).
-Crooked Lake (Posner): 57 acres of upland hardwood forest; 1,647 feet of shoreline on Crooked Lake.
-Ten Mile Lake (UCC): 104 acres of upland hardwood forest; 3,102 feet of shoreline on Boy River (Ten Mile Lake watershed).
Two properties were protect in fee by NWLT:
-Louise Lake AMA: 20 acres added to existing Louise Lake AMA (split-funded: 6 acres/687 feet of shoreline under Phase 5).
-Wabedo Lake, Cass County Forest: 116 acres protecting 800 feet of shoreline on Wabedo Lake.
Two Enhancement projects were completed by MLT:
-Lavender Springs (Borden) easement: 13 acres of invasive woody removal in high-quality mesic hardwood forest at headwaters of Black Bear Creek.
-Eleventh Crow Wing Lake (Olander) easement: 60 acres of grassland enhancement adjacent to Paul Bunyan State Forest.
$3,365,000 the first year is to the commissioner of natural resources for agreements to acquire lands in fee and permanent conservation easements and to restore and enhance wildlife habitat to sustain healthy fish habitat on coldwater lakes in Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing, and Hubbard Counties. Of this amount, $841,000 is to Northern Waters Land Trust and $2,524,000 is to Minnesota Land Trust. Up to $192,000 to Minnesota Land Trust is to establish a monitoring and enforcement fund as approved in the accomplishment plan and subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 97A.056, subdivision 17. A list of acquisitions must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan.
Tullibee (aka cisco) is the preferred forage fish for walleye, northern pike, muskellunge and lake trout. They require cold, well oxygenated waters - a condition most common in lakes with deep water and healthy watersheds. Tullibee populations are the "canary in the coalmine" for three significant threats to Minnesota's sport fisheries: shoreland development, watershed health and climate warming. Deep, cold water lakes with high quality, well oxygenated waters and natural, undisturbed land cover along the shorelines and within their watersheds will have the best chance to sustain tullibee populations in the face of these threats and will serve as a "refuge" for the tullibee if annual temperatures increase.
Minnesota DNR Fisheries research studied tullibee lakes and designated 68 lakes in Minnesota as primary "refuge lakes" for tullibee that need protection. Sixteen (16) of these lakes representing 23.5% of the designated "refuge" lakes are located in Crow Wing, Aitkin, Cass and Hubbard counties. These lakes are premier recreational and sport fishery lakes. Fisheries research has shown that healthy watersheds with intact forest are fundamental to good fish habitat. The MN DNR Fisheries Habitat Plan states near shore fish habitat affected by shoreland disturbance can impact fisheries. Maintaining good water quality is critical to sustaining tullibees as determined by the waters oxygen level and nutrient content. Lakeshore development can negatively impact healthy ecosystems for sport fish and their forage due to increased runoff and physical alteration of shoreland habitat.
In Phase V of this program, MLT and NWLT collectively protected 1,114 acres of strategically important lands through both conservation easement (6 projects; 992 acres) and fee title (2 projects; 122 acres) acquisition, achieving 170% of proposed land protection acres. In addition, MLT completed 73 acres of forest enhancement through completion of two projects, achieving 122% of proposed goal.
Lake Assoc., Sellers, COLAs and Community Fundraising and Landowner donation of easement value