Tamarac Refuge Wetland Enhancements

Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, encompassing nearly 43,000 acres, is located in Becker County. The landscape is characterized by rolling forested hills interspersed with shallow lakes, rivers, marshes and shrub swamps. In the dry 1940-50's many wetlands across the Refuge were excavated using a drag line to increase open water in shallow basins in an attempt to provide open water habitats to attract breeding and nesting waterfowl. While this was common practice on the heals of the "Dust Bowl", the resulting impacts altered the historic hydrology and wildlife use of several important wetlands on the refuge. Traditionally, shallow wetland edges were excavated condensing available water into smaller ponds with the resulting fill material cast into the wetlands themselves. The affect on these shallow sedge dominated basins has resulted in significant alteration of hydrology and habitat composition. Consequently, these wetlands are experiencing significant woody-vegetation growth within the basin as well as on the remaining spoil piles. Historic wildlife use has also been altered. Wetlands that once provided breeding and nesting habitat for rails, terns, woodcock, and various waterfowl now provide little if any value beyond supporting a growing predator base that further impacts migratory bird species. This proposal is designed to restore historic wetland hydrology and thus habitats of these wetlands through the removal of earthen fill and restoration of artificially excavated sites.