Accelerated Shallow Lakes and Wetland Enhancement - Phase VII

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,130,000
Fund Source
Outdoor Heritage Fund
Recipient
DNR
Recipient Type
State Government
Status
Completed
Start Date
July 2015
End Date
November 2021
Activity Type
Restoration/Enhancement
Counties Affected
Aitkin
Anoka
Beltrami
Big Stone
Carver
Cass
Chippewa
Chisago
Cottonwood
Crow Wing
Dakota
Douglas
Freeborn
Kandiyohi
Kittson
Lac qui Parle
Le Sueur
Lincoln
Lyon
Mahnomen
Marshall
Martin
Meeker
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Mower
Murray
Nicollet
Nobles
Olmsted
Otter Tail
Pope
Roseau
Stearns
Swift
Todd
Waseca
Washington
Watonwan
Wright
Yellow Medicine
Aitkin
Anoka
Beltrami
Big Stone
Carver
Cass
Chippewa
Chisago
Cottonwood
Crow Wing
Dakota
Douglas
Freeborn
Kandiyohi
Kittson
Lac qui Parle
Le Sueur
Lincoln
Lyon
Mahnomen
Marshall
Martin
Meeker
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Mower
Murray
Nicollet
Nobles
Olmsted
Otter Tail
Pope
Roseau
Stearns
Swift
Todd
Waseca
Washington
Watonwan
Wright
Yellow Medicine
Project Overview

This proposal will address a backlog of shallow lake and wetland habitat work that will otherwise go unfunded. These projects will address work called for in the Minnesota Prairie Conservation Plan, Long Range Duck Recovery Plan, and Shallow Lakes plan.

Project Details

Engineering and construction of major shallow lake and wetland infrastructure includes work on water control
structures, dikes, and fish barriers to improve wetland habitat management. Five major infrastructure projects
were constructed with funding from this appropriation. The five (Carex Slough/Freeborn County, Mahlke
Marsh/Lyon County, Hovland/Mahnomen County, Roseau River WMA Pool 2/Roseau County, and Staples/Todd
County) all began with property manager submission of the projects into an annual Section of Wildlife project
solicitation process. All projects undergo Regional and Central Office review, with wetland and shallow lake
projects receiving additional review by Wetland Habitat Team members. Suitable projects are selected for
inclusion in OHF proposals. Given the complexity of major wetland infrastructure projects, OHF project lists in
Accomplishment Plans undergo continual adjustments based on engineering assessments, budget projections, and
to seek efficient use of appropriation funds. Reflective of the expense often incurred in major wetland
infrastructure projects, expenditures for these five projects accounted for 43% of the total expenditures for this
appropriation.
Four major shallow lake/wetland management actions were implemented to enhance habitat - Simon Lake
Drawdown and Fish Treatment/Pope County, Raguet WMA Wetland Tree Removal/Carver County, a major
wetland prescribed burn at Roseau River WMA/Roseau County, and a channel cleanout at Moose-Willow
Flowage/Aitkin County. Both projects were initiated, reviewed and selected for inclusion in an OHF appropriation
by the aforementioned process and both projects presented unique challenges that are typical of complex wetland
projects. Water levels at Simon Lake were reduced by gravity drawdown as much as possible, then was
supplemented by pumps. When reduced as much as practical, a private company was hired to apply rotenone to
remove unwanted fish. Unfortunately, the private company quit only hours after beginning the rotenone
application. In an amazing move, the DNR Shallow Lakes Program immediately began work to undertake the
rotenone application in-house. One year after the private company quit the treatment, a highly coordinated
operation involving DNR Shallow Lakes and Roving Habitat Crew staff successfully implemented the treatment.
Follow up assessments reported a successful fish treatment and a subsequent improvement in habitat quality at
Simon Lake. Tree removal at Raguet WMA in Carver proved challenging as well. Existence of a high quality fen in
the project area prohibited the use of large equipment. Instead, cut trees were removed by pulling them offsite
with cables and winches to protect the fen. The prescribed burn of a wetland occurred in August 2019 at Roseau
River WMA and involved 7,350 acres. The project "burn boss" said the burn was done to set back brush
encroachment and cattails in a sedge meadow. One month after the burn, significant rainfall at the site raised water
levels and flooded the burned cattails. Thick beds of wild rice were reported in areas in which cattails had
previously been dominant. Finally, a channel cleanout was conducted in the downsteam channel of the Moose-
Willow Flowage in Aitkin County. Channels often become shallower as sediment is deposited. The shallow channels
can be more conducive to growth of cattails. The double-whammy of shallower channels and cattails can result in
higher water levels in upstream basins. The Moose-Willow Flowage had declined as habitat due to the described
sedimentation and cattail growth. A specialized piece of equipment known as a Cookiecutter was utilized to
cleanout the channel is what will be a two phase plan to improve Moose-Willow. Phase I was the channel cleanout.
Phase II will see installation of a new water control structure.
An exciting activity undertaken with this appropriation is the outfitting of a DNR helicopter with equipment to all
annual spraying of invasive cattails. Credit for initiating this goes to DNR Pilot Brad Maas, who saw the potential to
add spray equipment to an existing under-utilized helicopter. OHF funding was used for a capital equipment
purchase of both a aerial spray unit and new avionics for the helicopter. This new equipment allows for annual
spraying of approximately 2500 acres of invasive hybrid cattails. A standardized process has developed for the
annual work. Early in the calendar year, the supervisor of all DNR Roving Habitat Crews puts out a call for potential
cattail spray sites. The combined list of projects is mapped and projects to be treated are selected based on
property manager ranking of needs and proximity of projects to each other and their statewide location. Helicopter
landing sites are chosen and property managers are responsible for mowing the landing sites and proving proper
public notice. Specially trained staff from Roving Habitat Crews are utilized as ground support for the helicopter.
Thirty-five individual parcels were treated in the first year of utilizing the DNR helicopter. Prior to obtaining the
ability to use the DNR helicopter to spray cattails, three parcels were sprayed by contracted companies, also with
this appropriation. Direct comparison of these two spray methods (private company vs. DNR helicopter) shows
that the DNR helicopter allows us to get this work done at less cost and with more control over the timing of the
treatment and size of the treated areas.
Funding from this appropriation was utilized for wetland enhancement work by two Roving Habitat Crews, the
Region 3 crew based out of Vermillion and the Region 4 crew based out of Lac qui Parle. Wetland habitat
enhancement conducted by Roving Habitat Crews can include tree removal from wetlands, small scale spraying of
cattails and other invasive vegetation, seeding wild rice, conducting drawdowns, sediment removal from small
wetland basins, and actual construction of small wetland infrastructure projects. Roving Habitat Crew Leaders are
constantly receiving submissions from DNR property managers for potential habitat projects and develop
priorities based on Department priorities and the need to address requirement imposed by funding rules. Thirty-
two individual wetland enhancement projects were reported by the two Roving Habitat Crews. Of the 28,101
wetland acres impacted by this appropriation, the reported wetland enhancement work done by Roving Habitat
Crews accounted for 11,056 acres at a cost of just over $35/acre.

Legal Citation / Subdivision
ML 2015, First Sp. Session, Ch. 2, Art. 1, Sec. 2, Subd. 4(d)
Appropriation Language

$2,130,000 in the first year is to the commissioner of natural resources to enhance and restore shallow lakes statewide. A list of proposed land restorations and enhancements must be provided as part of the required accomplishment plan.

2016 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$2,130,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$0
Direct expenses
$1,889,400
Administration costs
$77,000
Number of full time equivalents funded
4
Measurable Outcome(s)

28,101 Wetland acres Enhanced.

Project Manager
First Name
Ricky
Last Name
Lien
Organization Name
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Street Address
500 Lafayette Road Box 20
City
St. Paul
State
MN
Zip Code
55155
Phone
(651) 259-5227
Email
ricky.lien@state.mn.us
Administered By
Administered by
Location

500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155

Phone
651-296-6157
Email the Agency