Shell Rock River Watershed Habitat Restoration Program - Phase IX

Program Goals:
In 2014, the SRRWD created a phased approach to restore, protect, and enhance degraded habitat conditions by implementing projects on a lake-shed basis. The Watershed Habitat Restoration Program is designed to accomplish the following objectives:

?Create wetlands to improve waterfowl breeding and migratory success
?Remove rough fish species and restore desirable fish, waterfowl and wildlife populations aiming at critical species of concern
?Increase fish habitat, spawning areas and waterfowl nesting areas
?Restore streambanks and increase wildlife habitat and its natural prairie
?Increase and improve the use of restored public natural resources
?Enhance native aquatic rooted vegetation and protect the watershed from invasive species

The program will also interconnect and reestablish important flyway habitats within Minnesota. Once completed, the program will establish waterfowl and fish populations, increase habitat for wetland dependent wildlife, and create the wildlife mecca that was recorded in the late 1800s.

Specifically, Phase IX will contribute to the District's goals by:

?Acquire 133 acres of key targeted acquisitions to protect land along the Shell Rock River, establish upland prairie, and improve nesting habitat and waterfowl food sources
?Reestablish 50 acres of wetland basins from row crop agriculture, reversing wetland loss and habitat degradation
?Enhance 300 acres of vegetation in Panicum Prairie, an important flyway that is critical to nesting waterfowl, upland game, and other wading bird species

This proposal uses a programmatic approach to achieve protection, restoration, and enhancement of lakes, wetlands, streams and native prairie landscapes. The program includes projects that are prioritized on the significance of the benefits to aquatic habitat, urgency of the work, availability of leveraged funds, location of projects and agreements with relevant planning documents. The SRRWD has a proven track record with the LSOHC and implementing projects that protect, restore and enhance natural resources. The SRRWD continues to receive strong support for these projects from landowners, local governments and sporting organizations. Finally, this program will preserve an outdoor legacy for Minnesotans to use and enjoy for generations.

Background:
The SRRWD covers 246 square miles inside Freeborn County and includes a complex system of wetlands, streams, and shallow lakes that drain into the Shell Rock River. Managing habitat for this complex system is imperative to the SRRWD as well as understanding its role for providing critical habitat for fish, waterfowl and wildlife. Habitat degradation of wetlands, streams, and shallow lakes is an issue of statewide importance that requires accelerated investment in projects to reverse this degradation. Protection and restoration of this critical habitat is the highest priority of the SRRWD and is directly affected by invasive aquatic vegetation, land use changes, increased water demands, populations of invasive fish species such as common carp, and artificial drainage. Degradation in habitat is influencing available food sources for game fish populations that include Northern Pike, Bluegill, Yellow Perch and Walleye, and duck populations including Northern Pintail, Redhead, Canvasback and Lesser Scaup.