The City of Rogers purchased a total of 41.28 acres of land that includes 19.99 acres of high quality, ecologically significant Big Woods Maple-Basswood forest in southern Rogers. The forest is a portion of a 59.71-acre Centennial Farm owned by Denny and Jan Stieg, whose family has resided on the property for more than 100 years. As development encroaches and the CSAH 117 extension is planned to bisect the property in the future, the family wishes to ensure that this patch of remnant Big Woods Maple-Basswood forest is preserved in perpetuity.
The Goose Prairie Marsh Enhancement Project was completed to allow resource mangers the capacity to manage water levels in Goose Prairie Marsh through installation of a water control structure and a new outlet channel from the marsh to the control structure.
The primary purpose of the project was to improve habitat conditions within the shallow lake and the associated upland habitats within and adjacent to the existing WMA. Secondary benefits included additional protections of lands adjacent to the WMA, improved water quality, and spring flood risk reduction downstream.
MNDNR's St. Louis River Restoration Initiative (SLRRI) is a collaborative program enhancing and restoring this unique and valuable resource. The SLRRI's vision for the estuary includes diverse, productive, and healthy aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems of the river and watershed. Contributing to this vision, MNDNR works with partners throughout the 12,000-acre estuary to identify and prioritize key projects and implement previously identified projects that restore 35 acres of priority aquatic and riparian habitat.
