Sessions
Concurrent Session: Effective wetland restoration and management techniques
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM Wed
Poster Session & Social
4:40 PM - 6:30 PM Wed
ORAL PRESENTER and POSTER PRESENTER #4
Concurrent Session: Effective wetland restoration and management techniques
TITLE: Outlet management on wild rice lakes in Minnesota
ABSTRACT: Wild rice (Zizania palustris) provides important habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife, and the grain is harvested by people for food and recreation. The Minnesota DNR’s Section of Wildlife manages rice for both habitat and humans. Wild rice plants are very sensitive to water depth and water level fluctuations. To maintain rice beds, management often involves maintaining or restoring natural hydrology. Addressing hydrology issues often involves managing the lake outlets. Outlet management takes different forms, including removing beaver dams, replacing culverts and water control structures, and increasing the capacity of the outlet channels. The management method depends on the issue with the outlet. Using these methods on different lakes resulted in lower water levels and/or reduced water level bounce after storm events and increased wild rice coverage. I will present specific lake examples for each method.
Poster Session
TITLE: Minnesota's wild rice shoreland protection project
ABSTRACT: Historically, wild rice occurred throughout Minnesota and extended into northern Iowa. Wild rice has since been extirpated from most of its southern range. Recent well-documented human population and shoreline development trends pose a serious threat to wild rice habitat. This population and development boom has reduced the availability of developable shoreline on recreational lakes, resulting in shallow lakes, rivers, and shallow bays containing wild rice being increasingly targeted for shoreline development. Many of these wild rice shoreland complexes currently remain intact with good water quality, but they are subject to development pressure that if allowed, will degrade the resource. Voluntary, incentive-based conservation protection options for shoreland landowners are few, and many easement programs are targeted for restoration and not protection. Through grants from Minnesota’s Outdoor Heritage Fund, the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, in partnership with 14 county Soil & Water Conservation Districts, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources permanent conservation easements and fee-title acquisition were used to permanently protect wild rice shoreland habitat. Sites are selected through an integrative ranking process that considers development risk, surrounding land use, habitat value, and numerous other criteria. The program is now in its 8th phase; the previous 7 phases of this project have protected 6,634 acres of wild rice shoreland habitat.
BIO: Ann Geisen earned a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management from UW-Stevens Point. After working for the Wisconsin DNR for 3 years, she joined the Minnesota DNR, where she has worked as a Wildlife Lake Specialist for more than 20 years. In her position, Ann helps manage and monitor shallow and wild rice lakes. She also serves as the point person for wild rice management and harvesting for Minnesota DNR's Section of Wildlife.