• National Wildlife Refuges
  • National Wildlife Refuges
  • Conservation Planning
  • Mapping and GIS
  • Small Wetlands Program
  • Fire Management
  • Find a Refuge
  • Partners for Fish & Wildlife
• Fisheries & Aquatic Resources
• Law Enforcement
  • Law Enforcement
  • Permits
  • Laws
• Ecological Services
  • Ecological Services
  • Endangered Species
  • Environmental Contaminants
• Migratory Birds
  • Migratory Birds
  • Joint Ventures
  • Permits
  • Focal Species
• Partners
  • Partners
  • Congressional
  • Native American
  • Grants
  • Private Land Owners
  • Volunteers
  • National Fish Habitat
• Outdoor Recreation
  • Outdoor Recreation
  • Volunteers
  • Buy Duck Stamps
  • Hunting and Fishing
  • For Kids
  • Let's Go Outside
• Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration
• Newsroom
  • Newsroom
  • Just Escape TV
  • Blog
  • Podcasts
  • YouTube
  • External Affairs
  • Fish and Wildlife Journal
• About Us
  • About Us
  • Congressional Affairs
  • Native American Programs
  • Jobs
  • Contact Us
  • Directory
  • Conservation Library
• Science
  • Science
  • National Wetlands Inventory
  • Strategic Habitat Conservation
  • Climate Change

Contacting the Office:

Julie Morin, Acting Native American Specialist
e-mail: Julie_Morin@fws.gov

BHW Federal Building
One Federal Drive
Fort Snelling, MN 55111
Phone: 612-713-5108
Fax: 612-713-5280

---

Return to Minnesota Page

2005 Tribal Wildlife Grant

$155,000
Lake Sturgeon Restoration Plan

2004 Tribal Landowner Incentive Grant

$100,000.00
Heiberg Dam Passage
Michael Swan, 218-573-3007

LaCrosse FRO Receives Grant for Fish Passage Project

The LaCrosse FRO was awarded a $65,000 grant which will be matched with funds and in kind services from partners to build a fish passage structure on the Wild Rice River near Twin Valley, Minnesota. Participates on this project include the Minnesota DNR, White Earth Biology Department and the Wild Rice Watershed District. The Wild Rice River is a major tributary to the Red River of the North which has numerous dams and barriers to fish migration. Such barriers limit fish movement to critical habitats and therefore reduce populations and diversity. One prime example is the lake sturgeon which once were abundant in the Red River Watershed now have to be reintroduced. Surveys completed by both the Minnesota DNR and the White Earth Biology Department indicate the species diversity is greater below the Heiberg Dam with essentially no sport fish species collected above the dam. So providing fish passage will increase fish diversity and also increase the chance of success with the lake sturgeon reintroduction projects conducted by the Minnesota DNR, White Earth Biology Dept. and the Service. This project will allow fish to migrate past the Heiberg Dam which will provide access to over 120 miles of the watershed. A boulder stair stepped rapids will create a water flow that fish will be able to negotiate. A similar structure was installed at a dam in Fargo, ND with success. The structure created a rapid type river flow which also provides a unique kayaking opportunity. The Red River Watershed has numerous dams and fish barriers along its stretch which hinder fish migration resulting in reduced diversity and populations. It is the goal of several resource agencies to remove or alter as many of these barriers as possible. This project will allow fish migration to over 120 miles of riverine habitats along the Wild Rice River watershed which is a major tributary to the Red River. It will not only increase species diversity but will have major benefits to lake sturgeon and sport fish populations.

Partners: White Earth Biology Department Minnesota DNR Wild Rice Watershed District

Headwaters/Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem team has successful meeting

The Headwaters/Tallgrass Prairie Ecosystem team held a very successful winter meeting at Minnesota Valley NWR on Feb. 26-27, 2002. The team wanted to continue to expand our partnering efforts, and this was accomplished by inviting new partners to present their programs. Representatives from two new partners, Red River Basin Institute and Bois Forte Reservation along with staff from the Red Lake Natural Resources Department, White Earth Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Waterfowl Association, Board of Water and Soil Resources and the Corps of Engineers. Information shared by the visiting agencies will assist in developing new partnerships. Several regional office staff members were present and provided updates on their programs. Products which resulted from the meeting were the establishment of two new subgroups, one dealing with drainage issues which will be lead by Steve Delehanty; the other a biologists subgroup which will increase involvement by staff biologists. Dave Connor from Red Lake Reservation told the group of their concern for the Circle of Flight program. This program was not included in the President''s budget and Dave requested support from FWS and the Ecosystem team.

Resource Outputs: Two new sub-groups were formed, the first will deal with drainage issues and the second will be a biologists based group. The team will also seek support of the regional director for the circle of flight program. Additionally approximately 80 resource managers from several agencies attended the invertebrate workshop which was held in conjunction with the team meeting.

Partners: Red Lake DNR, White Earth DNR, Minnesota DAR, Red River Basin Institute Minnesota Waterfowl Association Board of Water and Soil Resources US Corps of Engineers Nett Lake Reservation

La Crosse FRO facilitates successful coordination meeting

The annual coordination meeting between White Earth Department of Natural Resources (DAR), Minnesota DAR and the USFWS was held as a conference call this year. Key issues discussed were lake sturgeon management and stocking, fish passage, field activities from 2001 and proposed field activities for 2002, new regulations, permits and creel census. Fish passage discussions centered around the White Earth and Heiberg Dam projects. These two dams will have sloped rock fishways built below the dam which creates a simulated rapid run which fish can swim up. When completed these two passages will open up over 175 miles of river and stream habitats that are currently blocked and allow fish to migrate from the Red River to White Earth Lake. These projects are critical to the lake sturgeon recovery efforts in this drainage. Several action items were identified and will be addressed by the responsible agency.

Offices Involved: R3-LaCrosse FRO

Resource Outputs: This coordination meeting benefits the resource because the projects these three agencies are working on will be accomplished more efficiently due to this effort.

Partners: White Earth DAR Minnesota DAR

Lake Sturgeon Stocked at White Earth Reservation

The White Earth Natural Resources Department, assisted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Rainy River First Nations, entered into an agreement to restore Lake Sturgeon in White Earth Lake and Round Lake on the White Earth Reservation. Lake Sturgeon once inhabited the Red River and its tributaries. In 1926, a lake sturgeon weighing 176 pounds was caught in White Earth Lake. However, since the turn of the century lake sturgeon populations have declined due to over harvest, pollution and water development projects. The last record of a lake sturgeon in this area came from Lake Lida in 1957. Lake sturgeon are primitive fish that historically inhabited many of Minnesota''s large rivers and the lakes associated with those rivers. Native American cultures were partially dependent on the availability of lake sturgeon. Indian villages were often located near waters where sturgeon spawned. Early European settlement on Lake of the Woods was due to commercial fishing for lake sturgeon when their caviar and fine flesh were wanted worldwide. It is a goal of the resource agencies to restore lake sturgeon to this part of its original range. The management plan calls for 8,000 fingerlings to be stocked in White Earth Lake and another 5,000 fingerling to be stocked in Round Lake. It has been many years since lake sturgeon have been seen on the White Earth Reservation, hopefully that will change in the near future. Approximately 8,000 fingerling lake sturgeon were stocked into White Earth Lake and another 5,000 were stocked in Round Lake in early September by the White Earth Natural Resources Department and the Service. These fish traveled a very long journey to finally reach their destination. This effort began in May at the Rainy River First Nations Hatchery in Canada. Personnel from the White Earth Natural Resources Department and LaCrosse Fishery Resources Office assisted Joe Hunter and his staff at the First Nations Hatchery with spawning over 50 adult lake sturgeon. Prior to spawning, fin clips were analyzed by the LaCrosse Fish Health Center for viral diseases. The eggs were then transported to Genoa National Fish Hatchery. The staff at Genoa did a fantastic job raising over 13,000 lake sturgeon to fingerling size (6') and transporting them to the White Earth Reservation. Volunteers assisted Service personnel with tagging each sturgeon so their origin can be traced. On the stocking day, Tribal Spiritual Leader Joe Bush, led a ceremony to bless the fish.

Offices Involved: R3-LaCrosse Fish Health Center R3-LaCrosse FRO R3-Genoa NFH

Resource Outputs: To restore this majestic species to its former range will have great social and recreational benefits. Lake Sturgeon reach weights over 100 pounds and can live over 100 years. They were a significant species to both the Native Americans and Europeans. In watersheds that have lake sturgeon populations that can sustain harvest it is a very prized catch.

Partners: White Earth Department of Natural Resources, Rainy River First Nations Hatchery

---