Summer/Fall 2014 Official Newsletter of Minnesota … Content/_documents... · Cattails Official...

Cattails Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Un l im ited used

several of the tools in its

enhancement arsenal to

make the State Line Lake

project a success story. The

project sign (photo to left)

recognizes the partners

who contributed to the

success of the project .

STATE LINE SUCCESS

STORY

This is project sign on

the Parnell Brackey

tract that was

purchased to allow the

State Line Lake

Enhancement Project to

move forward.

More about the State Line Lake enhancement on Page 4.

Special points of interest:

Waterfowlers Expo Event

MnDNR and DU Canada

Partnership

Conservation Club Event

Minnesota State Conven-

tion Info

Inside this issue:

Chairman’s

Chatter

2

Waterfowlers

Expo Event

3

State Line Lake

Project

4

Project Hall of

Fame

6

Minnesota Artist’s

Corner

7

DNR/DU Canada

Partnership 8

Minnesota DU

News

11

State Convention

Photos

12

Save the Date

Convention

Reminder

13

Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited Summer/Fall 2014


I hope this addition of the cattails finds you well. This fall is shaping up to be a good one. The reports

from fall banquets has been very good for the ducks. I hope you have had a chance to enjoy one of

the many fun filled events. To those who have volunteered your time to put on the events thank you.

The duck numbers continue to be strong and I have heard many success stories form hunters around

the state. We are also anticipating another strong migration from up north.

I was once again fortunate enough to participate in the MNDU youth waterfowl hunt Mentor pro-

gram this year. This is a very rewarding experience where you are able to show a kid the great sport

of waterfowl hunting. Our morning was spent on slough enjoying the marsh as it woke up. The

ducks were plentiful and my youth hunter was able to bag a couple ducks and a goose. The best part

of this morning was look and on his face when he shot that goose. It was memory neither of us will

soon forget. Taking a kid hunting is the best thing anyone of can do to better our sport. Look for

more information about the MNDU Youth Mentor hunt program in this addition and others to

come.

I also want to congratulate our southeast Minnesota Regional Director, Brad Jensen, who was award-

ed the Regional Director of the Year Award (see article below). Brad has done a fantastic job with

his committees and with recruiting major donors. Congratulations Brad!

As the year ends, we are planning the Minnesota Duck Unlimited Convention to be held in Willmar

again this year on February 13th and 14th. There will be many chapters receiving awards this year so I

hope to see you there as we celebrate this year’s successes.

I hope you are able to get out and enjoy the fall season, Thank you again for supporting Ducks Unlim-

ited.

State Chairman’s Chatter

Your Minnesota DU

State Committee

State Chair Tim Roble

Frazee, MN 218-334-4701 [email protected]

State Council Chair

Dave Flink Hutchinson, MN 320-587-4246

[email protected]

State Chair Elect

Brian Ross Baxter MN 218-825-0996

[email protected]

State Treasurer Dan Scheffler Northfield, MN

507-291-0311

[email protected]

State Volunteer Recruitment Coord.

Scott Christensen Litchfield, MN 320-593-8806

[email protected]

State Convention Chairs

Kyle and Donna Thaemlitz Lakefield, MN 507-662-5359

[email protected]

State Major Gift Chair Jim Demgen East Gull Lake, MN

218-829-7438

[email protected]

Summer/Fall 2014

Tim Roble, State Chair

Dave’s dog Gabby

Sept. 16, 2014 – Brad Jensen, regional director for Ducks Unlim-

ited (DU), was awarded the 2013-14 Regional Director of the

Year award for his outstanding efforts as a staff member of Re-

gion 3, an area that encompasses Minnesota, Wisconsin and Mich-

igan.

"Receiving Regional Director of the Year was a great honor. It

would never have been possible

if it wasn't for the great DU

volunteers in my Region," Jen-

sen said. "Working together as

a team we accomplished many

great things. My volunteers are

like my extended family be-

cause I know their spouses,

kids and their dogs. My volun-

teers deserved the credit for

our successes, not me."

Jensen, a resident of Watertown, S.D., covers southwestern Minne-

sota and works with volunteer committees hosting fundraisers for

the 77-year-old conservation organization. The events in his region

raised more than $650,000, for DU's conservation mission in the

recent fiscal year ending in June 30.

Regional Director Brad Jensen Wins National Award

Here is Jensen with his new grand-daughter—Hadley Lynn Kurtz

Brad shows off his eight and

one-half pound walleye.


The Expo netted twelve

new DU Volunteers.

Summer/Fall 2014

The Waterfowler’s Expo was, by all accounts, a huge success. Over 400 people walked through the doors at the IRA Civic Center in Grand Rapids, to view the exhibits, shop for hunting gear, and listen to

talks and presentations. There were ten exhibitors and six presentations ranging from information on DU/DNR’s local wild rice lake program to duck calling tech-niques. Reed’s Family Outfitters had a large selection of merchandise and special sale pricing for the event. The prices were so good that even some of DU staff bought more decoys. The Expo, which was held on Tuesday evening, August 5, 2014, was mainly de-

signed as a recruiting event for volunteers in the Grand Rapids area. The local chapter had some turnover and was looking for more volunteers to reignite their banquet. This was a free event, with an incentive prize of a Stoeger Semi-Automatic 12 ga., do-nated by Reeds Sporting Goods, for attendees who registered on line by August 3rd. The large turnout and interest in DU’s mis-sion resulted in at least twelve new volunteers being recruited. Look for this event in your area as MN DU recruits more volun-teers around the state.

DNR Conservation Officer Sarah Sindelin helps some young waterfowlers with duck wing identification.

Mike Shogren of Shogren Retriev-

ers talks with his dog at his exhibit space. Mike gave

a training demonstration with the dog

later in the

evening.

Cory

Loeffler

of DRC Call Company

discusses calls with some

hunters.


State Line Lake is a 446-acre shallow lake located in Freeborn County, Minnesota. Maximum

water depths in State Line Lake are around 4.5 feet, with an average depth of only 3 feet. The

shallow nature of State Line Lake makes it very attractive habitat for waterfowl and other wild-

life. Unfortunately, this shallowness also makes State Line Lake more vulnerable to the negative ecological effects of sediment and nutrient loading, carp and other rough fish, altered

hydrology, and flood events. These factors had caused the lake to become degraded over the

years, with turbid water clarity and summer algae blooms that suffocated aquatic life in the lake

and caused it to stagnate.

To remedy the situation,

Ducks Unlimited and Min-

nesota DNR Section of

Wildlife began working with

Freeborn County and a

local stakeholder group

known as “State Line Lake

Restoration, Inc.” in 2009 in

an effort to enhance State

Line Lake or wildlife, fish,

and humans alike. In 2010,

Ducks Unlimited began bio-

engineering efforts to assess

management options on the

lake. Meanwhile, DU also

began negotiating the pur-

chase of a 45-acre parcel

adjacent to the outlet of the

State Line Lake near Em-

mons owned by Parnell

Brackey. This land included

a very old and dysfunctional

fixed-crest concrete dam

structure on the outlet of State Line Lake, which held the water levels in the lake high and sta-

ble, adding to the stagnation of the lake’s aquatic ecology.

State Line Lake Success Story

Summer/Fall 2014

The old dam

was a fixed

crest

structure

that

contributed

to the

stagnant

condition of

the lake.

The map below shows why State Line Lake got its

name, as it crosses the state line into Iowa a bit.

This photo shows the old fixed crest structure in

disrepair, but still holding water back at an high level. Iowa


In 2013, DU completed engineering design plans for State Line Lake that included replacing the

deteriorated fixed-crest dam with a variable- crest water control structure to provide DNR

managers with

the ability to

conduct tempo-

rary water-level

draw-downs to

enhance water

quality and the

aquatic ecology

of the lake. A

high-velocity fish

barrier down-

stream of the

new structure

was also includ-

ed in the design.

After state and

federal permits were secured, DU

began construction of the new wa-

ter 446-acres control structure and fish barrier on the outlet of State Line Lake in March 2014,

and completed the project in early July 2014. This project was made possible by a strong part-

nership among the Minnesota DNR, Freeborn County, and State Line Lake Restoration Inc.

group, and with funding provided from Minnesota’s Outdoor Heritage Fundas recommended by

the Lessard - Sams Outdoor

Heritage Council and private

Major Sponsors supporting

Ducks Unlimited’s “Living

Lakes” conservation initiative.

Thanks to all partners and do-

nors!

State Line Lake Success Story (Continued)

Summer/Fall 2014

The State Line

Lake project

had an amazing

group of local

supporters who

encouraged DU

to take on the

project.

The contractor’s excavator is working on ar-

moring the downstream channel with rip-rap.

The first step was to breach the old dam and

allow the lake level to drop as seen above.

The high velocity fish barri-

er in action, showing the

downstream discharge pool.

There are several carp pre-

sent in the pool, but hard to

see because of the turbu-

lence caused by the flow

from the barrier culvert.

The finished water control structure showing the

channel, walkway, fish screens, and outlet bays.


The emergent vegetation was flourishing as this

clump of bulrush shows.

This photograph

shows the west lobe with several

mallards and teal using it for molting and early

staging.

Summer/Fall 2014

Ducks Unlimited has been conserving habitat in Minne-sota since 1985. There are literally hundreds of DU projects scattered across

Minnesota. In fact, many of the water control structures on federal waterfowl pro-duction areas (WPAs) and state wildlife management areas (WMAs) were de-

signed and built as Ducks Unlimited projects. This

column is a regular feature devoted to describing some

of these older projects.

The Spink WPA project was one of Ducks Unlimited’s first projects in the state.

Spink WPA is located in central Grant County, west of Barrett. The project loca-tion was surveyed in 1985

and the structure designed in 1986. The project was built in the fall of 1987 in cooper-ation with the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service. It was a small project by DU stand-ards, only consisting a large

ditch plug and a 48-inch diameter corrugated metal pipe riser with 30-inch di-

ameter outlet pipe; however, it restored 147 acres of wet-land know as Jones Lake.

(see map). The project was visited this past July and was in partial

drawdown status. Jones Lake was in fantastic condi-

tion with thick emergent vegetation stands around the margins and interspersed in

the shallow areas. There were several hundred ducks scattered around the lake,

likely young birds from this years production and some

molting adults.

DU is also working on an-other project at Spink WPA;

that being the Hibrooten Lake project where an outlet

was constructed last year. Look for an article about

Hibrooten Lake in a future issue of Cattails,

PROJECT HALL OF FAME—SPINK WPA

Several egrets were present, working the shallows for minnows and frogs.

This is a view from the west end of Jones Lake

showing the vegetation.

This map shows the 1.5-mile long Jones Lake before it was restored.

Control Structure


Summer/Fall 2014

Minnesota Artists’ Corner—Rollie Brandt

Rollie Brandt knew, as a child, what she wanted in life–to pursue a career in art. How

fitting her exceptional talents are now realized nationally in endearing portrayals of

children exploring their world and interacting with nature.

Known as “the artist” throughout her school days, young Rollie revealed an unchar-

acteristically mature dedication to developing her artistic skills. For many teenagers

standard course work is enough, but Brandt sought advanced training in art through

college correspondence courses. She furthered her formal training and accelerated

her artistic growth with the entrepreneurial launching of a sign-painting business in

her sophomore year.

Currently, Brandt is enjoying the benefits of her diligence. Meticulous detail and a

vibrant pallet are her trademarks. Those signature traits work together allowing her

active scenes to capture the innocence and energy of her subjects.

Artwork provided courtesy of Rollie Brandt

and Wild Wings, LLC, Lake City, Minnesota.

800-445-4833

www.wildwings.com

This is the type of painting Brandt is

known for, a young person interacting

with nature and animals, and titled:

“Out with the Boys – Black Labs”.

Many of Brandt’s paintings are barn scenes, such as this example titled, “A Century of Autumns”.

Detailed bird paintings are another common

subject of hers; this piece named “Mothering

Mallards” reveals Rollies’ attention to detail.


Minnesota DNR and DU Canada Partnership

Summer/Fall 2014

The Minnesota DNR and DU Canada have an important partnership that results in habitat

work in Canada funded by Minnesota hunters. The partnership generated work on five

projects in the Saskatchewan River Delta (SRD) during 2013/2014. Periodically, DU Can-

ada staff invite MnDNR staff to Canada on a tour to view the work and projects funded by

the program. This year the Cattails editor was also invited to join the trip (at his own

expense) and learn about the MnDNR and DU Canada partnership.

The trip began at the Winnipeg airport, where Paul Telander, MnDNR Wildlife Section

Chief, Bob Welsh, MnDNR Wildlife Habitat Coordinator, Ricky Lien, MnDNR Wetland

Coordinator, David Brakhage, DU Director Great Lakes Atlantic

Regional Office, David Kostersky, Manager State Grants—DU Cana-

da, and Brian Ross, MNDU volunteer, boarded a plane bound for

The Pas, Manitoba. The flight was on Calm Air Air-

lines, yes, that is correct, Calm Air Airlines based in

Thompson, Manitoba.

The first stop of the tour was the DU Canada field office

(left) just outside of The Pas, located. The field office has

been there since the 1970s, when DU Canada ramped up

work in the delta. The office was like a huge piece of history

about DU with pictures, maps, and files (see photo below).

The file storage area reflected the

wide variety of work and years the

work has been di-

rected from The Pas field office.

DU’s The Pas

field office is

like a step back

in time as it is

filled with DU

history and

memorabilia.

The Calm Air flight lived up to its name with a very smooth ride

from Winnipeg to The Pas.


Summer/Fall 2014

December strategic planning session

The tour started at The Pas field office with a presentation about the Saskatchewan River

Delta, DU’s work in the SRD, and the SRD’s importance to nesting waterfowl. The SRD is

one of the largest inland deltas in

North America and encompasses

over two million acres. As seen in

the chart to right, the top 10 wa-

terfowl species include nearly half a

million nesting birds, with mallards,

blue-winged teal, scaup, widgeon,

and ringneck ducks being the most

common. It is incredibly productive

for ducks, especially for those that

migrate through Minnesota.

The State of Minnesota has been

sending funds to DU Canada since

1972, with over $1.5 million being

contributed to date. The DNR restricts the funds to be used only on projects in Manitoba

because of the number of ducks from Manitoba that migrate through Minnesota. In

Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015, MnDNR agreed to provide $100,000 per year toward

DU Canada’s conservation efforts, which is matched by DU and the North American

Wetlands Conservation Act

(NAWCA). These funds were

used on projects in the SRD.

MnDNR and DU Canada Partnership (continued)

The next part of the tour was on an airboat across the Reader

Root Marshes located just north of The Pas. (see map to the

left). It was quite a sight to see the reactions of the ducks when

the air-

boat

came up

on them

at 25

mph.

The

marshes

of the

Reader Root Complex include 25,000

acres of shallow emergent wetlands

stretching 5 miles north of the Saskatche-

wan River. The water levels in the Read-

er Root

complex are controlled by several

dikes, ditches, and water control

structures built by DU to improve

the habitat in the complex. The

tour includ-

ed stops at

several of

the control

structures.

Partners

MnDNR

DU

NAWCA

Total

Contribution

$100,000

$100,000

$200,000

$400,000

Over

half a

million

waterfowl

nest in

the SRD

Root Lake

North Reader

South Reader

The Pas

The reed beds on South Reader marsh stretched nearly to the horizon as a

black tern cruises above its nest.


The next day the tour continued with a boat run up the Saskatchewan River, which is major river,

stretching from the Rocky Mountains to Lake Winnepeg. as large as the Mississippi at Winona . The

airboats were waiting for us at the channel to the Birch River for our trek into the Carrot River Tri-

angle, a particularly productive part of the SRD. The rain began as we airboated up the channel, with

pairs of ring-necks and mallards taking flight at regularly spaced intervals dependent on their breeding

territories.. This day included a visit to DU projects funded by the partnership, including the Elm

Creek Inlet and Outlet, which will allow drawdown of Elm Lake. The Elm Creek structures were

being replaced because the 1960s-era structures were needing repairs. Other projects funded includ-

ed nearby Rae Lake and Roberts

Marsh. After the visit to the pro-jects., we headed back east across

the sprawling Saskeram Marsh, a

28,000 acre shallow lake surrounded

by shallow wetlands and backwaters

of the delta.

The last day of the tour included an

aerial overflight of the areas visited

by airboat the previously days. The

float plane picked up us at Clearwa-

ter Lake and first took us over the

southern SRD, an area known as the

Summerberry Marshes, which border

the Summerberry River. DU Canada

has been doing research in the Sum-

merberry Marshes, to understand how to make the marshes more productive (See Summer-Fall 2012

Cattails). The flight then continued north over the Saskeram Marsh and Elm Lake. The vastness of

the SRD is hard to imagine, with marsh after marsh connected by innumerable

channels, within a mosaic of wet meadows, fens, and bogs. Even more innumerable

are the numbers of ducks and other waterfowl which use the SRD for breeding and

rearing their young. This is why DU Canada and MnDNR focuses their funding into

the SRD and why the partnership is so important to resource. Minnesota is one of 42 states that provide funding to DU Canada. These partnerships

between DU Canada and state agencies provide invaluable funding to the breeding

strongholds of North American waterfowl. Many states provide more funding than

Minnesota, with Illinois providing $500,000 and Missouri providing a quarter million

dollars. These funds are hugely important to DU Canada’s mission of restoring and

conserving waterfowl breeding habitat in Canada.

MnDNR and DU Partnership (continued)

The MnDNR and

DU Canada

partnership is

conserving critical

habitat in the

SRD.

Boating up the Saskatche-wan River

Summer/Fall 2014

Shawn Greer (center) of DU Canada discusses the Elm

Creek Outlet structure, which was underwater due to spring runoff conditions.

The Birch River Dam is one of

large structures

maintained by DU Canada; it

holds back wa-ter into the Saskeram

Marsh.

Tour attendees included from left David Brakkage (DU Inc.), Brian Ross, MNDU, Ricky Lien, (MnDNR), Bob Welsh (MnDNR), Paul

Telander (MnDNR), with the tour guide Shawn Greer (DUC) on right.

Saskeram Marsh from the air shows the vast expanse of the delta.

The Plane! The Plane!


Summer/Fall 2014

December strategic planning session

Thirty-five business executives, company presidents, and CEO’s attended the first ever Critical

Conservation Club gathering at Legends Golf Club in Prior Lake on July 23, 2014. Each plate

cost $500 and every table of six had a chance at winning a CZ Ringneck side-by-side 28 gauge. A

Pebble Beach golf outing went on live auction for over $6,500. In total, the event netted over

$23,000. The event was the idea of DU volunteer and Wells Fargo Vice President, Don

Ford. The Duck Man, Patrick Patterson, and DU Regional Director John Marks, were also key

players in this new event format. Besides supporting the Ducks Unlimited mission, the attendees had a chance to network and

meet Ducks Unlimited Chief Conserva-

tion Officer, Paul Schmidt. Mr. Schmidt

flew directly from Washington DC after

testifying on behalf of the price increase

to the Federal Waterfowl Stamp to be

with the group. He delivered a key-note

address and performed major sponsor

recognitions.

The event was so successful that it will

become an annual event. Expect to see

other similar events around the state as

well.

Conservation Club has First Event

Volunteer Spotlight—Todd Berghuis

Todd was born in Prinsburg, MN and started duck hunting when his family moved to Alexan-

dria. He grew up duck hunting around there, on many different water bodies between Alex

and Fergus Falls. “It was a great area to grow up in as a duck hunter, as there was lots of

habitat and the birds, at least to me, seemed unending. I was able to get a morning hunt in

before I was off to school and was known for coming to school in camo and facepaint.”

Todd was also able to hunt the famous Delta Marsh in Manitoba at a lodge his father partially

owned. “The sheer number of birds, meeting people who loved ducks like the great Jimmy

Robinson, and being treated as one of the “men” cemented my love for waterfowl and the

places they live. I had many great experiences there including leaving our boat and walking

into the landing at the Delta due to a storm with high winds and waves, watching what I con-sider to be one of the most beautiful ducks, late season canvasbacks, work the decoys and

bagging a silver bull can, and seeing “tornadoes of geese” settling into the famous marsh with

my Dad all played a part in the love I have for this sport.”

It’s easy to see that these experiences fueled Todd’s passion for preserving and expanding

wetlands and waterfowl habitat. Along with being a Ducks Unlimited member since his teens,

Todd became a DU volunteer 8 years ago. “The experience I have had as a DU volunteer

has been one of the most fulfilling and rewarding I have had. I have meet great people, heard

great stories, and I see the results from the dollars DU raises. I once had a Pheasants Forever chapter chair tell me that DU does as

much for pheasants as PF does. This is really saying something for the impact the funds we raise has on all wildlife. It’s extremely

important to me to continue DU’s efforts and have more success stories as I have a son who loves this sport as much as I do”.

Todd has been the chair of the Paul Bunyan chapter for the last 4 years. At the time he took this role, the chapter had lost its chair

and was experiencing a significant downturn in attendance. Over the years he has been the chair, the chapter has seen resurgence

in their growth, so much so that they have been a top 25 chapter for the last two years and will likely be there again this year. Their annual banquet now attracts over 300 attendees and has been sold out for the last two years. It has become one of Brain-

erd’s must attend events. Todd currently lives near Brainerd with his wife Candy and their just retired black lab, Molly. They have two children, both of whom help out with the Brainerd dinner banquet.

Ducks Unlimited’s Chief Conservation Officer, Paul

Schmidt, presents TE Connectivity Vice Presi-dent, Jaxon Lang, with his

Diamond Heritage plaque.

This new

event

format

was a big

hit for

conser-

vation.


Summer/Fall 2014

DU Canada’s CEO, Greg Siekaniec,

gave the keynote address at the

Saturday Convention Banquet.

2014 Minnesota DU State Convention

The Volunteer Award winners for the Central Region show

their pride in volunteering for Minnesota Ducks Unlimited.

Kathy and Dale Struffert and Mark and Chuck Haus enjoy

the Saturday evening events with a bunch of high fives!!

The MN DU

State

Convention was

held in Willmar

for the first

time ever.

Chef Mike Brown ‘s

presentation on

wild game cooking

was a big hit at the

convention.

The bartenders in “The Blind”

The Saturday night Convention

Banquet was a well attended,

lively affair with many raffles

and unique live auction items.


Summer/Fall 2014


For articles and inserts, please send to Cattails Editor:

Brian Ross

14380 Memorywood Drive Baxter, MN 56425

Phone: 218-825-0996 E-mail:

[email protected]

6101 Kaymar Drive

Edina, MN 55436

Phone: 952-820-8174

Email: [email protected]

Another example of the Minnesota DNR and DU partnership is shown as DNR Division of

Wildlife staff work with DU Canada and DU, Inc. staff to get the airboat unstuck and off

the dike at the Elm Creek project in the Carrot River Triangle, Northern Manitoba, Can-

ada. Yes, the partnership was successful and the project tour continued.

Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to

conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Es-

tablished in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres,

thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the conti-

nent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works to-

ward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today,

tomorrow and forever.

MINNESOTA DUCKS

UNLIMITED

You are Ducks Unlimited

ducks.org

www.ducks.org/how-to-help/volunteer/signup

VOLUNTEERVOLUNTEER

www.ducks.org/NeedDucks

Summer/Fall 2014 Official Newsletter of Minnesota … Content/_documents... · Cattails Official...

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