St. Louis River Alliance Plants Wild Rice in the St. Louis Estuary for the 5th Year!
Last week the St. Louis River Alliance staff, along with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources planted 500 pounds of wild rice (Manoomin) near Clough Island in the St. Louis River Estuary.
Manoomin Restoration:
The St. Louis River Alliance (SLRA) is working with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) to carry out the continued manoomin (Ojibwa name for wild rice) restoration in the St. Louis River.
In recent years, members of SLRA have had the opportunity to participate in manoomin restoration in the St. Louis River Estuary. During this time volunteers learned about manoomin ecology, cultural significance and restoration in the St. Louis River estuary and reseeded the wetlands near Clough Island for manoomin reestablishment. This year, in 2020, the volunteer aspect of the project was eliminated due to COVID 19.
Monitoring by the 1854 Treaty Authority shows that manoomin growth progress in the estuary is slow, but steadily increasing in density. With consistent planting and management, partners are hopeful that self-sustaining manoomin will be re-established. The restoration supports the removal of the St Louis River Area of Concern (AOC) Fish and Wildlife Habitat impairment and establish opportunities for harvest of manoomin with a goal of 275 acres of rice by 2025.
Northern wild rice, manoomin (Ojibwe), or Zizania palustria (scientific name), is an important component to the St. Louis River estuary because of its value as both a cultural and ecological resource. It is tied to the migration story of the Ojibwe people, and it provides an important food source for people and wildlife and important habitat for many species.
Historical accounts suggest that manoomin was once abundant in the St. Louis River estuary. From the 1930's to the 1960's the St. Louis River estuary contained between 600 and 1,000 acres of wild rice. Over the past 50 years, its abundance and distribution has been reduced to a few remnant stands. The cause for the decline in manoomin abundance include dredging and filling in the estuary, wholesale logging, industry development and water quality impacts from land use and point source inputs. Despite water quality improvements in the St. Louis River estuary, manoomin populations have not rebounded.
The Manoomin Restoration Partnership - St. Louis River Estuary; which includes Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, St. Louis River Alliance and additional tribal partners and non-profits; are seeking to restore at least 275 acres of wild rice by 2025. Visit WDNR’s website for more information on the AOC or https://youtu.be/qjgW7SVNrxg to see a short video highlighting the recent work to restore manoomin.
Successful wild rice restoration may require over 5 years of seeding due to annual fluctuation in rice growth, precipitation and water levels and impacts from predation such as browsing by Canada geese. SLRA Volunteers have seeded manoomin in approximately 10 acres near Clough Island since 2015, and will reseed wild rice over that same area in years to come.
**NOTE: Wild rice restoration is a muti-agency effort in the St. Louis River Estuary. We all work together to protect and restore the wild rice/manoomin. This planting is just a little piece done by the St. Louis River Alliance through the Wisconsin DNR.
Here is a list of all the agencies and tribal partners working on the AOC wild rice projects. Project partners include the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), Minnesota Land Trust, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, The 1854 Treaty Authority, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, St. Croix Tribe, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, University of Wisconsin Superior Lake Superior Research Institute, NOAA's Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, St. Louis River Alliance, and the Great Lakes Lifeways Institute. Funding partners for the project include the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and other Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding sources.
