Minnesota Mixed Bag: Prairie Pothole Day is Saturday, Sept. 7 – Outdoor News

Spicer, Minn. — The 41st annual Prairie Pothole Day is set for this Saturday, Sept. 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (rain or shine) at the Prairie Woods Environmental Center near Spicer – a new location this year.

Don’t miss out on the fun: Various seminars, dog distance jumping, trap and sporting clays, a 3-D archery course, shotgun patterning, archery and a climbing wall for kids, Tanya McCarlson of the Falconry and Raptor Education Group, and much more. Please be certain guns and bows are cased, and dogs are leashed.

Admission is free, and adults are encouraged to purchase $10 in raffle tickets. For more, visit the Prairie Pothole Conservation Association’s Facebook page.

Sturgeon Lake Access First Completed with Initiative Dollars

St. Paul — Public water accesses operated by the Minnesota DNR require significant investment to make them accessible to all users, meet the needs of modern watercraft, improve protection of public waters from stormwater run-off and more.

The Sturgeon Lake public water access in Pine County is one of more than 40 such accesses throughout the state that are slated for extensive upgrades via the Get Out MORE (Modernize Outdoor Recreation Experiences) initiative.

Prior to the improvements at the Sturgeon Lake site, the paved parking lot had severely deteriorated, and the site was not up to code for accessibility. The new parking lot boasts 24 parking spaces for vehicles and trailers, including one accessible parking space. There are two new boat ramps, a floating dock, improved stormwater management that meets best practices, and an aquatic invasive species boat and trailer clean-out lane.

The site reopened for public use Aug. 16, making it the first public waters access project funded by Get Out MORE to reach completion.

In 2023, the DNR received a $150 million appropriation to update and improve outdoor recreation experiences throughout the state. This investment, known as Get Out MORE, centers on five key areas, one of which is modernizing boating access.

MORE COVERAGE FROM MINNESOTA OUTDOOR NEWS:

Minnesota DNR to launch changes to muskie-stocking regimen

Minnesota citizen advisory group gives final report to DNR, state legislators

Early bird hunting in Minnesota just OK despite excellent weather

Zebra Mussels Confirmed in East Twin Lake in Lyon County

St. Paul — The Minnesota DNR has confirmed the presence of zebra mussels in East Twin Lake, near Florence in Lyon County.

A DNR conservation officer was contacted by an angler who found four adult zebra mussels on a stick in East Twin Lake. DNR invasive species specialists found more than a dozen adult zebra mussels each at two locations during a follow-up search. The size variation and distribution of zebra mussels indicate they have likely been reproducing in the lake for several years.

East Twin Lake is the only lake in Lyon County and the third in southwestern Minnesota where zebra mussels have been confirmed.

People should contact a Minnesota DNR aquatic invasive species specialist if they think they have found zebra mussels or any other invasive species that was not already known to be in the water body.

More information is available on the aquatic invasive species page of the DNR website.

Walk-In Access Lands Opened Sept. 1

St. Paul — Walk-In Access areas are now open for public use (Sept. 1 through May 31, 2025), with the purchase of a $3 Walk-In Access validation.

The state program pays landowners to allow public access to their property, and no additional landowner contact is necessary. This year, hunters and other people may access around 30,000 acres of private land at more than 280 sites in west, central, and southern Minnesota.

RELATED STORY FROM OUTDOOR NEWS: Minnesota’s Walk-In Access program now for use beyond just hunting

Through new legislation, acres enrolled in the program will be open to public uses in addition to hunting, such as bird watching, nature photography, and similar compatible uses, starting with approximately half of the total acres this year.

All Walk-In Access sites are shown on the DNR Recreation Compass. Digital maps for individual Walk-In Access sites, along with more information, can be found on the Minnesota DNR website.

Current funding for the program includes a grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Walk-In Access validations purchased by hunters, a surcharge on nonresident hunting licenses, and donations from hunters.

Source: https://www.outdoornews.com/2024/09/04/minnesota-mixed-bag-prairie-pothole-day-is-saturday-sept-7/