Rainy fall weather brings dramatic results to Minnesota wetland restoration project

December 26, 2023 by Dave Schwarz

Seeing the results of wetland restorations usually requires quite a bit of patience.

Thanks to some timely fall rainfall, Pheasants Forever Wetland Restoration Specialist Tyler Zimmerman recently got to see the results of his work very quickly. 

Zimmerman and Shawn May of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designed a wetland restoration project on a 347-acre acre parcel in the Haugtvedt Waterfowl Production Area in Clay County, Minnesota. 

In mid-September a 10-inch concrete tile that was draining a 26-acre wetland was removed. By the end of the month there already were almost two feet of water in the wetland following a four-inch rain event. By mid-October six trumpeter swans and a few ducks were seen using the wetland. 

“This project is about as good as it gets. You’ve got several large open-water wetlands with small temporary and seasonal wetlands all restored from tile removal, sediment removal and filling in ditches. It’s basically the gold standard, not only because of this project but because of the overall complex it’s part of,” Zimmerman said. 

The Haugtvedt project contains 11 restored wetlands for a total of 44 acres. It is part of a complex straddling two counties and containing more than 2,000 acres of public access.

Zimmerman and May referenced historic aerial photos along with modern light detection and ranging (lidar) technology when designing the restoration. 

The land was purchased by Pheasants Forever in 2012. Grants from Minnesota’s Outdoor Heritage Fund and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act allowed restoration work to move forward this year. 

When work was underway, Zimmerman stacked removed drain tile in a pyramid to form a focal point for his “before” photos. The wetland filled so quickly that the tiles were soon almost underwater, making for dramatic “after” photos of the project. 

“I can’t wait until this spring to see what it looks like, and what wildlife are utilizing the area now,” Zimmerman said. 

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