Latest news with #MinnesotaDepartmentofNaturalResources'
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Whitewater River restoration project expands near St. Charles
Jun. 9—ST. CHARLES, Minn. — Conservation and habitat restoration efforts on the Whitewater River are spreading upstream. The second phase of nearly two miles of river restoration work in St. Charles, Minnesota, is set to begin later this month. The city approved putting phase two out for bids, with work expected to start in June, said Andrew Langholz, St. Charles city administrator. The first phase started in 2022. That restored fish habitat, stabilized banks, and incorporated native plantings along 2,500 feet of the Whitewater River through St. Charles City Park. Phase 2 this year will restore approximately 3,775-feet of the Whitewater River, from the Minnesota Highway 74 bridge to the pedestrian bridge east of Meadow View Park. That portion is expected to be complete in December this year. The timeline is yet to be established for a planned phase 3 to restore the remaining 3,490-feet of the Whitewater River, from the Meadow View Park to the city limit. Project funding comes from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Conservation Partners Legacy program. The project adjusts the river's channel widths and curves and stabilizes the banks against erosion, said Dustan Hoffman, stream habitat specialist with the Minnesota DNR. The work will actually lengthen the river through the Winona County town. As a result, the water will flow more slowly, stay cooler and provide better habitat for fish and other wildlife. Rocks will be placed in the river bed and along banks as well as tree root wads that provide habitat and cover for fish and wildlife. The project will also reconnect the river to parts of its original floodplain, making it less prone to flooding — a benefit that's the result of a healthy river, project leaders said. "Ultimately, it's a habitat project," said Meghan Funke, water resources engineer at WHKS & Co., the lead contractor in the project. The project is the southernmost large-scale habitat restoration effort on the river. Those efforts have been ongoing for decades after farming and grazing led to erosion and catastrophic flooding in the Whitewater Valley. After the Whitewater River flooded 28 times in 1938, the Minnesota Legislature created the state's first conservation district. Since then, the scope of habitat restoration and wildlife management has grown to include parts of Wabasha, Winona, and Olmsted counties in the 27,000-acre Whitewater Wildlife Management Area. The downstream project in St. Charles will connect to the Whitewater State Park and WMA "It's a connection," Funke said. "The city is creating a resource upstream that will ultimately help the habitat downstream." WHKS and Funke have taken the lead on similar habitat restoration projects of waterways through town and cities. The results are cleaner waterways that are less prone to flooding and home to more native plants and animals, she said. "People are starting to value the rivers themselves as habitats," Funke said. Downstream, the river is a habitat for native trout and is a state-designated trout stream.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Peregrine chicks have hatched on the DNR FalconCam in downtown St. Paul
May 16—ST. PAUL — Four newly hatched peregrine falcon chicks are now visible on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' popular FalconCam , available online at . The DNR Nongame Wildlife Program's camera is in a nesting box in downtown St. Paul and will once again provide an intimate look at peregrine falcons raising their young. The female of the nesting pair laid four eggs between March 31 and April 9, and all four hatched over Mother's Day weekend, the DNR said in a news release. In these initial weeks, the female will be the primary parent, brooding and feeding the chicks, with the male providing support. Online viewers should watch the camera for feedings, which will provide the best looks at the chicks. Birds are the primary prey for peregrines, and they will feed the chicks their catches, which could be as large as ducks. As the chicks grow, they will become more active. "DNR webcams provide a connection to the wildlife all around us," Jessica Ruthenberg, Nongame Wildlife engagement supervisor, said in a statement. "This window into the world of nesting birds is just one way to engage people of all ages in our mission to conserve at-risk wildlife." In related news, Grand Forks once again is contributing to the ongoing peregrine falcon recovery, as well. In an email to subscribers of the Grand Cities Bird Club's email list, Tim Driscoll of the Urban Raptor Research Project said an unbanded male returned March 13 to the nest box on the UND water tower and an unbanded female returned March 20. "There were a couple of other peregrine falcon visitors, but these two held the nest site and are currently incubating eggs," Driscoll said in his email. He estimates the eggs will hatch on or around May 20. The recovery of peregrine falcons is a Minnesota success story, the DNR said in its FalconCam news release. While still a species of special concern in Minnesota, they were once on the brink of extinction. Minnesota populations were restored with the help of falconers, the Midwest Peregrine Society and the DNR Nongame Wildlife Program. Donations — — to the Nongame Wildlife Fund supported the restoration project and continue to benefit Minnesota's rare and vulnerable wildlife. More information about peregrine falcons in Minnesota and the effort to restore them is available on the DNR website at
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Volunteer rainfall monitors wanted
Mar. 24—DULUTH — Do you have a 4-inch diameter rain gauge and access to the internet? If so, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' State Climatology Office wants your weather observations. The office is seeking volunteer rainfall and precipitation monitors for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, or CoCoRaHS, which includes more than 20,000 volunteers nationwide who measure and report rain and snow totals from their backyards. Volunteers are particularly needed outside the Twin Cities metro area. "Rainfall and snowfall amounts can vary widely over a short distance, so a variety of reports is helpful in the same community or area," State Climatologist Luigi Romolo said in a news release. "We have some areas in greater Minnesota that have very few reporting stations. The more we have across the state, the better information we all have." Volunteers will receive online training on observing weather trends and submitting their precipitation and weather event reports, the news release said. Volunteers can receive discounts on 4-inch diameter rain gauges if they can't provide their own. The data, reported online by participants, is used by scientists to monitor drought, assess floods and guide agricultural decisions, Romolo said. "Over time, as more volunteer reports make our precipitation maps more accurate, these observations provide critical guidance on Minnesota's changing climate," Romolo said. "This is also a great educational activity for families with kids and a rewarding hobby for anyone interested in weather or climate." For more information or to sign up, visit or contact Luigi Romolo at
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Rainfall monitoring network seeks volunteers
Mar. 4—The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' State Climatology Office is seeking rainfall monitors for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. The network includes more than 20,000 volunteers nationwide who measure precipitation in their backyards using a standard 4-inch diameter rain gauge. Participants submit their precipitation reports online. The data from backyard rain gauges are a critical source of information and it's beneficial to add more volunteer weather observers each year, even in areas where there are already volunteers. Volunteers are particularly needed outside the immediate Twin Cities metro area. Volunteers receive training on how to observe weather trends and how to submit their precipitation and weather event reports. All training material is available online. Participants must purchase or provide a standard 4-inch diameter rain gauge (available at discount through CoCoRaHS) and have internet access to submit reports. For the past five years, Minnesota has won the "CoCoRaHS Cup" for recruiting the most new volunteers of any state during the March national recruiting drive. To sign up or for more information, visit the CoCoRaHS website ( or contact Luigi Romolo (
CBS News
20-02-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
2 eggs laid in DNR's EagleCam nest, agency says
Avid viewers of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' EagleCam may see some new additions in the coming weeks. The DNR said Thursday that there are two eggs in the featured nest. The agency believes the first egg was laid on Valentine's Day, with the second coming three days later. More eggs may come in the next few days, the agency said, and signs of a chick could appear as early as March 19. A new EagleCam made its debut late last year after the nest previously featured collapsed to the ground following an April 2023 snowstorm. After the new camera went up, the eagle couple featured began building a new nest and eventually moved into it full time. The DNR said it was too late in the breeding season to move the camera, but the agency pointed it at the new nest. The eggs are not visible on the livestream, but viewers will occasionally be able to see the adult eagles incubating them. The DNR said viewers can expect increased activity in the nest until the eggs hatch.
