Cedar Lake is a shallow lake 3.5 miles northeast of Sauk Centre, MN that has been a statutory Game Refuge to protect waterfowl since 1929, but just last spring was designated as Minnesota's 49th Wildlife Management Lake. As such, management has begun to protect and improve water quality and vegetation abundance on the lake by way of a late-season drawdown (which started in June). While there are not mud flats showing, the lake has been drawn down over 2.5 feet thus far and is providing excellent habitat and protection for migrating waterfowl.
The rarest bird I have recorded on the lake to date is a leucistic Canada goose (which has been there nearly continuously for the last three weeks), but the abundance of waterfowl utilizing the lake during this phase of the management is also noteworthy. In the past few weeks, large numbers of Canada geese (typically 400-600), mallards (150-300), ring-neck ducks (150-300), American widgeon (several dozen), canvasbacks, redheads, scaup, wood ducks, American coots, trumpeter swans, and bald eagles have all been commonly seen utilizing the lake. This project is one of many combined efforts between the DNR and Ducks Unlimited, and I just want to let people know that if they are in the area they should stop by and take a look to see what else might be out there as migration picks up. The best area for viewing is from the road right-of-way off of County Road 171 on the east side of the lake, at the water control structure. Peter Borash Assistant Area Wildlife Manager Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 940 Industrial Drive South #103 Sauk Rapids, MN 56379 (320) 223-7871 (320) 808-3356 peter.bor...@state.mn.us<mailto:peter.bor...@state.mn.us> ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
