NIIZH-MINIS WAABASHKIKI (TWO ISLANDS) WETLAND RESTORATION SPRINGS TO LIFE

Mille Lacs Band and Ducks Unlimited join forces to restore critical habitat

Photos and story by Vivian LaMoore, Inaajimowin Editor

In mid-September, as flocks of migratory birds traced their ancient path south, 117 acres of wetland in the Mille Lacs Band region were stirring with new life. Water pooled where dry ground had been only weeks before. Fresh shoots of grass pushed through the soil, and tracks of deer, turkey, bear, bob-cat, and waterfowl marked the reborn landscape. This transformation is the result of a groundbreaking partnership between the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and Ducks Unlimited (DU) — believed to be the first formal DU conservation tribal partnership of its kind in Minnesota.

This project is bigger than 117 acres. It is part of a vision decades in the making. The Niizh-minis Wabashkiki site is a wetland basin within a 3,142-acre parcel purchased by the Band in March of 1994. Additional land was later purchased that brings this wildlife and wetland to a 3,585.42-acre landscape near the Mille Lacs Band Reservation Boundary of the 1855 Treaty in Morrison County near Hillman, and fully within the 1837 Ceded Territory where tribal members practice hunting, fishing, and gathering rights.

The wetland had been drained decades ago by previous landowners who tried — and failed — to farm the low area. A subsequent owner purchased the property for restoration and private hunting, but that effort also failed; the berm and water control structures did not function as designed.

After acquiring the land in 1995, the Band's DNR began restoration efforts to make the Two Islands wetland and surrounding forest more beneficial as wildlife habitat and more useful for Tribal members, especially for fall hunting. In 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Band's DNR conducted a survey to identify two ridges approximately two feet above the basin. The USFWS designed a culvert system to back water into the basin at a two-foot depth. The system included 46 feet of culvert with three watertight anti-seep diaphragms, a 10-foot riser assembly, and stoplogs inserted into a metal channel. Construction began on November 13, 1998, and was completed four days later, at a total cost of $11,500.

Despite these efforts, the structure failed, leaving stagnant pools, periodic downstream flooding, and no capability to manage water levels to restore the wetlands aquatic ecology. In 2022, the MLBO DNR contacted Ducks Unlimited for assistance. DU's biological and engineering staff provided wetland engineering technical expertise and construction contract funding through their "Living Lakes Initiative" and the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund, part of the ongoing "Living Shallow Lakes Enhancement and Wetland Restoration" program. That spring, the Mille Lacs Band contributed $50,000 through the federal BIA Bizhibayaash "Circle of Flight" program, which supports wetland restoration, waterfowl habitat enhancement, and manoomin (wild rice) management on tribal lands. This funding helped DU leverage a 2023 state Outdoor Heritage Fund appropriation to enhance this and other Minnesota wetlands. Subsequently, the Band and DU entered a cost-share agreement: the Band provided $50,000 for engineering survey, design, and construction management, while DU contributed at least $100,000 for construction contracts once the design was approved and permitted.

Project work began with a site reconnaissance in 2022, followed by a topographic elevation survey in 2023 of the existing water levels, old berms, dysfunctional water control structure, and downstream drainage. Using this data, DU designed a new water level control structure that the Band reviewed and approved.

Unlike the old culvert-style structure, which had become completely plugged by beavers and was difficult and unsafe to manage, the new structure features a steel sheet-pile weir with a catwalk and stoplogs. It retains water effectively, is easier to maintain, and safer for Band staff to manage.

Construction began in 2024 with removal of the old struc-ture, reshaping of impoundment berms, and installation of the new system, which was completed in August 2025 at a total cost of over $300,000.

Manoomin is already beginning to appear in small amounts. Thanks to the combined efforts of the Bands DNR, green wild rice is being sown throughout the newly restored wetland and across the full 3,300 acres. While it is illegal to harvest green rice, small amounts are inevitably collected each year. A portion of this green rice is accepted for re-seeding. Typically, harvesters remove green rice before processing, and additional incidental harvests - through the Cultural Resources Department youth program and contributions from Band members like Curt and Carmen Kalk — are also used to re-seed lakes and waterways across the Band's region.

"This project will greatly enhance the already diverse and unique habitat found there," said Commissioner of Natural Resources, Kelly Applegate. "It's truly a wild area with abundant deer, grouse, woodcock, waterfowl, wolves, bear, beavers, muskrat, and the list goes on. There are also many medicinal plants, berries, and forest resources found there. The Band is very proud of this green space and our ability to keep it healthy for our future generations. This is a place for our plant and animal relatives to have a home and provide for us the way the Creator set forth for our people."

Andrew Boyd, DNR Project Manager, Jordan Williams, DNR Wildlife Biologist, and Chad Weiss, DNR Water Resource Manager, have each played vital roles in the project. The MLB DNR managed the Band's grant funding responsibilities and worked with DU engineers to identify access points and design structures that fit the Bands long-term management plan.

"It takes all of us together, working alongside DU, to bring this project to fruition and be able to manage the resource long-term," Williams said. "The Band has been working on this project for a long time. This property is such an exceptional resource, and it is gratifying to be able to see all of the wildlife come back and the wetland resource spring to life as it was intended — naturally. It is something just so unique for everyone to enjoy."

"Strong partnerships, like the one we have with the Mille Lacs Band, are the lifeblood of conservation work," said Joe Genzel, DU Communications Coordinator. "Doing what's best for waterfowl, wildlife, and the people in this community is an essential component of Ducks Unlimited's mission.

Band families have walked, hunted, and gathered across portions of the 3,000-plus-acre landscape for decades - most notably the late Leonard Sam, whose unwavering devotion helped preserve the Band's sacred hunting, fishing, and gathering traditions, ensuring the land's gifts endure for those yet to come.

The Band and DU share common priorities when it comes to conservation. Their collaborative approach restores critical waterfowl habitats, safeguards outdoor traditions for future generations, and builds a more sustainable environment and resilient communities. Williams is hopeful there will be more opportunities to partner with DU in the future.

"Ducks Unlimited is very proud and pleased to have successfully partnered with the Mille Lac Band of Ojibwe to enhance this large wetland for both wildlife and people alike," said Jon Schneider, DU senior manager of conservation in Minnesota."Partnerships such as this are the basis of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and our Living Lakes Iniative, and we look forward to future opportunities to partner with Tribes to enhance and restore wetlands in Minnesota."

For generations, Mille Lacs Band ancestors followed the rhythms of the land— moving with the seasons, guided by the flight of waterfowl and the paths of wildlife. The Niizhminis Waabashkiki project honors that legacy. It stands as a testament to the Band's sovereignty and enduring role as caretakers of the land - protecting culture, history, and the rights to hunt, fish, and gather for generations yet to come.