For More Information:
Chippewa
WFRP Update:
Newsletter of the Wildlife, Fish & Rare Plants Staff,
July
2005 | January 2005
Fish of the Chippewa
National Forest
Mussels of the Chippewa
National Forest
Other Sites:
MN Department of
Natural Resources
North
Central Forest
Experiment Station
Situated along the Continental Divide, the Chippewa National Forest is at the headwaters of two major drainages: The Mississippi River and Hudson Bay. Nineteen watersheds lace the forest with 400,000 acres of open water (1,300 lakes - including three of Minnesota's five largest!), 923 miles of streams and over 400,000 acres of wetlands. Nationally, the Chippewa includes thirteen percent of the water found in the entire National Forest system. The Forest - which is actually half water, has the highest ratio of water to land in the Eastern Region of the Forest Service.
Program Information:
The aquatic ecosystems of the Chippewa National Forest are as diverse as they are plentiful. Following is a list of key features and special projects in the aquatics program.
- A Draft Riparian Management Reference (html version) (1996) provides suggestions for managing areas adjacent to lakes and streams and wetlands
- Ecological inventory of aquatic ecosystems
- Evaluation of stream crossings
- Minimize erosion and identify watershed protection needs.
- Planting to restore vegetation in riparian areas.
- Erosion control projects - traditional and bioengineering
- Long term water quality monitoring of 15 lakes & streams
- Monitoring of temperature, water quality and habitat features along 100 streams
- The Lake Winnie Project (html version) goal is to stabilize 11.2 miles of sandy shoreline/walleye spawning habitat. About one-third of the stabilization is complete.
- Watershed Analysis
- Fishery and Mussel Surveys