Living Lakes Initiative

When French explorers first ventured into the Upper Mississippi region, they witnessed a landscape of free-flowing rivers, thousands of lakes, even more numerous shallow wetlands, expansive forests and breath-taking sandstone bluffs. Native grasses sustained herds of elk and buffalo, the waterways teemed with birdlife and the skies darkened with massive flights of passenger pigeons. A diversity of freshwater mussels in river beds sustained impressive flocks of lesser scaup and other divers.

Since the beginning of the 20th-century, the lakes and river systems of Iowa and Minnesota have suffered many changes. Wild rice lakes, floodplains, sloughs, and other wetlands vital for migration and breeding are destroyed, degraded, or are severely threatened. Rapid development of shorelines is destroying lake vegetation and water quality. Agricultural runoff pollutes waterways. Exotic species, such as purple loosestrife, carp, and zebra mussels, crowd out native species and ruin habitat. These threats require immediate action to safeguard the wildlife that depend on these wetland systems.

Ducks Unlimited's Living Lakes Initiative seeks to protect shallow lakes and floodplain wetlands and promotes sound restoration of lost or degraded habitat. Shallow lakes and wild rice lakes are the cornerstone of the strategy of restoring migration habitat in the Iowa and Minnesota. Maintaining more natural water regimes is key to healthy lakes within the Living Lakes Initiative. Water-control structures help bring back the vitality to these wetland habitats through sophisticated water-level management. Fish barriers are often installed to help prevent harmful invasive fish species like carp from entering into lake systems causing turbidity which hampers growth of vegetation and invertebrates upon which waterfowl rely for nourishment.

Through the Living Lakes Initiative, Ducks Unlimited is working to ensure that waterfowl and wildlife thrive in Iowa and Minnesota. Working with nature to restore and maintain the hydrology of wetlands, shallow lakes, and wild rice lakes, Ducks Unlimited is restoring landscapes that benefit wildlife and leaves a legacy for future generations to enjoy.