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Minnesota Department of Transportation |
For Excellence in Wetlands, Watersheds, and Water Quality:Bob Jacobson Restoration Site (Wingard WMA)This comprehensive approach to ecosystem restoration started when a number of State agencies combined their resources to restore well over a hundred wetland basins in an area that was historically tall-grass prairie. Their cooperative effort resulted in an 1800-acre wetland restoration initiative situated on the flat expanse of historic Lake Aggasiz in the Red River Valley. Through these efforts the site is being restored to a natural condition that will benefit the local watershed in terms of water quality and flood storage. The success of the project can be documented by the wildlife already frequenting this area. They include migratory waterfowl, moose, sand hill cranes, trumpeter swans and bald eagles. This wetland bank was constructed to offset loses from federally funded State highway projects as well as other local developments. The enormous size of this ecosystem restoration area, which has produced valuable results in terms of habitat, wildlife, wetlands, and water quality, shows what can be done through a coordinated partnership effort to preserve and protect environmental values that will be utilized by generations yet to come. This restoration site is named in honor of Bob Jacobson (1958-2007), the Mn/DOT Botanist who played a key role in the vegetative restoration of the site. Project Contributors:
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