They also studied state laws to find another way for MnDOT to get the needed credit for returning the Wild Rice River to its natural channel. Those months spent burrowing through dusty law books and searching for solutions were rewarded in 1997. The breakthrough came when the DNR approved MnDOT's proposal to use the Wild Rice River restoration as mitigation for the loss of roughly 20 wetland acres from a proposed highway project in nearby Hubbard County. Those involved in the project include the White Earth Indian Reservation, the Board of Soil and Water Resources, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Wild Rice Watershed District, Clearwater and Hubbard counties, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and even Bemidji State University. Increasingly valued Stolen says free-flowing rivers are an increasingly valued resource in northwestern Minnesota.
Rivers are vital natural resources that provide everything from canoeing to furbearer trapping.
Reverting the river to its original hydrology will open deep pools that provide winter habitat for pike and perch, which move upstream from Lower Rice Lake. The numerous meanders on the restored stretch boost its value as fish and wildlife habitat. When it comes to fish and wildlife, a straight ditch is a poor substitute for a meandering stream. Wild rice, a native grass, should also benefit from the restoration, as will local tribal members who harvest the grain for profit, food, and religious reasons. With more water flow through filtering wetlands, the river will run cleaner, thus improving clarity in Lower Rice Lake, into which the river flows.