MOFFIT, N.D. Sept. 16, 2019 Conservation supporters dedicated North Dakotas Ducks Unlimited (DU) Rescue Our Wetlands (ROW) project site this past weekend at the Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge, east of Moffit. A cairn and bronze plaque recognized those who made a formal commitment to Ducks Unlimited during the ROW campaign.

With funding from DU donors, North Dakotas Outdoor Heritage Fund and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, DU completed its portion of repairs to a dike on the refuge, which is owned and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

The dike is on the south shore of Long Lake and allows FWS staff to better manage the marsh and access other parts of the refuge. In 2011, severe flooding damaged the dike and left several sections breached. DU repaired a section of the two-mile dike and increased its elevation to reduce future flooding impacts. DU worked with FWS to determine an appropriate native grass mix to reseed the dike and surrounding areas.

The completed project increased wetland vegetation growth and water bird use. The dike is a nesting area for piping plovers. DU used gravel that plovers prefer for nesting during the dike repair. The marsh on the opposite side of the lake has significant waterfowl use, and refuge staff manually operate the water control structure to manage water levels.

The ROW national campaign raised $2.34 billion and conserved more than 2.2 million acres.

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