April 8, 2025



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*Minnesota DNR News
*




*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
*

April 8, 2025




*For more information:* <[email protected]>

Contact the DNR Information Center
by email  <[email protected]>or call 888-646-6367.





In This Issue

* Get Out MORE project at Madison Lake public water access complete [ #link_1491412003165 ]
* Minnesota DNR accepting comments on environmental documents for proposed Rock Arch Rapids Restoration Project on South Branch of Wild Rice River [ #link_1491411977526 ]

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Get Out MORE project at Madison Lake public water access complete
A dock leading into a lake

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has completed upgrades at the Madison Lake Public Water Access, located on the east side of Madison Lake, between the cities of Mankato and Owatonna in Blue Earth County. This project is one of more than 40 PWAs slated for large-scale modernization efforts thanks to the Get Out MORE (Modernize Outdoor Recreation Experiences) initiative.  

Get Out MORE is a historic, one-time investment of $150 million to help ensure Minnesotans of all abilities and interests enjoy a world-class recreation system, whichever outdoor experience they choose. The initiative includes $35 million for modernizing boating access, which is funding more than 40 large-scale projects and 100-125 small-scale projects at PWAs across the state.

The Madison Lake PWA is one of 1,700 boat launches managed by DNR. The site needed significant upgrades to improve safety, access, and natural resource protection. In addition, basic facilities had deteriorated and needed replacement.

The modernized PWA now features accessible parking, two new launch ramps, new launch ramp docks, a designated aquatic invasive species management and boat-trailer tie-down lane, and stormwater protection.

“Modernizing water recreation infrastructure ensures that Minnesota DNR can provide safe, accessible, and high-quality experiences for users today and into the future,” DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen said. “Thanks to the transformative Get Out MORE initiative, we’re able to implement critical upgrades at locations like this one, supporting our goal to meet the evolving needs of Minnesotans and to provide outdoor experiences for future generations.”

The Madison Lake PWA is one of four large-scale PWA projects completed with Get Out MORE funding in 2024. The other three were Sturgeon Lake in Pine County, Sugar Lake in Wright County, and German Lake in Le Sueur County. The DNR anticipates an additional 18 large-scale PWA projects will be completed by the end of 2025, including locations in Carver, Crow Wing, Dakota, Kandiyohi, Lake, Pine, Roseau, St. Louis, and Stearns counties.

More information about the Get Out MORE improvements in progress and soon to come can be found on the Get Out MORE page of the DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/get-out-more).

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Minnesota DNR accepting comments on environmental documents for proposed Rock Arch Rapids Restoration Project on South Branch of Wild Rice River

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is accepting comments until 4:30 p.m. May 8 on an environmental assessment worksheet related to the South Branch Wild Rice River Rock Arch Rapids Restoration Project, located in Clay County.

The Wild Rice Watershed District proposes to install a series of rock arch rapids within a 13-mile stretch of the South Branch of the Wild Rice River. Each rock arch rapids would be designed specifically to each stretch of the channel and, in general, would consist of a riprap-lined ramp and a series of rock arches or boulder weirs. The purpose of the proposed project is to restore the river’s connection with its floodplain, thereby reducing flood damage, erosion, and sediment transport, and to restore floodplain habitat and provide continued fish passage.

A copy of the EAW is available on the project page of the DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/input/environmentalreview/rock-arch-rapids-restoration.html).

A print copy may be requested by calling 651-259-5655.

The EAW is also available for public review at the following locations:


* Fergus Falls Public Library, 205 East Hampden Avenue, Fergus Falls, MN 56537
* DNR Library, 500 Lafayette Road N, St. Paul, MN 55155
* Hennepin County – Minneapolis Central Library, Government Documents, Second Floor, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401-1992

The EAW notice was published in the April 8 EQB Monitor [ [link removed] ] (eqb.state.mn.us/eqb-monitor), a publication of the Environmental Quality Board.

Comments on the EAW must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, 2025.


* Email comments should be sent to [email protected] with “South Branch Wild Rice River” in the subject line.
* Mail comments should be sent to:
* Caroline Oswald, EAW Project Manager
* Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
* 500 Lafayette Road, Box 25
* St. Paul, MN 55155-4025

Anyone providing a mailing address or submitting comments via email will receive a copy of the subsequent decision document, which will include responses to comments. Because all comments and related information are part of the public record for this environmental review, commenters’ names and email or postal addresses will be published and publicly available as they appear in the materials commenters submit.

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