March 18, 2024



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*Minnesota DNR News
*




*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
*

March 18, 2024




*For more information:
*Contact the DNR Information Center
by?email? <[email protected]>or call 888-646-6367*.*





In This Issue

* DNR Fish and Wildlife Almanac [ #link_1491411839600 ]
* Warm, dry winter heightens drought concerns [ #link_1491411977526 ]

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DNR Fish and Wildlife Almanac

"A weekly list of news briefs about fish, wildlife, and habitat management."

Minnesota moms: join the Mother?s Day weekend fishing challenge

Moms who live in Minnesota are invited to join a free virtual fishing challenge during Take a Mom Fishing Weekend (May 11-12), when Minnesota moms can fish without purchasing a fishing license.

To participate in the challenge, moms simply need to join the Facebook group and submit one photo of each fish they catch. All participants who submit a fish will be entered in a random drawing for prizes provided by the Student Anglers Organization and their partners, including SCHEELS and Lund gift cards. Before the challenge begins, participants are invited to tune in for a pre-challenge virtual Fishing 101 hosted by Women Anglers of Minnesota, covering topics like gear, how to set up gear and techniques to get started fishing.

The 2024 Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge is a collaboration between the Minnesota DNR,?Student Anglers Organization [ [link removed] ]?(studentangler.org) and?Women Anglers of Minnesota [ [link removed] ] (womenanglersmn.com).

To see challenge details and sign up to get notified when the challenge goes live, visit the Take a Mom Fishing webpage [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/fishing/take-mom-fishing.html). The challenge Facebook group is not yet active, but it will go live on Friday, April 26. Let the countdown begin!

The Minnesota Legislature established Take a Mom Fishing Weekend in 1988 to coincide with Mother?s Day. Fishing season dates and regulations are available on the Minnesota DNR fishing webpage [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/fishing). Find out how and where to fish, learn about fishing equipment, read about ways to catch different kinds of fish, and get acquainted with fishing ethics and stewardship on the Minnesota DNR learn to fish webpage [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/gofishing).

Minnesota DNR webinars focus on archery in the schools, barotrauma in fish

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites people interested in wildlife and outdoor skills to check out the spring program schedule for the Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series.

In a webinar on Wednesday, March 20, Kraig Kiger, DNR shooting sports specialist, and representatives from the National Archery in the Schools program, will discuss how to get started in the archery program, equipment needed, what?s available from the Minnesota DNR, competitions, and awards for participants.

In a webinar on Wednesday, March 27, DNR staff will discuss barotrauma in fish ? the physical damage caused by expanding gases when fish are caught from deeper waters. Staff will describe the effects of barotrauma on popular fish species, explore how it might impact fisheries resource quality and provide tips for anglers to reduce negative impacts from deep water fishing.

The Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series webinars are free and offered year-round, though registration is required. Visit the Outdoor Skills and Stewardship webpage of the Minnesota DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/discover) for the registration portal, more information about upcoming webinars and recordings of past webinars.

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Warm, dry winter heightens drought concerns

Year-round water conservation is beneficial?

With less than half the average snowfall across much of the state and extraordinarily warm winter temperatures, drought conditions in Minnesota have persisted through the winter. Abnormally dry conditions exist throughout the state and about half of Minnesota is in moderate or severe drought.

Minnesota has experienced significant drought conditions each year since 2021. The 2021 drought was the most severe in Minnesota since at least 1988. Drought in 2023 was generally less severe, but some areas of the state experienced conditions comparable to or worse than 2021.

?While climatologists don?t issue forecasts, we want everyone to recognize that, without substantial precipitation this spring, a continuation of widespread drought conditions in 2024 is likely,? State Climatologist Luigi Romolo said.

Sixty-five surface water appropriation permits remain suspended due to last year's low streamflow conditions. These locations and other watersheds will be monitored closely to support decisions on suspending or reinstating surface water appropriation permits. Surface water appropriation suspensions are implemented when streamflows drop to a low level measurement called the Q90, which is a flow that is exceeded 90% of the time. Weekly streamflow reports typically resume the first week of April.

Recent drought events in Minnesota highlight the importance of year-round efficient water use and conservation. The DNR website [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/waters/watermgmt_section/appropriations/conservation.html) has information about what individuals, families, businesses and communities can do to conserve water.?

More information about drought is available on the DNR drought webpage [ [link removed] ] (mndnr.gov/climate/drought).

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