Cedar Lake Manoomin Restoration Project

Project summary

The Minnesota Land Trust, in partnership with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, proposes to re-establish water levels favorable for Manoomin (wild rice) productivity at Cedar Lake, a designated wild rice lake on the Fond du Lac Reservation. The project would restore historic lake levels by removing downstream beaver dams and associated materials. It also includes installation of a restricted-access boat ramp to enable long-term lake management.

Documents

The EAW and attachments can be downloaded below:

• Environmental Assessment Worksheet

• Figures

• Appendix A- Cedar Lake Wild Rice Restoration Study

• Appendix B- Cedar Lake Design Memo

• Appendix C-Restoration Plan

• Appendix D- Project Plan Sheets

• Appendix E- Technical Memorandum- Native Plant Community Mapping

• Appendix F- Natural Heritage Information System (NHIS)

Public review

The environmental assessment worksheet is also available for public review at the following locations:

• Cloquet Public Library, 320 14th St, Cloquet, MN 55720

• Duluth Public Library, 520 W. Superior St., Duluth, MN 55802

• DNR Library, 500 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul, MN 55155

• Minneapolis Central Library, Government Documents, Second Floor, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401

The environmental assessment worksheet notice was published Tuesday, July 28 in the EQB Monitor, a publication of the Environmental Quality Board.

Public comment period

Comments on the environmental assessment worksheet must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026.

Comments can be submitted online at the Cedar Lake Manoomin Restoration project page.

Mail comments should be sent to:

Kathy Metzker, EAW Project Manager 
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 
500 Lafayette Rd., Box 25 
St. Paul, MN 55155-4025