Download photo of a power brush clearing the Riverbend Skate Path on Warroad River.
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — Warroad River ice path built by community members for skating and other winter sports and Marsh Lake renovation on the Minnesota River will be featured on the next Prairie Sportsman. “Recreating on Ice and a River Lake Restored” will air on Pioneer PBS Sunday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m. For air dates and times on all Minnesota PBS stations, go to prairiesportsman.org.
When the COVID-19 pandemic closed down schools and ice arenas, Warroad parents built a skate path to connect two hockey rinks on the Warroad River. Community volunteers pitched in to expand the path, which became the 2.5 mile Riverbend Skate Path, connecting seven hockey rinks. They added a snow trail for cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, hiking and snowshoeing. Polaris Industries of Roseau and Ironhide Equipment of Grand Forks loaned the group vehicles with power brushes to maintain the path.
In the next segment, DNR Fisheries Manager Chris Domeier showcases features of the nearly completed Marsh Lake Restoration Project. A drawdown structure significantly brought down water levels so natural vegetation for fish and waterfowl could be established, and the Pomme de Terre River’s historic channel into the Minnesota River was restored. A fishway built through the dam will allow native species to swim upstream to spawn. The original dam was built by the WPA in the 1930s for flood control, which never worked because the shallow lake filled with silt.
In the final segment, the Minnesota DNR set up an EagleCam in 2012 that broadcasts video of an eagle’s nest. Viewers can follow an eagle family in real time, from the parents’ arrival, to laying and incubating eggs, to caring for their young. This year, three chicks successfully hatched and will grow until they’re ready to fledge, typically in early July.
Prairie Sportsman celebrates our love of the outdoors to hunt, fish and recreate, provided by our vast resources of lakes, rivers, trails and grasslands, and to promote environmental stewardship.
Prairie Sportsman’s team includes Cindy Dorn, producer/writer; Bret Amundson, host/editor; and Dylan Curfman, editor/videographer. The 2021 season is made possible by funding from SafeBasements of Minnesota, Live Wide Open, Western Minnesota Prairie Waters and members of Pioneer PBS.
About Prairie Sportsman
Prairie Sportsman celebrates our love of the outdoors to hunt, fish and recreate, provided by our vast resources of lakes, rivers, trails and grasslands, and to promote environmental stewardship.
Prairie Sportsman’s team includes Cindy Dorn, producer/writer; Bret Amundson, host/editor; and Dylan Curfman, editor/videographer. The 2021 season is made possible by funding from SafeBasements of Minnesota, Live Wide Open, Western Minnesota Prairie Waters and members of Pioneer PBS.
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966, Pioneer PBS is anaward-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing local stories of the region with the world. For more information visit www.pioneer.org.
