North Ottawa Impoundment is hot birding spot

By C. A. Ray

Grant County Herald

The newest tourist attraction in Grant County is the North Ottawa Impoundment, just southeast of Tintah on the Grant/Traverse County border. 

Completed in 2016, the impoundment drains 75 square miles of the 320 square mile Rabbit River Watershed in Grant and Otter Tail Counties and stores  the excess water. 

Set amongst the abundant agricultural fields of west central Minnesota, the North Ottawa Impoundment is a man-made flood reduction facility designed to hold rain overflow and snow melt. 

Secondary benefits of the facility include habitat for birds, waterfowl, and shoreland birds, and that is what hundreds of visitors come to see. Birders from literally all across the nation, bring their binoculars and/or spotting scopes, to the Impoundment and spend the day checking birds off their life lists. 

See the latest sightings at https://ebird.org/hotspot/L2182908.

The impoundment is three square miles in size and divided into a number of cells where water can be managed independently. Each year, some of the cells are managed to encourage habitat for bird migration. Public roads are found around the periphery of the site; internal roads should be walked.

Man made wetland, mudflat and deeper water habitats may be present depending on snow melt and rains. Some cells are planted to agricultural crops like corn and soybeans or other crops for wildlife such as millet.

 “The Bois de Sioux Watershed District is responsible for operation and maintenance of the facility,” said Jamie Beyer,  BDS Manager. 

Development of the North Ottawa Impoundment began in the early 1990s.  Construction was completed in 2016.  

“The primary purpose of the Impoundment is to reduce flood damage both locally and downstream by providing a controlled area for storage.  Water captured in the Impoundment began to be released last week.”

 These projects are typically funded 50 percent by the State of Minnesota, but this facility was one of four that was provided a 75 percent cost share, because the state recognized additional opportunities for natural resource enhancement benefits.  

The following is a list of birds, sighted in just two days last week, and logged on the birding website above.

Tundra Swan, Canvasback, American Coot, Ring-billed Gull, Herring Gull, American White Pelican, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Blue-winged Teal, Gadwall, Greater Scaup, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Northern Flicker, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Canada Goose, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Mourning Dove, Killdeer, Great Blue Heron, American Kestrel, Eastern Meadowlark, Snow Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Cackling Goose, Ring-necked Pheasant, Western Meadowlark.

To find the North Ottawa Impoundment, take Highway # 11 south out of Wendell, 2.6 miles. then west for seven miles on County Road 42.   While public roads are found around the periphery of the site; internal roads could be muddy or even under water at this time of the year, so you may want to walk them. Drive only on roads that look well traveled.  There is a gazebo on the North side with a picnic table.

When you go, be prepared to be underwhelmed. You will see plenty of ducks, cranes, etc. as you drive around, but to really experience the impoundment you are going to need powerful binoculars as most of the waterfowl are in weed beds or far from the road in the middle of the cells. But patience, and a birding field guide,  will pay off for a great experience.