Wisconsin Wild Rice beds have seen challenges in recent years.
The Wisconsin DNR says boaters can help by being aware of early growth wild rice.
The Fourth of July Holiday period is expected to be particularly busy on the water.
In early July, wild rice plants early in the growth season are at higher risk of being uprooted.
The rice will likely have leaves growing above the water and become more visible as a grass growing out of the water.
Waves created by boats will uproot growing rice plants during vulnerable stages of growth when they are just below or above the surface of the water.
Boaters on known wild rice waters are encouraged to practice slow/no wake near shallow areas that might have wild rice growing.
The DNR encourages boaters to check the DNR’s Surface Water Data Viewer to see if wild rice has been documented in the lakes, rivers or flowages they plan to visit.
The plant has long been a key part of ceremonies, feasts and food security for certain Tribal Nations.
Its presence in state waters has declined significantly over the past several decades due to threats like increased temperatures and stronger and more frequent storms resulting from climate change.
“It's really kind of hard to picture what life would be like without wild rice because that's the very core of who we are,” said Kathleen Smith, a member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.
Smith is the Ganawandang manoomin, or “she who takes care of the rice,” for the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC).
GLIFWC’s most recent Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment listed manoomin as the most vulnerable species, ranging from “highly vulnerable” to “extremely vulnerable.”
Highly vulnerable indicates abundance and/or range is likely to decrease significantly by 2050, while extremely vulnerable means abundance and/or range is extremely likely to substantially decrease by 2050 – or disappear altogether.
Wild rice provides a rich food source and habitat for wildlife, including waterfowl, blackbirds and muskrats.
