Clearwater Lake AssociationDeerwood MN

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  • Home
    • What's New on the Web Page
  • Lake Association
    • Overview >
      • Clearwater Lake Association
      • Mission Statement
      • The Legal Paperwork
    • Meetings >
      • 2022 Meetings
      • Past Meetings
    • Membership Communication
    • Membership Dues
    • Meet the Board
    • Recent and Upcoming Events
    • Crayfish Campaign >
      • Trapping
      • Storing
      • Cooking
      • Eating
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Lake Health
    • Overview >
      • Lake Health Overview
      • Lake Managment Plan
      • What Can I Do
      • 2018 / 2021 Aquatic Vegetation Survey
      • DNR and Milfoil Treatment
    • Reports and Maps >
      • Lake Reports
      • Lake Maps
      • Aquatic Management Area
    • Trophic State Index
    • Water Level >
      • Water Level Management
      • HIgh Water Report
      • High Water Damage
      • Ice Heaves
    • Invasive Species >
      • What are Invasive Species
      • Eurasian MilFoil
      • Curly-Leaf Pondweed
      • Rusty Crayfish
      • Buckthorn
      • Invasive Treatment >
        • Treatment Plans
        • Invasive Maps
    • Loons >
      • Clearwater Loons
      • Nesting Project
      • Loon History
      • Why Clearwater Loons Are Important
      • Loon Cam 2017
    • Community Mini-Grant >
      • Lake shore Mini Grant
      • Seminar Flier
      • News Release
      • Grant Gallery
      • Willow Wattle - DIY >
        • Willow Wattle Supplies
        • Willow Wattle Prep
        • Willow Wattle Install
    • Historical Data
    • DNR and Other Resources
  • Community
    • Membership List
    • Photo Gallery
    • Lake History - From our Members
    • Clearwater Forsest Camp >
      • Dining Hall Images
    • Log In Information
  • Contact Us

Nesting Project

Nesting Program
  • Lake Health
    Overview
  • Reports and Maps
  • Trophic State Index
    Lake Health Standard
  • High Water
    Find out the causes and  what we are doing about it.
  • Invasive Species
    Clearwater has 4 invasive species.
  • Lake shore Run off Mini Grant 
  • Clearwater Loons
    • Loons
    • Nesting Project
    • Loon History
    • Why our Loons are Important
    • Loon Cam 2017
  • The Historical Data
    See what people have been tracking!
  • DNR / Other Resources
    There is all kinds of GREAT information out there. 

Putting out the Platforms

Placing the nests early in the season is critical. They are placed the first weekend after ice out. This is usually in early April.  This job can be a little chilly!

The nests need to be vegetated before they are placed.  We buy a couple bales of hay and hand stuff the screen.  

4 people can vegetate and place the 9 nests in about 6-hours.
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Checking the Nests

Checking the nests on a near-daily basis for the first couple weeks is essential to discourage muskrats and otters from taking over the nests as feeder houses.  Jeff cleans the nests each day trying to discourage the muskrats until the loons start nesting.  Once the loons are sitting on the nest, they will drive the rats away.

The loons are Back!

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The loons will be back in the area before ice out.  You will hear them fly over the nesting areas every day looking to see if the lake is open.  Often times they will land in their nesting bay even when the lake is froze.  The male returns first and stakes out the nesting territory ahead of the female.  This may include fighting off young males who try to take over a bay.

If the nests are not set early, the returns pairs may move on looking for a new area.  Returning pairs can use the same nest for over 10-years.

Eggs are usually laid the first week of May and chicks hatch 25-days later.  Once the chicks are hatched they are in the water within 24-hours.  The loons and chicks never return to the nest. 
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Tracking Progress

Throughout the summer the progress and survival of the loon chicks is monitored and tracked.   The information collected is submitted as a part of a larger tracking program.

You can see our history on the Clearwater Loons page.

Pulling the Platforms Storage

We usually remove the nesting platforms a couple weeks after hatch.

We currently have 9 active nest platforms.  They can last a long time but do require regular maintenance.  We usually end up making a new platform every year and they cost about $200 in materials.
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Thank you to Gary and Katie Johnson and Jeff and Paulette Zernov for funding and maintaining our fleet of platforms.

Turn In Poachers

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Clearwater Forest Camp

Since 1954, Clearwater Forest has served as a retreat center and summer camp.  They are owned and managed by Presbyterian Clearwater Forest, Inc.  Clearwater Forest is an important resident on our lake.  With 4+ miles of lake shore and over 1000 acres around  Clearwater, everyone benefits from their mission statement "... be a faithful steward of God’s creation."

To lean more, go to clearwaterforest.org.
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