ONAMIA — Jordan Williams wouldn’t go so far as to call this year’s wild rice a bumper crop, but he will say the rice is looking really, really nice.
Williams is a wildlife biologist for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Department of Natural Resources. The agency monitors many lakes in and around the reservation and throughout the 1837 ceded territory, which stretches east into Wisconsin.
“[Lake] Onamia’s always really efficient, always has lots of rice, so that’s not really any surprise there ... really thick, tall rice,” he said.
Lots of Minnesota’s rice beds have struggled in recent years. Wild rice is sensitive to changes in water level, so the summer cycles of flooding and drought haven’t lent themselves to abundance.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ wild rice outlook points to favorable conditions for successful harvests. High water and summer storms did impact some stands, and conditions are spottier near Bemidji and in Cook, Lake and northern St. Louis counties.
Williams said some rice is starting to ripen, but things will really get going around Labor Day.
Like every year, the Minnesota DNR encourages scouting beds to ensure a successful harvest. The full licensing requirements, rules and regulations can be found on its website.
Williams also had a couple of reminders.
“Make sure you come prepared with all your safety equipment, life jackets and cellphone, make sure people know where you’re at,” he said.