Battle Lake conservationist builds floating nest to bring loons back

On Battle Lake, Steve Slatten has turned a summer lake home project into a test of whether Otter Tail County can keep the call of the common loon on the water.

The Fergus Falls man built a floating loon nest to help restore the local population, a small but practical effort in a county where lakes are a defining feature and where shoreline decisions can shape wildlife outcomes. Slatten’s nest fits into a broader Minnesota Department of Natural Resources push that has been underway since 2019, with a focus on protecting breeding habitat, placing artificial nesting platforms in strategic locations and pulling communities into loon conservation work.

The latest Minnesota Loon Monitoring Program report gives Otter Tail County a reason for cautious optimism. Adult loon densities in the Otter Tail index area are increasing or likely increasing, according to the 2024 report. The county is one of six index areas in a monitoring program that covers more than 600 lakes statewide, with hundreds of volunteers collecting information on common loon numbers. Across those survey lakes, volunteers observed at least one loon on 66% of them in 2024.

The same report points to a problem that still hangs over the species: juveniles appear to be declining by about 0.3% per year over a 31-year period statewide. That makes the Battle Lake nest more than a symbolic gesture. It is part of a larger effort to improve nesting success, protect shoreline habitat and reduce the hazards that can keep young loons from surviving long enough to return as adults.

Loons nest on lakes ranging from 12 acres to more than 10,000 acres, usually near shore, in a protected bay or in the lee of islands. In Otter Tail County, where the lakes system is extensive and local lake associations are active, that means the condition of each shoreline matters. County lake mapping tools now track DNR identifiers, water acres, perimeter length and classification, underscoring how tightly wildlife health is tied to local water management.

The next step is concrete. A $4.8 million award is supporting the DNR Nongame Wildlife Program for lakeshore loon habitat acquisition or easements and for artificial nesting platforms, while the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency received $1,270,600 to reduce loon exposure to lead-based fishing tackle. For Otter Tail County anglers and lakeshore owners, the work now depends on what happens at the waterline: fewer lead sinkers and jigs, more protected nesting habitat, and more shoreline choices that give loons a place to come back.