The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced that this year’s wild rice crop in northern Wisconsin remains low, continuing a pattern of low production in recent years.
Annual wild rice production across the region is strongly linked to climate and weather events over the previous year.
"The 2025 season has brought a mix of conditions, including several notable storm systems," said Kathy Smith, Ganawandang manoomin (she who takes care of wild rice) with the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission. "A fast-moving windstorm in mid-June produced widespread wind damage and heavy rainfall across the upper Midwest. In late June, some areas saw 6-7 inches of rain in a short period, contributing to temporary high-water levels on seepage lakes."
Remote sensing using satellite imagery is a new tool for evaluating annual wild rice abundance across the region.
Source : wisconsin.gov