Drought conditions in Michigan have dried up both the ground and the hunting opportunities in one of the state’s premier waterfowl hunting destinations, officials said.

Maple River State Game Area – spanning south-central Gratiot, northwest Clinton and northeast Ionia counties – has extremely low water levels across the managed wetland units near U.S. 127 due to ongoing, worsening drought conditions affecting parts of Michigan, according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Low water is affecting waterfowl habitat and hunting opportunities this season, officials said.

The most recent map from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows the game area in the “moderate drought” classification.

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With little measurable rainfall since early August, water levels in the Maple River remain well below normal, officials said. The game area wetland units rely on river water pumped in by DNR staff before the hunting season to create habitat for migrating waterfowl. This year, the low river levels have made it impossible to pump enough water from the river to fill the impoundments. As a result, many units will have little or no standing water throughout much of the season unless the area receives significant rain, officials said.

Effected areas include:

Units E, X and Y (walk-in areas): Expected to remain dry for most of the season. Units A and B: Some water present, but depths may not accommodate larger boats or motors. Boat launches: Water levels along the river are very low, limiting boat access.

Here’s a map of the wetland areas.

The Wildlife Refuge, which is closed to all access from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, has shallow water and is attracting “decent numbers of waterfowl,” officials said.

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While low water levels mean reduced access and opportunity for waterfowl hunting this fall, the game area still has quality deer and small game hunting in the dry impoundments and surrounding uplands, officials said.

Find additional maps of Maple River State Game Area and other state game and wildlife areas here.

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