The 300 acre alkaline lake located primarily in Lac Qui Parle County, Minnesota but also extending into Deuel County, South Dakota known as Salt Lake first came to the notice of the birding community as a result of reports from Mrs. C. E. (Mae) Peterson(1876-1960) of Madison, Minnesota.  Her observations were regularly reported to the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union(MOU) and to Dr. Thomas S. Roberts, author of Birds of Minnesota.  As a pioneer bird bander, she banded over 15,000 birds of 120 different species in her 27 years of active work.  She is credited with the first Minnesota records of Black-throated Gray Warbler and MacGillivray’s Warbler.  She and her husband Charlie owned and operated a drug store in Madison until Mr. Peterson’s death in 1938.     

The MOU held its first spring field meeting in Madison, Minnesota in the spring of 1963 beginning a long and rich tradition of visiting the area each year in April to enjoy the birds of Salt Lake and the surrounding area.  The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources purchased about 300 acres of surrounding land in 1973 and has since added 480 acres more, creating food and nesting habitat for birds and other wildlife. 

This lake, which fluctuates from completely dry to approximately 300 acres at its high water mark, is the most alkaline body of water in the state.  It is about 1/3 as salty as sea water.  It hosts extensive beds of sago pondweed, a favorite food of waterfowl and zooplankton, principally red crustacean, a favorite of shorebirds. 

 More than 150 bird species have been documented at Salt Lake WMA including the first state record of Western Sandpiper found by Walter J. Breckenridge in early September, 1960.  Other records include American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Piping Plover, Red Phalarope, Sabine’s Gull, Lark Bunting, Smith’s Longspur, LeConte’s Sparrow, Henslow’s Sparrow, Ferruginous Hawk and Short-eared Owl.  When the sago is right, eared grebes have a nesting colony here. Salt Lake has now been designated as an Important Bird Area by Audubon Minnesota a testament to the significance of this location to migrating and resident birds.  The MOU asks that all who visit this site treat it with the utmost respect.