ospreys knock out power

[Lee Borgersen]

     Nesting ospreys knock out power east of Brainerd

 April 24, 2014
 
Ospreys who were building a nest Thursday on a tall transmission line along Highway 18, east of Brainerd, knocked out power for about 3,400 Crow Wing Power customers at about 4 p.m.

Power was restored to virtually all the customers by 6 p.m. Thursday, according to Char Kinzer, Crow Wing Power public relations manager.

The ospreys’ home project caused blinking all day, Kinzer said. The ospreys’ nesting efforts knocked out two substations which affected customers on Upper South Long Lake, the Pine Center area and several other nearby lake areas. Great River Energy crews, whose company owns the lines, worked on the problem.

Kinzer said ospreys are persistent and will potentially continue to try to build their nest at that location. She said one possibility is that an alternative nesting platform will be set up for the birds near their current location.