A staple of the lake in Woonsocket: Mute swans, long-time inhabitants, offer residents a sight to behold

May 7—WOONSOCKET, S.D. — Mute swans are extremely rare in South Dakota and are considered accidental species in the state. But these graceful birds can be found in Woonsocket, and it's not by accident.

Known as the "Town with the Beautiful Lake," Woonsocket's Lake Prior has been the home to ducks and geese for years. And swans.

Woonsocket Development Corporation President Gay Swenson has documented the history of the swans, with her records tracing back to 2009. Resident Charlie Knigge says the swans have graced the lake for at least 50 years.

"They've been here a long time." Knigge said. "I can't remember a time when there weren't swans."

According to a Sanborn Weekly Journal newspaper story from 1954, the original swans of Lake Prior were secured from a man out of Chicago by a Woonsocket resident named Pat Ulrich. The swans were originally from New Hampshire.

A snow fence was set up around their nest on the north end of the lake to ensure their safety. Despite swans being capable of enduring South Dakota winters, because the lake would freeze over, the birds were captured each winter and relocated to a bird refuge in Redfield and returned in spring.

One thing Swenson knows is they've had to replace the swans several times throughout the years. The original pair encountered some mishap, leading residents Dick and Judy Brisbine to step in and replace them with another set.

In 2016, the community lost one of the swans to a disease frequently found in captive birds. An autopsy conducted on the deceased swan revealed that it had renal-visceral gout, characterized by an accumulation of uric acid.

Upon hearing about the incident, Randy Krueger of Spectrum Ranch in Pukwana, which is home to a variety of exotic animals, proposed to provide the city with a breeding pair of swans in exchange for the surviving one.

Last year, tragedy struck once more with one found deceased. Knigge took initiative in raising donations to acquire yet another pair of swans from Krueger.

"Over the years, we were afraid the geese may have carried the Avian flu and that might have been why we were losing so many swans," Swenson said. "We would find out just laying by the shore, dead."

In 2022, geese posed a significant issue around the lake. Residents voiced concerns about the mess created by the geese on the concrete walking path encircling the lake. Swenson reached out to Game, Fish and Parks regarding the problem, and the town received a coyote decoy. Coyotes, being natural predators of geese and ducks, are frequently used as visual deterrents to dissuade geese from congregating in open areas.

"The mannequin worked so well I bought two more to place around different areas on the lake," Swenson said. "They also provided us with a small hand gun that makes a loud noise to scare them off."

To ensure the swans have a year-round habitat on the lake, the city installed hard water wells on the west side, providing a consistent warmer temperature flow for the swans. Caring for the geese has been a collaborative effort. While many town residents pitch in to feed the swans, the primary responsibility fell on either the Future Farmers of America club or the TL Rangers 4-H club for several years.

Knigge devoted himself to looking after the swans. He visited them every day, providing them with corn and constructing fences to contain them. Now in his 80s, Knigge has decided to retire from his duties.

"I'm 88 and just can't do it anymore, I'm tired," Knigge said. "But I loved it. Those swans knew me. They would come right up to me every morning."

The city has assumed responsibility for ensuring that the swans are fed daily. According to Woonsocket City Finance Officer Tara Weber, they are now on a special poultry/waterfowl blend diet that is donated by the local elevator.

Earlier this year, the city encountered the same dilemma, with only a solitary swan gliding on Lake Prior. They recently acquired yet another new swan at the end of April.

"The last several years it seems like we were losing one every year," Weber said. "The city council voted to purchase one last one because they are such a staple of the lake."

To allow the swans sufficient time to familiarize themselves with each other, they are being kept separated as much as possible, with one positioned on each side of the lake.

"They say that swans mate for life, but when they brought the male last week it seems like the two swans have attached to each other," Weber said.

It has been several years, since before 2020, since the swans have produced any cygnets (baby swans). Swenson suspects that there were instances when they had two females or two males at the same time.

"I think for a long time we had two females just laying eggs," Swenson said. "We really wanted a matched set so they could lay productive eggs and keep a family of swans going on the lake."

Swenson is hopeful that the efforts of the town over the years will finally yield some results, and perhaps this pair will finally produce some cygnets and continue the tradition of the iconic swans on the lake.

"The swans have always been a big draw for Woonsocket, people pulling over while driving, taking a walk around the walk, sitting on one of the benches and taking pictures of the swans," Swenson said. "Hopefully the swans will continue to be what people love to see on their lake."