Pelican Lake Public Info Meeting

[stretch]

so what did every body think about the meeting last night?? did it help you understand what they want to do and when they want to do the draw down?? i thought they explained it pretty good.

oh i also wanted to say that i felt very lucky to be in a room with best bass fisherman in the state. what a freakin joke that guy was. and to who ever left the pail of sunfish and crappies at the front door of the school. i bet you feel real proud about that. it just goes to show how mature some people are.

[MLee]

The pail of fish was left there by the old guy that wanted to be included in the panel of experts.

The meeting was very informative. The only thing I didn't like was the time line. 4-5 years until the initial draw down. I would like to see it sooner.

[stretch]

i am glad that he didn't go up there to the front. and i agree with you about it starting sooner.

[BartmanMN]

Sounds like it was eventful to say the least.

If I would have only known they were handing out pails of crappie and sunfish to the attendees. Bummer hahha

[stretch]

ya you could say that it was pretty eventful.

[sp700twin]

Since this is a fishing forum, I will share my take-aways from the meeting from a fishing/hunting/year round use point of view.

-Pelican Lake is one of over 4,000 shallow water lakes in Minnesota, only 40 have been chosen to be managed.

-The draw down is not set in stone, it does not have full approval from all parties involved and the time line is still to be determined.

-The only money that has been spent on the project was the $130K +/- to have the private company conduct a feasibility study on the draining of the lake.

-Many lakes winter killed in MN this winter yet Pelican continues to regenerate itself with the oxygen and nutrients needed to sustain a good size fishery.

-Not all land owners around Pelican are for the draw down, as the gentleman sitting beside me made very clear to those sitting around him.

-The drawn down is estimated to cost $1-3 million, (which to me is lingo for $3-5 million) then there will be the annual cost to maintain and repair pumps, manage and repair down stream waterways, continual killing off of the rough fish, etc.

-Prior to the 1930’s Pelican Lake was at the same level that it is now, along with many other lakes that are rising in MN, some feel that the lakes are returning to their normal levels as the weather patterns are returning to pre 1930 patterns, or the end of the “60 year drought” as CNN and The Weather Channel are calling it.

-A good mix of people for the draw down and against the draw down were present.

After the meeting I stayed around until they pretty well kicked us out to do the one-on-one questions that were originally scheduled for the last half hour. As I spoke with the individuals who were the experts sitting on the stand it became clear to me that if they could reshuffle the deck on which 40 lakes out of the 4,000 shallow lakes in MN would be managed, Pelican would not be one of them, as one gentleman said “managing a lake to this level is not ideal with the population growth that is expected in this area” and “in 6-8 years we may find that this lake is just to big to mange for one eco-system.” I asked what needs to be done to get the status of the lake taken off the management list? The response was to “have the right people when an alternative is presented.”

I am curious to see what alternatives were written on the questionnaires that were passed out.

[fishface]

Sp700twin,

Thank you for a rational report.

[stretch]

 Originally Posted By: sp700twin

Since this is a fishing forum, I will share my take-aways from the meeting from a fishing/hunting/year round use point of view.

-Pelican Lake is one of over 4,000 shallow water lakes in Minnesota, only 40 have been chosen to be managed.

-The draw down is not set in stone, it does not have full approval from all parties involved and the time line is still to be determined.

-The only money that has been spent on the project was the $130K +/- to have the private company conduct a feasibility study on the draining of the lake.

-Many lakes winter killed in MN this winter yet Pelican continues to regenerate itself with the oxygen and nutrients needed to sustain a good size fishery.

-Not all land owners around Pelican are for the draw down, as the gentleman sitting beside me made very clear to those sitting around him.

-The drawn down is estimated to cost $1-3 million, (which to me is lingo for $3-5 million) then there will be the annual cost to maintain and repair pumps, manage and repair down stream waterways, continual killing off of the rough fish, etc.

-Prior to the 1930’s Pelican Lake was at the same level that it is now, along with many other lakes that are rising in MN, some feel that the lakes are returning to their normal levels as the weather patterns are returning to pre 1930 patterns, or the end of the “60 year drought” as CNN and The Weather Channel are calling it.

-A good mix of people for the draw down and against the draw down were present.

-because the lake is so large and is an important resting ground for ducks and other wildlife

-yes the draw down is not set in stone because they have to finish drawing up the whole plan.

-that 130k is from D.U. and their is many more parties like MWA, Pheasants Forever, Delta, DNR, and some of the money will come from licences, and the state lottery tickets.

-but in the summer the phospheris gets so bad that didn't they say if it gets any higher they would have to classify the unstable.

-ya because that gentelman probably fishes the lake. but there are many more farmers that are loosing crop land because of the water leave.

-ya the draw down is going to cost money but that's why all of those private parties are investing in this.

-in 2006 if the lake would have risin 2 more feet it would have spilled over. and from pelican lake to the crow river there is a 80 foot drop in land elevation. so that would mean that st.michael would get some flooding problems.

-yes there was quite a few people there that were for it and against it and it was good to hear there thoughts.

[TB Basser]

 Originally Posted By: stretch

so what did every body think about the meeting last night?? did it help you understand what they want to do and when they want to do the draw down?? i thought they explained it pretty good.

oh i also wanted to say that i felt very lucky to be in a room with best bass fisherman in the state. what a freakin joke that guy was. and to who ever left the pail of sunfish and crappies at the front door of the school. i bet you feel real proud about that. it just goes to show how mature some people are.

Your comment is a little out of line. The gentlemen he was referring to,who was sitting next to him, at one time was one of

the premier tournament bass fisherman in the upper midwest and is

held in the same high esteem as folks like Ted Capra, Gary Lake,

the Lindner crew and other from a generation proceeding you evidently. His associate made the claim not him but it is based on some fact.

I found it interesting that after the meeting, I along with another fellow were the only ones who talked to the gentlemen

from the fishery division. The DNR thought the lake would have winterkill this year as so many other lakes had but when they

checked the O2 levels they were surprised at how high it was and

discontinued checking. We also discussed whether with global warming if Pelican will ever experience winterkill again? Who knows? Also, If you remember there was an older gentlemen who has

lived here all his life who commented on how the lake is getting

back to the levels he remembered from his youth. Then another gentleman bought up Pulaski and Center Lakes and how the DNR didn't

manage their water levels and Millions of dollars in Homes and property were lost because the DNR said they were returning to their normal water levels.

It was a very interesting meeting and I was hoping for more time

to ask questions. Some of the folks were long time locals and had

questions pertaining to there property and cost etc.

Personally I would love to see this made into a catch and release

trophy fishery. Right now its at a delicate balance and predator to prey that I don't believe I will see in Minnesota again in my life time if ever.

But when you see 400 truck on the lake fishing that has to have

an adverse effect on the fishery. Enjoy what we have while you can because unless something happens this is going to happen but

probably not soon nor will it be the waterfowl mecca nor fishery

one side or the other wants.

[robbo17]

Just a note to "stretch's" reply. Just so people don't get all wound up. The money for the project will come from Duck Stamp purchases and the state lottery. I think thats what I heard, correct me if I'm wrong.

[jbell1981]

and dedicated funding if it passes.

[stretch]

i'm sorry about saying that to that gentleman but you don't have someone say that they are the best bass fisherman in a meeting like that. it is just like saying you are a better fisherman than everyone else. and that's when the rippin begins.

where on pulaski lake has there been a house that was lost to high water? isn't there high banks all the way around the lake. and i thought that they manage the water level at the public beach. that's why they have that big valve there.

sorry about that robbo17 ya i forgot to type that in. it will come from our duck license/stamps and hunting license and the state lottery tickets. that's what i heared from at the meeting.

[Kyle Sandberg]

Stretch, have you ever stop to think the pumps have always been in the lake? It wasn't that long ago. People have been living in this are for 100+ years. I'm sure there have been some houses lost on that lake due to the influx in water levels.

[stretch]

i am sure there has been houses that have been lost due to high water but i couldn't see that happening when there is pumps in the lake. maybe before they put in the pumps in they lost houses.

[Mark Christianson]

There were dozens of houses lost on Pulaski about 25 years ago. The entire NE side of the lake used to be houses where the inlet to Little Pulaski is now. If I remember right there are even some foundations in little Pulaski.

[stretch]

ya i forgot about that. my bad. i have seen that area flood out well at least where that road comes along the shore and stops at the playground.

[fishgutz77]

I wish I could have been at the meeting. I didn't relize that it fell on the first night of sporting clay league until it was to late.

Are we going to continue to spend money to repair the roads everytime this slough get's out of hand or manage the water level?

and if we are going to manage the resource will it be with waterfowl in mind or game fish?

I understand that waterfowler numbers are droping but this body of water is tailor made for ducks and geese. And as stated before we have hundreds of lakes fish on. Even with suburban sprawl the way pelican is laid out you could put 200 hunters on it and never violate any occupied dwelling laws.

I'm a Delta guy, so I'm jaded, I admit it. That being said waterfowl season without geese is only 45-60 days long,how long is fishing open on this slough? And how long will the good fishing last with thousands fishing it? and when the fishing goes south as it always does with this pond by way of mother nature or man what will we have then?

My tax dollars have been wasted on so many other things that I don't mind this one bit, at least I know that it went to somthing tangible I could see and understand, not some goofball program that was suposed to help who?

I apologize for the rant and not making the meeting, see ya on the water or in the blind.

[updecreek]

Has any body drove by the lake is it open water yet?

[robbo17]

Just drove by it- No open water yet, but she sure is starting to turn colors. Won't be long