Pelican Lake Drawdown Update

[jbell1981]

I know there are some others that are interested in this project too so thought I would post this update from Fred Bengtson (MN DNR):


Quote:

Hey Josh. Yes, the drawdown has been proceeding since December 18, 2014 (1 year and 4 months) at anywhere from a slow to fast rate depending on circumstances like this past fall’s Phase 3 pipeline construction and this winter’s installation of the 3 big pumps.

Here are some facts about the drawdown:

1) We are moving forward with the drawdown on a nearly 4,000 acre Pelican Lake with max flows of about 30 cu. ft./sec (cfs).
2) Early flows ranged from zero to 20 cfs depending on further construction, weather and other factors.
3) Last summer we received about 27”s of rain from May through July.
4) Up until early December 2015 we were flowing water into City of St. Michael Ditch #21 that has less capacity than the current primary route we are using.
5) We are finding out that we will likely need to close down or have very slow flows from January-February due to ice damming downstream and safety issues.
6) I’ve calculated that we have probably moved about 4 billion gallons of water through the structure since Dec. 18, 2014.
7) If we hadn’t been drawing down water on Pelican last summer, water levels would likely be about 12-16” higher than where we started.
8) To date, since Dec. 18, 2014 we have lowered the lake about 1.4 ft.
9) With the new primary route in place we are currently averaging about 1“ /week of lake water lowering. When we get an inch of rain the lake goes up about an inch.
10) We are entering the time of the year again with the most measurable precipitation. Long range forecasts are suggesting a warmer and drier summer, but that is a prediction.
11) We are hoping to have the lake lowered 3-4 ft. by September. If so, we would likely start to use the pumps since lake water levels will be near the bottom of the gravity structure.
12) Low runoff this spring allowed us to gain ground on the drawdown that we normally wouldn’t have.
13) Waterfowl numbers this spring have been more than we have observed for many years.
14) Lake water clarity last summer was high and continues that way. Submerged lake vegetation was dense too last summer.
15) There was some northern pike spearing and fishing this winter, but panfish and crappies are not showing up, although we know there are some in the lake.
16) Good changes are happening, just at a slow rate. We are used to faster drawdowns on smaller shallow lakes. This project will just take time. If we luck out with a drought this summer, if could be a lot faster and vice versa….
Fred

[fishersofmen]

Interesting.....

[Bass Thumb]

It was a gem of a bass fishing lake...

[dfv87]

It was a nice fishing lake overall. Had much fun fishing with the kids in the winter.

[RuddyDuck]

I saw that the old landing is starting to show again. Haven't seen this stick out since about 2009-2010.

[BartmanMN]

Where are all the Duck reports from the almighty Pelican? 

Did all this rain fill the lake back up?  I haven't driven by at all. 

I bet the crappies and gills are growing nicely.   Soon enough.

[eyeguy 54]

I miss ice fishing there

 

[Sculpin]

Dennis Anderson, Outdoor writer for the Minneapolis Tribune had a nice write up on the duck opener at Pelican. In addition there were some locals quoted on duck hunting there. Sounds like the ducks are back, and they have the water levels well under control.

[fishface]

The Ducks never left, The pan-fish are gone. What a shameful  waste of money and an awesome resource. 

[fishersofmen]

On ‎9‎/‎28‎/‎2016 at 6:21 PM, Sculpin said:

Dennis Anderson, Outdoor writer for the Minneapolis Tribune had a nice write up on the duck opener at Pelican. In addition there were some locals quoted on duck hunting there. Sounds like the ducks are back, and they have the water levels well under control.

Not too sure about that. We hunted out there on youth, opener, and also yesterday. Youth hunt was slow a lot more birds a few years ago. Opener was ok with all the local teal and woodies around, yesterday was pathetic. Very little shooting on the lake, we were out there for 4 hours and saw around 8 ducks fly the entire time. CO stopped us on the way out and said 80% of the birds shot on opener were BW teal and most of them prob left with the strong winds last week. Said he heard very little shooting yesterday also. I personally am not very optimistic that lowering water levels out there will make a big change in duck numbers.

[RuddyDuck]

I didn't hunt this year, but did drive around Pelican on opening morning. Thought there was less shooting than in years past. I would blame it on all the water in the fields and nothing to do with the lake itself. Lots of little potholes in cornfields and such that are holding birds now. Drove about a mile away from the the lake on 119 and spotted about 30+ mallards sitting in one. There not dumb.  Once those maybe dry up and some new birds come down, then the lake should pick up. 

The lake hasn't even been lowered a year yet. Funny how people say, well that didn't help, what a waste. Right now the lake is still pretty open as the cattails have flooded out from the past high water years. Once it is lower for a couple years, then they should grow back and create some more potholes and cover on the lake itself. That should help a bit to hold some birds. Guess we will see.