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Jsb
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Pelican Lake Drawdown Update

Fri Apr 29, 2016 11:20 am

For those that are interested in this project, here is an update from Fred Bengtson (MN DNR):

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
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maplelakeduckslayer
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Re: Pelican Lake Drawdown Update

Tue May 03, 2016 11:25 am

Go a lot faster if they plugged all the drain tile going into the lake...I don't understand why they haven't addressed the issue why Pelican rose in the first place. Theres just going to be a constant in/out of water, bringing with it fertilizers and silt into the lake, and dumping nutrients into the Crow.

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Jsb
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Re: Pelican Lake Drawdown Update

Tue May 03, 2016 12:55 pm

There actually have been quite a few tiles busted up that made their way to Pelican. Many other that the locations are unknown. Unfortunately not a lot they can do with the ones already in place on current farm land.
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Bailey
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Re: Pelican Lake Drawdown Update

Fri Sep 22, 2017 11:52 pm

Jsb wrote:For those that are interested in this project, here is an update from Fred Bengtson (MN DNR):

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



I heard it is still really low and still in a drawdown. How long does this drawdown take?

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Re: RE: Re: Pelican Lake Drawdown Update

Sat Sep 23, 2017 7:32 pm

Bailey wrote:[quote="Jsb"]For those that are interested in this project, here is an update from Fred Bengtson (MN DNR):

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



I heard it is still really low and still in a drawdown. How long does this drawdown take?[/quote]
Well it all matters how many tile are draining into it.

There is one spot by me that they've been draining for three years, every rain brings it back up to near normal levels.

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maplelakeduckslayer
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Re: Pelican Lake Drawdown Update

Sat Oct 14, 2017 3:26 pm

Ya pelican jumped up some with this last heavy rain

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lanyard
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Re: Pelican Lake Drawdown Update

Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:16 am

From experience at Christina I can tell you: drawdowns work.

The primary issue impacting drawdowns are Stakeholder Groups and down stream flow issues.

Christina drains into the Pomme de Terre watershed, the channel can only hold so much water, so heavy rain years limit outflow.

Ironically, lake owners on Pelican (@ Ashby, MN), complained pumping through "their" lake made the water more clear changed how fish responded to structure, increased vegetation, and a HUGE expansion in small biotics like snails..... Huh, that would seem to be a sign of a healthy lake, but if "run off green" is all you know....

Fastest way to fix most if these lakes is to blow up the dams. Same protocol out West for trout. The water was moving and the land healthier long before we showed up.


NOTE: this is not an anti-human or anti-farm rant. More about the politics of "science".

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Re: Pelican Lake Drawdown Update

Wed Oct 18, 2017 9:36 am

If I am not mistaken there is a low rise dam (keeps it up 2' higher) on Pelican @ Ashby, and why the water does not flow out of Christiana like it used to. The homeowners want a fishing type of lake that used to be more of a large duck slough/lake.
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lanyard
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Re: Pelican Lake Drawdown Update

Thu Oct 19, 2017 12:27 am

h2ofwlr wrote:If I am not mistaken there is a low rise dam (keeps it up 2' higher) on Pelican @ Ashby, and why the water does not flow out of Christiana like it used to. The homeowners want a fishing type of lake that used to be more of a large duck slough/lake.


You're mistaken, partially.

Currently interest in the lake is to maximize it for waterfowl. Why the dam was put in wayyyyy back when, I don't know.

On an outflow basis the damn height/width is not congruent to the lake area. So, it can only let out so much water, regardless of what's in the lake. Think of filling a funnel too fast.

Downstream, the dam has MORE value in not fluctuating Pelican Lake's levels. The watershed for Christina is significantly larger than Pelican. By damming Christina (a portion of Pomme de Terre headwaters) it's easier to control DOWNSTREAM water levels by backing up the Christina chain (Christina, Ina, Anka). There is also a dam at the Pelican Lake Outlet, into Pelican River.

As I understand it, walleyes were introduced at some point to control minnow populations and a decent fishery developed in late '70's/early '80s, but this was an outcome, not a purpose of lake management. Like Pelican by Monticello,lots of people get mad you take their fishing hole slough away in a land of 10,000 lakes.... (I have a local story on this, but it requires beer). Somehow catching easy fish for 5 years wipes away. 100's years of history.

Heron Lake on the other hand (down by Worthington) is kept artificially high to allow ease of access according to riparian land agreements drawn up 100 years ago that provided legal definition of access and ownership to a center-point in the lake. Think of a Homeowners Association, but with a REALLY big slough as the property.

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Re: Pelican Lake Drawdown Update

Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:37 am

lanyard wrote:
h2ofwlr wrote:If I am not mistaken there is a low rise dam (keeps it up 2' higher) on Pelican @ Ashby, and why the water does not flow out of Christiana like it used to. The homeowners want a fishing type of lake that used to be more of a large duck slough/lake.


You're mistaken, partially.

Currently interest in the lake is to maximize it for waterfowl. Why the dam was put in wayyyyy back when, I don't know.

On an outflow basis the damn height/width is not congruent to the lake area. So, it can only let out so much water, regardless of what's in the lake. Think of filling a funnel too fast.

Downstream, the dam has MORE value in not fluctuating Pelican Lake's levels. The watershed for Christina is significantly larger than Pelican. By damming Christina (a portion of Pomme de Terre headwaters) it's easier to control DOWNSTREAM water levels by backing up the Christina chain (Christina, Ina, Anka). There is also a dam at the Pelican Lake Outlet, into Pelican River.

As I understand it, walleyes were introduced at some point to control minnow populations and a decent fishery developed in late '70's/early '80s, but this was an outcome, not a purpose of lake management. Like Pelican by Monticello,lots of people get mad you take their fishing hole slough away in a land of 10,000 lakes.... (I have a local story on this, but it requires beer). Somehow catching easy fish for 5 years wipes away. 100's years of history.

Heron Lake on the other hand (down by Worthington) is kept artificially high to allow ease of access according to riparian land agreements drawn up 100 years ago that provided legal definition of access and ownership to a center-point in the lake. Think of a Homeowners Association, but with a REALLY big slough as the property.


Except at heron lake it hardly matters. The first weekend can be ok but after that it stinks. My dad has a buddy in a club on heron lake and he does not even hunt it anymore. He still is member but spends in time in canada hunting. I guess he has gone maybe a few times in the last five years but not much. He has alot of money so I guess he still pays but says the hunting is poor.

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