Pelican Lake is a 3,500 acre shallow lake located between Saint Michael and Monticello in Wright County. The lake was designated for management as a Wildlife Lake in the 1970's because of the unique habitat and value as a migration stopover for waterfowl, but for many years the level of the lake slowly rose due to higher rainfall, increased drainage, and limited natural outflow of water. After years of planning and cooperation the first drawdown of the lake is underway! The overall lake level has dropped 2.5-3 feet so far and has exposed many mudflats and sandy shores, which have begun to attract many shorebirds. As the summer transitions into fall, we expect that Pelican Lake will become a fantastic shorebird migration stop, as well as a revitalized stopover for migrating waterfowl. Another goal of the drawdown is to bring nesting Western Grebes back to the lake, as they have disappeared in recent years as the water quality and vegetation have declined.
As a lake of nearly 3,500 acres that is surrounded by over 2,000 acres public land managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, there are countless locations to go birding. Whether you are searching for shorebirds, waterfowl, upland birds, or woodland species, the Pelican Lake Wildlife Management Area and Pelican Lake Waterfowl Production Areas will have a lot to offer within a short drive from the cities, especially in the coming years during and following the drawdown. The drawdown is expected to take multiple years, so conditions should remain great for an extended period of time, including next spring during migration. For maps of public land around the lake or to learn more about the Pelican Lake project itself, there is information on the Sauk Rapids Wildlife website at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/saukrapids/wildlife.html, or feel free to contact the DNR Wildlife manager out of Sauk Rapids. We are really excited about the positive changes happening at Pelican Lake, and look forward to hearing about what everyone sees out there! Peter Borash Assistant Area Wildlife Manager Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 1035 South Benton Drive Sauk Rapids, MN 56379 Office: (320) 223-7871 peter.bor...@state.mn.us<mailto:peter.bor...@state.mn.us> ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
