Lake Koronis Bus Tour - August 15, 2019

The District is working with Becker County COLA organizing a bus tour on Thursday, August 15 to visit Lake Koronis.  We are currently in the planning stages, so please watch this site or our facebook page for more details.

The purpose of the trip is to expose COLA members and other partners to the effect of starry stonewort on a lake system. 

Feel free to call the Watershed District office if you have any questions at this time (218) 846-0436.

Board of Manager Monthly Meetings Update

The Pelican River Watershed District Board of Managers has moved the normal meeting time from 6:15 to 5:00pm for 2019.  The normal meeting day will remain the third Thursday of each month (the September meeting is held on the second Thursday of the month).  Follow the link below to view the 2019 meeting schedule.

November 2018 Meeting Minutes w/ 2019 Meeting Schedule

Summer Meeting schedule has been adjusted as follows:

Special Meeting, Thursday, August 8, Project Tour - Rice Lake Area and Floyd Lakes Agenda

Thursday, August 22, 2019 - Regular Board Meeting (moved back a week)

Tuesday, September 10, 2019 - Public Hearing followed by monthly meeting

2019 Lake Handouts Available

Some lake handouts were updated in 2019 for various lake association meetings.  If you would like to view the latest information for your lake, click on the link below.

Lake Sallie     Lake Melissa     Long Lake     Big & Little Detroit

Public Notice to treat Aquatic Invasive Species

Flowering Rush Treatments were completed the week of 7/29

Notice is hereby given that the Pelican River Watershed District is conducting an aquatic invasive species control project involving herbicide treatments of Flowering Rush infestations for lakes Big and Little Detroit, Curfman, Sallie, and Melissa.

To read the full notice - click here

The District surveyed Flowering Rush vegetation growth on June 14th and 17th on Detroit, Curfman, Muskrat, Sallie, and Melissa lakes to delineate treatment areas and determine growth density for treatment frequency (June only of June and July treatments).  The maps of the proposed treatment areas are below.  Only areas depicted in red will receive a 2nd (July) treatment.

Detroit and Curfman Lakes

Sallie and Melissa Lakes

Otter Tail Basin Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategies (WRAPS)

District Staff (Guetter, Alcott, summer interns, and Manager Okeson) joined the MN DNR on August 1st to assess streambank erosion and rate the erodibility riverbank between Co Rd 149 to Floyd Lake.  Many areas of erosion were observed that are contributing to high nutrient and sediment loads to Floyd Lake, however, some of the bank slump areas from 20 year's ago are "healing" up.  On September 5th, Guetter, Alcott and MN DNR staff completed the upstream section between Co Rd 149 and 230th St.  This area is seasonally pastured and there were several bank areas which were trampled down by cattle watering and crossing use, exposing fine sediment.  DNR staff will use the data to model and predict sediment loss from streambank erosion.  

A survey of the Pelican River between Hwy 10 and Detroit Lake was completed on September 7th.  Sediment accumulation was found in the culverts due to a widening of the stream bed in those areas, however no significant streambank erosion was noted.

Resolution to initiate project to impound Waters of Becker County Ditch 13

The Board of Mangers at their March 15, 2018 meeting initiated a project to impound waters of Becker County Ditch 13 on the Rice Lake wetland to reduce phosphorus loadings and algal blooms on downstream lakes (Detroit, Muskrat, Sallie and Melissa).  Please feel free to contact our office if you have any questions.

  Resolution to Impound waters of Becker County Ditch 13

District Awarded $1.5 million in Clean Water Funds

May 25, 2016 - The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) announced a third round of Clean Water Fund grants to help six local governments from around the state.  Pelican River Watershed District will receive $1.5 million to help reduce phosphorus loading to the watershed by 50%.

For the latest information regarding the project - go to "Our Work" and see Rice Lake Wetland Project.

  To read full release - click here.

The Board of Soil and Water Resources (BWSR) highlighted the project in their October Snapshot.

Notice of Decision to Revise & Update the PRWD Water Management Plan

The Pelican River Watershed District adopted a resolution on April 21, 2016 requiring the update and revision of the Pelican River Watershed Management Plan, as authorized under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 103D.405, the Watershed District Statute.

The plan will be focused on priority water management concerns,  The Pelican River Watershed District invites all recipients of this notice to submit water management issues they feel the plan should focus on.

Also, please submit any water and related land resources plans and official controls to the name below so that they can be reviewed to ensure consistency with the Watershed Management Plan.

Please submit the requested information by June 1, 2016 or direct inquiries to:

Tera Guetter, Administrator

211 Holmes St. West, Suite 201

Detroit Lakes, MN 56501                 218-846-0436 or tera.guetter@arvig.net

MN Buffer Initiative

Governor Mark Dayton's landmark buffer initiative was signed into law in 2016.  The law establishes new perennial vegetation buffers of up to 50 feet along rivers, streams, and ditches that will help filter out phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment. The new law provides flexibility and financial support for landowners to install and maintain buffers, and boost compliance with buffer laws across Minnesota.

The DNR's has  produced an interactive buffer viewing maps of public waters and ditch systems that require permanent vegetation buffers. http://arcgis.dnr.state.mn.us/gis/buffersviewer/

Buffer Fact Sheet