St. Michael Council To Hear New Plan for Pelican Lake Outlet Tonight

The St. Michael City Council will hear a new plan being discussed by both the City of St. Michael and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to help drain the water level at Pelican Lake, located west of the city.

According to correspondence between Assistant City Adminstrator Steve Bot and the DNR, the city is working to impliment the fourth and final phase of the plan to lower those levels, paving the way for a wildlife management area on the lake.

The DNR is attempting to use city-owned drains and wetlands to make that final phase work, and hoping to secure funding in the near future to execute the out letting of the lake.

The DNR's description of the project states:

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) proposes a restoration project to lower high lake levels 3.3 feet from the current elevation of 954.0 feet on the 4,000-acre Pelican Lake (an MDNR-designated wildlife lake) in Wright County for wildlife management purposes. The project includes reducing high water levels, constructing an outlet weir, constructing 23,800 feet of new stream channel, restoring a 180-acre wetland, stabilizing the lower reaches of Regal Creek, and constructing a velocity-tube fish barrier. The proposed project is located in Wright County, Minnesota in the cities of Albertville and St. Michael and in Buffalo and Monticello Townships.

The St. Michael Council will discuss this and other topics at tonight's regular meeting, set for 7 p.m. at St. Michael City Hall.

A copy of tonight's agenda is attached.