Designated wildlife lakes?

[Lee Borgersen]

    Q&A: Five questions about designated wildlife lakes  

Q: What is a designated wildlife lake?
A: These lakes are generally shallow lakes with abundant aquatic vegetation which provides food and habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife species. A designated wildlife lake is done through Minnesota Statute 97A.101, which gives the DNR the authority to manage water levels and surface use for the benefit of wildlife.
 
Q: How does designation work?
A: The DNR drafts a management plan and allows landowners and local units of government and other interested parties to review and comment on the plan and then holds a public hearing. If there is public support at the hearing, the commissioner can designate the lake via a Commissioner's Order. Also during the process, engineers design water control structures that will allow water level management without flooding downstream properties. The entire process can take more than two years to complete but water level management is complex and many pieces of a plan have to come together for it to work.

Q: Does the DNR want to designate all shallow lakes as wildlife management lakes?
A: No, designation is considered a tool that is used when needed. Water level management is not feasible on all shallow lakes. The DNR's priority for designation or some other form of management is on lakes that have publicly managed wild lands on parts of their shorelines. For example, the Ras-Lyn Wildlife Management Area on Eagle Lake makes it a priority for management for the DNR.

Q: Is designation the only thing needed in order for the DNR to manage water levels on a lake?
A: No, it is just one of many things needed. Also needed in some cases are easements from private landowners if the DNR does not own the outlet of the lake, agreements with counties or townships if the construction includes road culverts and several permits are also required, both at the state and federal level.

Q: What results are expected from water level management?
A: Improvements in water clarity aquatic vegetation are expected. Timing and extent of the drawdown will determine what types of vegetation will respond. Some drawdowns are timed to encourage the growth of both emergent (cattails and bulrush) and submerged vegetation (for example, sago pondweed) and some are timed to only encourage submerged vegetation to grow.