DNR holding informational meeting on Clear Lake near Gibbon

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is holding an informational meeting Tuesday regarding the proposed management changes for Clear Lake in Sibley County.

The meeting will be open to the public at the Gibbon Community Center at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 22.

The DNR is investigating the use of drawdowns on Clear Lake, which is a shallow lake near Gibbon.  A drawdown is a tool that temporarily lowers water levels to mimic natural drought cycles.  Droughts allow a shallow lake ecosystem to reset itself by re-establishing aquatic vegetation, consolidating sediment on the lake bottom, and increasing the chance of a fish winterkill.

The DNR says a significant winterkill would help remove Clear Lake’s abundant population of the invasive common carp, which degrade water quality through their feeding actions.

Clear Lake has been hampered by poor water quality because of the carp and shoreline erosion caused by wind and wave action, according to the DNR.

The meeting will give the public a chance to ask questions and provide input.  Questions and comments can also be directed to Hutchinson area fisheries supervisor Scott Mackenthun by email or (320) 753-0324