An informational meeting is scheduled regarding proposed management changes for Clear Lake in Sibley County, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
DNR fisheries managers are investigating the use of drawdowns on Clear Lake, a shallow lake near Gibbon. A drawdown, or lake level lowering, 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, and increasing the chance of a fish winterkill. 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 common carp and shoreline erosion caused by wind and wave action. Management goals of this partial drawdown are to greatly reduce common carp biomass, increase aquatic plant habitat for fish and wildlife, promote the recovery of the gamefish population, increase angling opportunities with stocking of gamefish, and put the “clear” back into Clear Lake.
The public can ask questions and provide input at a public meeting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 22 at the Gibbon Community Center. Interested parties can also contact Scott Mackenthun, Hutchinson area fisheries supervisor by calling 320-753-0324 or emailing him at: [email protected].