Monday, December 5, 2016

Construction completed on Frog Lake dam

Construction has been completed on a new dam at the outlet of Frog Lake, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The previous structure was starting to leak and was prone to being plugged by beaver activity.

Located 2 miles west of Bejou on the south side of County Road 1, Frog Lake is a 385-acre shallow basin within the Bejou State Wildlife Management Area. 

DNR engineers designed the new dam with removable screens to make it harder for beavers to cause problems at the site. A grant from the Outdoor Heritage Fund, created after voters approved the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in November 2008, funded construction.

The dam allows the DNR to manage the lake for waterfowl, wildlife and clean water through the use of periodic, temporary water level drawdowns and other strategies. A drawdown can improve waterfowl, wildlife and water quality conditions by stimulating critical aquatic plant growth and reducing undesirable fish.

For more information on the DNR shallow lakes program, visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/wildlife/shallowlakes.