The Water Quality Committee works to protect and improve the water in Pelican Lake and to slow the spread of invasive plants and animals. The lake has carried a DNR impaired-waters listing for elevated algal growth since 2016, and established invasives include Eurasian water milfoil, curly-leaf pondweed, purple loosestrife and rusty crayfish. The committee meets regularly to plan monitoring, harvesting and treatment.
Committee Chair
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Bob Mott
Questions for the Committee? Email waterquality@pelicanlakeassociation.org.
Fighting Eurasian Water Milfoil
Eurasian water milfoil has been the committee’s central concern for over a decade. Early chemical treatments worked in the short term but EWM returned within a few years, so the committee has moved to mechanical harvesting of large areas, with diver-assisted suction harvesting used on new colonies. In 2025 contractors removed roughly 3,425 cubic feet of milfoil across eight sites, concentrating on Musky Bay and the bays to the south. Milfoil was less visible in 2025 than in previous years, likely because higher, cloudier water restricted the light it needs — so harvesting was scaled back and the unspent budget carried into 2026. The priority for 2026 is keeping navigation lanes open.
Lake Management Plan
The Lake Management Plan, the Onterra study and the lake maps can be found on our Water Quality page below.