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Little Pelican Lake Total Phosphorus

Phosphorus is the limiting nutrient in lakes, meaning that plants and algae need it to grow, and the amount of plants and algae present in the lake depends on how much phosphorus is available. Generally, the less phosphorus in the lake, the better the water quality for recreation. more information on total phosphorus

Pelican Lake total phosphorus concentration at Site 202 has been monitored from 2003 to 2008, and has an average of 22.8 ppb. This is higher than the phosphorus levels in Big Pelican Lake (16 pbb). The Pelican River discharges into Little Pelican Lake, and contributes 75% of the phosphorus in Big Pelican Lake.

2008 Results

In 2008, Site 202 was monitored for total phosphorus. The average total phosphorus for 2008 was 21.1, which is less than the historical average of 23.3. The phosphorus in Little Pelican lake comes from the Pelican River, so any phosphorus loading upstream in Detroit Lakes eventually goes into Little Pelican Lake.

Table 1. 2007 Total Phosphorus results.

2008 Total Phosphorus results. Phosphorus concentrations increased over the course of the summer, which is typical for a eutrophic lake.

Historical Total Phosphorus results: 2003-2008:

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