Pelican Lake is a gravity dam located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, built in 1938. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 7 ft7 ft tall and 140 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.
About Pelican Lake
The primary purpose of Pelican Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Mndnr (state). It impounds the Pelican River near Dunvilla.
The dam stands 7 feet tall and stretches 140 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 3,962 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 70,250 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 242 square miles. Completed in 1938, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 08/24/2016. That was over 10 years ago.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Otter Tail |
| Nearest City | Dunvilla |
| River/Stream | Pelican River |
| Coordinates | 46.67391, -96.02013 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 7 ft |
| Dam Height | 6 ft |
| Dam Length | 140 ft |
| Year Completed | 1938 (88 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 70,250 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 70,250 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 61,950 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 3,962 acres |
| Drainage Area | 242 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,179 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Mndnr |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 08/24/2016 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00198 |
| Federal ID | MN00198 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |