Geneva Lake is going to be real low this summer. The sheet-pile weir being installed will allow the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to lower the levels and kill carp and other invasive species.

It is an excellent thing that Geneva Lake is one of 40 lakes the DNR legally designated for wildlife management purposes in Minnesota. That designation &8212; plus funding from Ducks Unlimited and an agreement from Freeborn County &8212; helped the lake get the loving treatment it needs.

But you might wonder why only 40 lakes in Minnesota get the designation. Minnesota is pocked with Babe the Blue Ox&8217;s hoofprints, each a blue gem valuable to wildlife. The 11,842 lakes are the pride of Minnesotans.

Well, it&8217;s not as if the other lakes are uncared for. The designation means a different philosophy is applied. The wildlife designation authorizes the DNR to manage the lake for the benefit of birds, mammals and other creatures, rather than primarily focusing on fish levels or motorized recreation, like most of the other lakes. Some lakes are designated as resting areas for migratory waterfowl. There are other designations, but you get the idea.

The DNR tends to designate lakes in need of rehabilitation with the wildlife designation. It particularly works well for shallow lakes. It means the DNR can temporarily lower lake levels from time to time to improve wildlife habitat. It reverses the decline, kills carp and improves the water quality.

Hunters benefit because it assists many of the animals they enjoy, and that&8217;s why Ducks Unlimited supports the DNR&8217;s shallow lakes program.

The DNR states:

&8220;Several factors determine whether to designate a lake for wildlife:

1. Will additional management improve a lake&8217;s wildlife habitat?

2. Is the additional authority granted by formal designation necessary to implement this management?

3. Is there substantial public support for designation and management of the lake for wildlife?&8221;

Geneva Lake is not the only lake in the region with the designation. Bear, Upper Twin and Lower Twin lakes have the same designation. With four, Freeborn County is tied with Blue Earth County as having the most wildlife-designation lakes. If you like the local duck population, that&8217;s good news.