Join us June 21-22 at the Telemark Resort in Cable for the 9th annual Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference to learn about lakes and share strategies for assuring their continued protection.

Clean, safe, healthy lakes are important to the scenic beauty, recreation, tourism and the economy of Northwest Wisconsin. Discover the unique nature of our lakes, learn the challenges they face, and how all of us can protect and improve them.

Registration closes on June 16, 2007.

Register online or call the WAL office at 608- 661-4313
More event information
Download full Friday conference program agenda (PDF 1.87 MB)

Special optional Thursday workshops and events

Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) prevention and education
(2-part workshop series).

Whole lake monitoring:
Learn how to monitor for aquatic invasive species like zebra mussels, rusty crayfish, and Eurasian water milfoil on your lake! Whole lake monitoring is part of a proactive approach to detect invasives early and develop an appropriate response.
Clean Boats Clean Waters workshop:
Learn how to organize an effective volunteer watercraft inspection program. Hands-on training to conduct watercraft inspections and invasive species identification will also be provided.

Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations:
Learn how to fundraise effectively for your organization so you've got the resources to make your group's plans a reality.

Pontoon Classroom on Namekagon Lake:
Tour beautiful Namekagon Lake with lake experts and learn how lakes' food webs and nutrient cycles work, the role of different lake and shoreland habitat areas, how scientists monitor lakes, and how lakes are threatened.

An evening of good company and entertainment:
Join event participants and network with lakes folks at our barbeque and social and then take a photo journey to Russia's amazing lakes and landscapes. Discover the critical water resource challenges facing Lake Baikal and other Russian lakes.

Friday's conference

We are pleased to welcome Patty Loew - producer for WHA-TV (PBS) and co-host of Wisconsin Public Television's In Wisconsin-to this year's Conference. Loew is an associate professor of Life Sciences Communication at UW-Madison and a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. She will be providing an insightful and historical perspective of Wisconsin's treaty rights in her keynote address, First Stewards, First Nations of Wisconsin.

Bob Korth, UW-Extension Lakes Program, will provide a special update on the fish virus, Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) (see article below).

Other conference sessions include:

• Who owns the waters? Balancing public and private rights.
• Legislative panel, Senator Jauch and Representative Sherman report on actions taken in the current session which impact lakes and other water resources.
• Citizen input to DNR regulations through participation in the Conservation Congress and Natural Resources Board.
• Lake Superior, gateway for aquatic invasive species. How can we help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species?
• Aquatic plant management and invasive species control and prevention.
• Aquatic invasives control case study. How the Town of Barnes is tackling the issue head on.
• Sport fishing group efforts to improve habitat and fisheries.
• Shoreland stewardship for lake friendly living.
• Glacial geology of Northwest Wisconsin lakes. How did they come to be what they now are?
• Understanding lake levels. What might be causing the currently low levels?
• Get the lead out - a campaign to save our loons.
• 101 ways to help songbirds.

Register online or call the WAL office at 608- 661-4313

Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, known as VHS, is an infectious viral disease of fish that can cause them to bleed to death. It was diagnosed for the first time in the Great Lakes as the cause of large fish kills in lakes Huron, St. Clair, Erie, Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River in 2005 and 2006. Recently the virus has been discovered in the Lake Winnebago and Lake Michigan systems.

The VHS virus is considered an invasive species (not native to the Great Lakes), but scientists are not sure how the virus arrived. It may have come in with migrating fish from the Atlantic Coast, or may have hitch-hiked in ballast water from ships. The VHS virus is not a threat to people who handle infected fish or want to eat their catch, but it can kill more than 25 fish species.

Fish biologists consider the virus a serious threat to Wisconsin fish for several reasons: it can spread easily among fish of all ages, it affects a broad range of our native game fish, pan fish and bait fish as well as "rough" fish, and it often kills fish. Wisconsin fish biologists are also concerned that if VHS spreads to Wisconsin's inland waters, which are much smaller than any of the Great Lakes, it could spread rapidly among fish and potentially large numbers of fish within that water could be affected.

Wherever in Wisconsin you are enjoying one of our 15,000 lakes, you can help slow the spread of VHS by practicing the following precautions:

• Do not move water or live fish (including unused bait minnows) from one water body to another.
• Drain all water from bilges, bait buckets, live wells, and other containers at the landing.
• Dispose of minnows and other bait in the trash, and put your catch on ice before you leave the landing.
• Only buy minnows from registered Wisconsin bait dealers, or catch it yourself in the same water you fish.
• Clean plants and other debris from your boat before launching boats and leaving landings.

Facts about VHS
W hat is being done to prevent VHS
VHS publications

Polluted runoff is Wisconsin's number one water quality problem, negatively impacting an estimated 90% of Wisconsin's lakes. In 2002, Wisconsin was the first state in the nation to pass a comprehensive policy and rules to reduce polluted runoff, with a significant focus on agricultural runoff. Unfortunately, the promise of these rules has gone unfulfilled. Under current Wisconsin law, existing farms are not required to comply with these rules unless offered at least a 70% cost share to cover expenses associated with changing farm practices that keep soil, nutrients, or manure out of our lakes and rivers. The Legislature failed to fund their commitment to reduce farm runoff when they did not provide sufficient funding to effectively implement the rules they passed.

This year, Governor Doyle's budget proposal included a badly needed jump start to revitalize Wisconsin's polluted runoff program. The proposal included $12 million to help farmers with on the ground practices-such as nutrient management, no till planting, installing buffers or contour strips, and managed grazing- that help keep soil and manure out of our lakes and rivers. Additionally, $25 million in bond funds for "concrete" solutions such as manure storage facilities was included.

The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee reduced the amount of bonding to $22.5 million, but approved the $12 million for on the ground practices. These practices are effective and low-cost; $12M can be stretched to help many farms. Small increases in two current fees- a "tipping fee" charged to waste haulers who dump into the state's landfills, and a fee on vehicle title transfers-will generate the $12 M.

Later this summer the full Legislature will take up the budget, and it is important that these two small fee increases are approved. Please contact Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch and your legislator to let them know:

• Reducing polluted runoff is a critical issue to the future of Wisconsin Lakes.
• You support the Governor's proposal for funds to ensure changes in farming practices to reduce polluted runoff.
• The state's polluted runoff program has never been effectively funded since Wisconsin passed its polluted runoff rules five years ago.
• While $12 million provides less than 25% of the estimated need, the increase in polluted runoff funding is a necessary step to begin to address Wisconsin's number one water quality challenge.
• If these specific increases in state fees are a concern, you urge the Assembly Speaker and your legislator to find other funding sources to generate $12 million for reducing polluted runoff.

Find your legislator

A Natural Shoreline Expo was held June 2 by the Winnebago County Land and Water Conservation Department and the Winnebago Lakes Council to show property owners how to plant buffers around waterfront with native plants that help prevent shoreline erosion.

The Expo featured the efforts of property owners such as Jim Ryf, who have made shoreline improvements aimed at improving water quality in the Lake Winnebago system. Wildlife is finding a new habitat in the 40-foot buffer of native vegetation he's planted around the two channels near his house, but the buffer also serves another important purpose - it's also helping to prevent shoreline erosion and clean sediment and other pollutants out of water runoff.

"For current and on-going sources of pollution, runoff pollution is the current greatest need to address," said Rob McLennan, a Winnebago area watershed management supervisor with the state Department of Natural Resources.

Sediment and phosphorus are the two main pollutants that currently worry biologists and water conservation officials. Sediment - soil particles that end up in the water - reduces water clarity and reduces the ability for light to penetrate the water for aquatic plants to grow. Phosphorus, a chemical found in fertilizer, feeds algae blooms and weeds that can choke off the water system.

Both come from urban and rural sources. The pollution coming from lawn fertilizers, oil on cars and pet waste washes down a city storm sewer and goes directly into the water system, without ever passing through any kind of treatment plant. That means, if lawn chemicals, grass clippings or dirt from a flowerbed washes into the storm sewer, it will make its way to the lake.

F ull story

Spring is the time when many property owners and volunteer organizations are hard at work trying to eliminate invasive plants like garlic mustard from their woods, yards and local parks. Many invasive plants continue to develop seeds once they have been pulled from the ground.

To ensure that the invasive plants are destroyed and the seeds not redistributed, the Department of Natural Resources are asking property owners to separate and bag any invasive plants in clear bags and label the bags "invasive plants - approved by Wis. DNR for landfilling."

"Even though landfilling of yard waste is prohibited in Wisconsin, the DNR is using its enforcement discretion to allow invasive plants to be landfilled because that represents the best available option for disposing of them," said Cynthia Moore, DNR Recycling Team Leader.

"We don't recommend composting invasive plants and their seeds because of the likelihood that viable plants and seeds will be spread through the distribution of the finished compost. Only specially designed and carefully managed composting operations should accept invasive plants"

More information on invasive plant species and eradication.

The Wisconsin Association of Lakes is the only statewide organization working exclusively to protect and enhance the quality of Wisconsin's 15,000 lakes.

We represent citizens like you who care about Wisconsin's lakes as a natural resource, and who also recognize the value healthy lakes bring to property values, tourist economies, and overall quality of life.

• Learn about our statewide voice for strong lake policy
• Learn about our lake education events
• Learn about our lake publications, The Lake Connection and E-lake Letter
• J oin Us in working for clean, safe, healthy lakes for everyone.