Our Changing Lakes: Low Lake Levels in Northern Wisconsin
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
8:00 am – 2:00 pm
The Waters of Minocqua in Minocqua, WI
A Northwoods lakes workshop scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, will address low lake levels in Northern Wisconsin. Lake organization leaders, county and town officials, water resource professionals, waterfront property owners, and other lake enthusiasts are invited to learn more about:
- Implications of climate change in Northern Wisconsin.
- Connections between groundwater and surface water levels.
- Which types of lakes, in which landscape settings, are most susceptible to water level declines.
- How Northern Wisconsin’s lakes are changing and what these changes mean for long-term lake health.
- Water level management of impounded systems.
- Balancing competing water uses on the Wisconsin River system.
- Ways we can adapt to our changing lakes.
Registration
The cost to attend the workshop is $25 per person. Registration fee includes program materials, lunch, and refreshments.
Registration has closed for this event.
Agenda*
* Agenda may change.
8:00 am Registration check-in
8:40 Welcome and opening remarks
Tom Jerow, WI Department of Natural Resources Northern Region Water Leader
Factors Affecting Water Levels and Recent Trends in Northern Wisconsin’s lakes
Tim Asplund, WI Department of Natural Resources State Limnologist
Lakes in Wisconsin are no strangers to fluctuations in water levels. They respond to changes in climate, weather patterns, and to what is happening on the land that drains into them. Snow cover, rainfall, seasonal average temperatures, individual lake characteristics, and our society’s water use all play a role. Climate trends can last for many years, affecting lake levels, streamflows, and groundwater. The recent unusually dry weather patterns have made low lake levels particularly noticeable. Natural variations are part of lake ecosystems. Natural variations are part of lake ecosystems. But larger forces are at work at work too: climate change, water use, and land use changes.
9:10 Recent Climate Trends in Northern Wisconsin
Dan Vimont, Assistant Professor at UW-Madison Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and Center for Climatic Research at UW-Madison, and Co-Chair of the Climate Working Group for the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts
Dr. Vimont’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of climate variability and change, interactions between weather and climate, and global to regional impacts of climate change. This is a special opportunity to learn how advances in climate modeling capabilities are helping scientists and decision-makers gain a better understanding of climate change impacts in Wisconsin.
Global climate models are generally provided at a spatial scale that is too coarse to be useful to state and local policy makers. So climate scientists are providing information about Wisconsin’s past, present, and future climate, allowing us to see in greater detail the change and variability at local and regional scales.
This climate data is being used by scientists from many different disciplines who are working together in the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts. This statewide collaboration is assessing the potential consequences of climate change for Wisconsin's natural resources, ecosystems, industries, farms, human health, and our way of life— and forming practical adaptation strategies to address the needs Wisconsin’s citizens, economy, and resources.
The Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) is a partnership of the University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and other agencies. Learn more about WICCI at: http://wicci.wisc.edu/index.htm
9:55 Current Research in Groundwater and Surface Water Interactions
Randy Hunt, Research Limnologist at the US Geological Survey Wisconsin Water Science Center (invited)
Learn more about current research projects by the USGS to better understand how the interactions of climate change, consumptive water use, groundwater, geology, land use, and characteristics of the lake itself yield the current lake conditions we see.
10:15 Break
10:45 Changes in Habitat with Declining Water Levels
Susan Knight, Aquatic Biologist for UW-Center for Limnology and DNR
We'll explore the role of specific lake characteristics— such as lake shape, depth, type, lake bed contours, substrate, and trophic status— in understanding habitat changes that may occur with declining water levels. As lake levels decline, aquatic plants will grow deeper into the lake, and emergent plants once on the water's edge will be stranded. Sedges and other emergent plants may colonize newly exposed shorelines,but this new real estate will also be prime habitat for terrestrial invasive species. Fish and invertebrates may lose ideal breeding habitat as water levels fall. Learn more about the natural progression of aquatic and shoreland plants and the animals that rely on them as lake levels rise and fall, and our own responsibilities in caring for these fragile habitats.
11:15 How Water Level Fluctuations Affect Fisheries
Steve Ave’Lallemant, DNR Northern Region Fisheries Coordinator
Learn more about how Northern Wisconsin’s fisheries respond to changes in lake levels. We’ll explore a variety of environmental factors that cause changes in natural reproduction and survival of fishes in controlled systems and naturally formed lakes and how they relate to lake levels. We’ll also look at measures to mitigate negative impacts of low lake levels to fisheries.
11:45 – 12:30 Lunch
12:30 – 2:00 Choose 1 of 2 concurrent sessions
Here we’ll break into 2 groups to explore lake management concerns pertaining to naturally formed lakes and impounded systems:
- A. Adapting to Change in Naturally Formed Lakes
- or
- B. Managing Water Levels of Impounded Systems during Low Water Years
A. Adapting to Change in Naturally Formed Lakes
12:30 Caring for Newly Exposed Shorelines and Review of Waterway and Shoreland Zoning Rules
Tom Blake, DNR Northern Region Shoreland Zoning Specialist
The ordinary high water mark (OHWM) establishes the boundary between public lakebed and private land. It’s an important line that determines setbacks for building structures and other shoreland zoning rules. Furthermore, activities below the OHWM require waterway and wetland permits (ch. 30 permits) from the DNR. The OHWM doesn’t change with temporary fluctuations in water levels, nor is it always at or near open water (such as wetlands edging a lake). Are you a little unsure of what the waterway and shoreland zoning regulations are in situations where lake levels have changed dramatically? Here we’ll the review the rules pertaining to use of exposed lake beds, removing aquatic plants, shoreline vegetation clearing, plus other waterway regulations and shoreland zoning matters.
1:00 Wildlife Responses to Changing Lake Levels
Mike Meyer, DNR Research Scientist
Learn more about a new study underway to look at the connections between climate change, hydrology, lake characteristics, and loon populations. Will declining water levels affect wildlife associated with lakes and wetlands in Northern WI? Plus we’ll talk about ways that waterfront property owners and lake communities can protect or restore important wildlife habitat areas.
1:30 Panel discussion on Adapting to Our Changing Lakes
Tim Asplund, DNR State Limnologist; Steve Ave’Lallemant, DNR NOR Fisheries Coordinator; and Jim Kreitlow, DNR NOR Lake Coordinator.
Are you wondering if your community needs to change lake management strategies? Even as lakes change, many lake management steps remain the same: monitor water quality; prevent the spread of AIS and watch for new AIS introductions; address recreational use problems; curb, capture, and cleanse runoff before it enters the lake; and protect sensitive watershed areas such as wetlands. Bring your lake management questions for group discussion on ways to live with low lake levels.
2:00 Adjourn
B. Managing Water Levels of Impounded Systems during Low Water Years
12:30 Managing impounded systems in Northern Wisconsin
Dale Simon, Chief Biologist for the DNR Waterway Protection Section
Dale will give an overview of the types of dams in Wisconsin and their purposes, federal and state roles in regulating them, and how these systems are used today. We’ll look at management of major hydropower and flood control reservoirs as well as smaller dams. We’ll also discuss how citizens can provide input about the way these systems are managed.
1:00 Balancing Competing Water Uses on the Wisconsin River System
Sam Morgan, Vice President of Operations for the Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company
The Wisconsin River Reservoir System consists of 21 storage reservoirs used to control the flow of the Wisconsin River. The reservoirs are owned and operated by Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company (WVIC), a private corporation formed in 1907. Sixteen of the reservoirs are natural-lake reservoirs created by building dams at the outlets of natural lakes. The other five reservoirs are man-made reservoirs created by building dams at locations where no lake existed naturally.
Find out how water levels are managed in these reservoirs to balance upstream and downstream needs. We’ll explore the primary competing uses of this system: hydropower, water storage, navigation, riparian use, recreational and ecological uses. How are everyone’s needs met during low water years?
1:30Panel discussion on balancing competing water uses of impounded systems
Bob Martini, retired Statewide Rivers Coordinator; Sam Morgan, WI Valley Improvement Co.; Tom Jerow, DNR NOR Water Leader; and Dale Simon, Chief Biologist for the DNR Waterway Protection Section.
Bring your questions for group discussion.
2:00 Adjourn
Workshop location
The Waters of Minocqua
8116 Highway 51
Minocqua, WI 54548
Toll free: 877-992-8377
The Waters is located ½ mile south of Minocqua on US Highway 51.
Visit The Waters website for a map and other information: http://www.thewatersofminocqua.com/location.htm
Workshop Sponsors
University of Wisconsin-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
www.nelson.wisc.eduWisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts
http://wicci.wisc.edu/index.htmWisconsin Department of Natural Resources
www.dnr.state.wi.usWisconsin Association of Lakes
www.wisconsinlakes.org