Lakes-L

Local highlight: Oconto County recruits new generation of weed warriors

In January, Oconto County Land Conservation Department became the newest member of Wisconsin’s Aquatic Invasive Species Partnership by hiring Amanda Strick as their AIS County Coordinator. Since then Strick, newly graduated from Northland College in Ashland, WI, has been hitting the pavement to recruit Octonto County’s next generation of boaters and anglers in stopping the spread of invasive species.

Strick has joined the AIS message with environmental education curricula of other Oconto County conservationists, including NRCS staff Jeff Maroszek and Chris Stephenson (soil science) and volunteers Rachel Wilcox and Travis Buckley (wildlife ID). Strick arrives at the joint school visits armed with preserved AIS specimens, affectionately dubbed “dead things in jars”, Wisconsin Wildcards and temporary tattoos. In addition to general information about lake health, students learn what makes some aquatic species invasive and what steps to take to clean their boats as they leave the launch with their families. Students finish the lessons with Clean Boats, Clean Waters sing-a-long, printed below.

So far, says the new Coordinator, students’ creativity and enthusiasm for their lakes has been impressive. “The youth in Oconto are truly inspiring, they have innovative ideas and voices that will be speaking for conservation efforts in years to come.”

  Clean Your Boat!

(Words by Judy Ruch,  Sung to Tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)             

 Clean your boat before it goes into the lake – (Clap, clap)

Clean your boat before it goes into the lake – (Clap, clap)

Take weeds off the boat,

Wash it well before it floats,

And the lakes will be beautiful for us. (Point to self.)

 

Throw old bait in the trash and not the lake – NO, NO (shake index finger)

Throw old bait in the trash and not the lake - NO, NO (shake index finger)

Don’t put it in the lake

Or trouble it will make

We want the lakes to be beautiful for us. (Point to self.)

 

Tell everyone you know to clean their boat – HURRAH!

Tell everyone you know to clean their boat – HURRAH!

Tell your fathers and your mothers,

Uncles. aunts, sisters, and brothers.

And the lakes will be beautiful for us ALL !!!! (shout ALL – point to all of us.)                  

 

 (Post written by Amanda Strick and Deborah Seiler)                     

AIS County Coordinator Andrew Karleigh swims to sinking boat, pulls child to safety.

WDNR’s local aquatic invasive species partners are heroes in protecting Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers and wetlands, but sometimes, a day on the water can lead to much more. What follows is the account of Fond du Lac County AIS Coordinator Andrew Karleigh when, last week on the job, he met a family in need.

 Anything can happen.

The day was May 11, 2012 and I was with some other coordinators having lunch while we talked about Lake Winnebego and watched pelicans fly over its choppy water. When it was time to go, Anna Moyer, a new AIS specialist for the Lake Michigan Basin, asked if I would show her some landings on the north end of the lake. So we took a ride over to High Cliff State Park, but there was only one trailer in the parking lot. After looking at the landing, marina, harbor and the Japanese Knotweed stand near the limestone kiln, I suggested going over to the Ninth Street Boat Launch.

Upon arriving, a first time boat owner was just pulling his boat out of the water. We talked with him about aquatic invasive species and the ways that he can help slow the spread. A family soon drove up to the dock towing a little 12 foot boat with a small motor, and as the father unstrapped his boat and got it ready for the water, we discussed invasive species and the steps you must take when moving from lake to lake. He informed us that he was aware of the laws and that he always took precautions because he did not want to move zebra mussels. He didn’t plan on doing any fishing and had no bait with him since he used the boat mainly to take his daughter on the water. 

Anna and I continued to stand at the boat landing, watching the waves as they splashed over the end of the dock and rocked the little boat. The daughter, who was about 4 years old, walked up and threw her life jacket in the boat, but her mother told her she had to wear it. The father left his life jacket lying beside him as he started the motor and pulled away with his daughter and their two dogs. As the boat moved away from the dock, Anna and I commented how it did not look all that good. The man busied himself with the area near the plug, and I went over to talk with the mother, who was still standing on shore looking very nervous.

In the middle of our conversation, she suddenly screamed “It’s sinking!” jumped in the water and began to swim slowly towards the boat. Uncertain that she could make it to the boat, now 50 yards from shore, I pulled off my shirt, threw all of my things on the beach and dove into the water.

I reached the daughter and husband first. The child was floating on a seat cushion and wailing as I began to pull her towards shore, with the father swimming behind and the dogs trying to swim over the top of us. Upon reaching shore with the screaming child and the husband we all climbed out onto a dock with Anna’s help, the mother following close behind us. The dock owner had called 911, and as fire rescue arrived, Anna and I assured the firemen that everyone was out of the water and the situation was not life threatening.

The emergency response team arrived next, put their boat in the water and proceeded to retrieve the boat that had sunk.  As Anna and I were about to leave another woman walked down the landing and asked if she could put her boat in.  Dripping wet and with the emergency crews still at work behind us, I said it would probably be better to wait for a calmer day or use another landing.

This is a reminder that on any given day, anything can happen. 

Andrew Karleigh
Fond du Lac County Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator
fdl.aisc@gmail.com
262-623-0588

 

Invasive species in the news!

Successful biocontrol of purple loosestrife on Bear Lake made the news this Mother's Day. Check out the video below!

 

 

Fishing License Sales Help in Fight against Aquatic Invasive Species

With fishing opening day little more than a week away, fishing license sales are taking off. This year, when fishermen and women purchase their fishing licenses, they have a chance to donate $2 to help support research and control of aquatic invasive species. 

 The money donated will go to a DNR fund used to pay for staff hours, travel, and supplies for research on invasive species control and prevention.  Some of the money is available as grants for outside agencies to fund research and control efforts for invasive species. 

 In the past five years, this fund has paid for projects on waterbodies in over 30 counties in Wisconsin.  DNR has used the revenue from these donations to evaluate control practices for Eurasian watermilfoil over many years, compare herbicide use and mechanical harvesting against invasive plants, and predict which lakes are the most susceptible to certain invasive species.  University researchers were awarded a grant to test how long invasive plants and animals survive out of the water to provide guidelines to boaters and anglers moving equipment between lakes and rivers.

 The lessons learned from these projects benefit all Wisconsin waters as invasive species control techniques are improved and efforts to prevent movement of invasive species are enhanced. 

 When you purchase your fishing license this year, please consider making a donation.  Two dollars is a small contribution, but all the donations really add up to make a big difference for Wisconsin lakes.

For more information,

http://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/sayyestolakes/.

Be on the lookout for new Aquatic Invasive Species videos!

MADISON – WDNR has developed two new public service announcement videos for aquatic invasive species (AIS) prevention. Each spot runs thirty seconds and reminds water users of four easy steps to keep their boats clean of aquatic hitchhikers.

 

The eye-catching animated characters of “Sneaky Critters” are airing on cable sports and weather stations this spring.

 

In the “Talking Sign” spot, a fisherman encounters one of WDNR’s Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers! landing signs, which are being posted around the state to remind water users of the AIS prevention steps:

       

• INSPECT boats, trailers and equipment.
• REMOVE all attached aquatic plants and animals.
• DRAIN all water from boats, vehicles and equipment.
• NEVER MOVE plants or live fish away from a waterbody.*

 

 Anyone interested in AIS prevention is encouraged to share the clips with local media, schools and other community groups. To embed the videos on your website, see instructions here.

 

*Limited exceptions apply. Visit dnr.wi.gov and search “bait laws” or follow this link. 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Deborah Seiler (608) 267-3531

Aquatic Invasive Species Focus Groups

February 9 marked the start of an entirely new kind of aquatic invasive species research in Wisconsin. Through a contract with the WDNR, the UW Survey Center conducted the first of five focus groups that will be held with transient boaters and anglers across the state.

 At each of these focus groups, eight boaters sit down with UW Survey Center professional Ed Nelson and WDNR sociologist Jordan Petchenik (plus some cookies and soda) for a guided discussion. Over the course of two hours, the conversation touches on participants’ AIS knowledge and experience, opinions about media samples, and their actions and values when they’re out on the water.

 “To date, all of our knowledge about how water users understand, view, and act on aquatic invasive species has come from survey questionnaires and the expertise of our local AIS staff on the water,” says AIS communications specialist Deborah Seiler. “While that information is very valuable, this is the first time we’ve had a chance to sit down with large numbers of water users and hear the long version of their stories in a guided research setting. We’re getting a snapshot of boaters across the state with much more detail than we’ve had before.”

 Since different parts of the state have different issues with AIS, the fives groups have been recruited from Brown, Dane, La Crosse, Washburn and Waukesha counties and will be held on location. Participants are selected from a random sample of registered Wisconsin boaters and anglers and pass a series of screening questions, receiving $50 for their time upon completion.

 Stay tuned as we post some of the most frequently asked questions and insights from Wisconsin’s boaters in the coming weeks!

 

(post and artwork by Deborah Seiler)

The Citizen Lake Monitoring Network

One of the most successful efforts of the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership has been “The Citizen Lake Monitoring Network.” Every year since 1986, dedicated volunteers monitor lakes statewide for a variety of different water quality and lake health indicators. The effort, which started as 126 volunteers on 113 lakes, has grown to an impressive 1,100 volunteers on 850 lakes. Today, in addition to monitoring water clarity, volunteers take chemistry samples and monitor for aquatic and shoreline invasive species.  The amount of data the Department and partner organizations receive from these volunteers is astounding and crucial for long-term lake planning.

Photo taken by Scott Provost, DNR

Water clarity data is taken using the Secchi disc method. Volunteers lower a Secchi disc attached to a marked rope into the water. The disc is lowered into the water until the disc can no longer be seen, this number is noted.  The disc is than slowly raised back up until the disc can first be seen again and this measurement is also noted. The average between these two measurements is then recorded as the clarity in feet for that day. A single reading of Secchi disc measurement is not very significant; however, numerous Secchi disc readings over extended periods of time are incredibly valuable as they can begin to describe overall trends in lake health as related to clarity.

Volunteers first began to collect chemistry data in 1990. This data is taken in order to measure the chlorophyll and phosphorous levels present in a lake. Water samples are collected four times a year and sent to the State Lab of Hygiene for analysis. Chlorophyll measurements are an indicator of algae presences and Phosphorous levels will help determine how much plant and algae life can be supported within a lake.  This data is then used to determine the lake’s trophic state at the time of sampling. The trophic state of a lake tells the extent to which eutrophication has taken place

Photo taken by Bob Korth, UWEX

Monitoring for aquatic and shoreline invasive species, while the newest, is an extremely important component. Volunteers are trained how to identify several different invasive species they are likely to find along or in their lakes. If a volunteer finds one or more of these species, they are asked to report the finding to the Department so appropriate actions can be taken. Without the eyes of volunteers throughout the state, there would be no way to know where this species currently inhabit or where they are likely to inhabit in the near future. Volunteer monitoring is also one of the ways new invasive species infestations are discovered.

The “Citizen Lake Monitoring Network” shows no signs of slowing down anytime in the near future. Volunteers are constantly becoming involved and new and different lakes are being added. With the potential for infestations of new and already present invasive species, there is plenty more to be learned about how water quality and lake health are effecting and being affected.
As long as there are folks concerned about and interested in Wisconsin lakes, the information provided by “The Citizen Lake Monitoring Network” will be critical in furthering our understanding and planning for the future.

For more information about the “Citizen Lake Monitoring Network,” visit http://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/clmn/ or call Laura Herman, Citizen Lake Monitoring Network Educator at (715) 346 -8998.

Clean Boats, Clean Waters

In 2003, a group of students in Minocqua looked at the potential impact aquatic invasive species would have on lake tourism in their town. These students then proposed a plan of action to prevent the spread of one of the aquatic invasive  species present in their community, Eurasian Water-milfoil. The Christopher-Columbus Foundation, recognizing innovation in young people then awarded this group $25,000 to devlop, publicize and distribute 150 educational tool kits to 25 counties across the state. The success of this partnership resulted in the following year's creation of the Wisconsin Lake Partnership's "Clean Boats, Clean Waters" watercraft inspection effort that continues today.

Each year, dedicated individuals initiate conversations with boaters throughout the state. They talk to boaters as they enter and exit the lakes, educating them on when and how invasive species are likely to catch a ride on boats into other water bodies. They help to remove plants, drain bilges and live wells of water and gather information on boaters knowledge of aquatic invasive species laws. These inspectors talk and educate boaters about how, by following a few simple steps, they can help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.                                    

To date, the "Clean Boats, Clean Waters" effort has employed over 2,000 volunteers at over 3,000 boat landings across the state. In 2011 alone, 217,355 boaters were contacted and 101,035 watercrafts were inspected!

2012 is expected to be another successful year for the "Clean Boats. Clean Waters" effort. A new data collection sheet will be used to help capture new information to help determine the risk each boater represents. Some inspectors will be observing boater behavior rather than engaging in conversation. These observations will then be used to better understand what steps boaters are regularly taking on their own and what steps might need to be further highlighted in the future.

                                                           

                                                                                            

 

2011 Wrap-Up

Hard to believe, but 2011 is quickly drawing to a close. "Clean Boats, Clean Waters" and the "Citizen Lake Monitoring Network" continue to grow in popularity and the data is still coming in! Let's take a look at some of the terrific accomplishments and efforts made by volunteers and our organizations to help learn about, inform the public and protect Wisconsin lakes.    

 2011 Lake Efforts by the Numbers...                     

•  47 counties actively partnering with the state to combat the spread of aquatic invasive species.
• 211,320 boater contacts raising awareness about aquatic invasive species.
• 53,110 hours spent educating boaters about aquatic invasive species prevention at boat landings.
• 97% of the boaters contacted are now aware of invasive species laws.
• 98,613 boats were inspected for aquatic invasive species and 95% of boaters inspect and remove invasive species form their boats.
• Over 25 training sessions were held throughout the state teaching volunteers how to correctly identify invasive species.
• 147 new volunteers trained to monitor for invasive species.
• 927 volunteers monitoring water quality at over 808 lake monitoring stations.
• 115 new volunteers trained to monitor water quality.

Wishing you a happy holiday season and looking forward to the 2012 efforts to protect Wisconsin Lakes!

Outdoor Photo Tips

Green Frog - Photo by Robert Korth, UW Extension Lakes

Summertime brings lazy days at the lakes, wildflowers, sunny days and barbeques. With these, comes photo opportunity after photo opportunity. The current issue of Lake Tides, the monthly publication from the UWEX Lakes has an article that gives tips on how to take a great outdoor photo as well as talks to local photographers about what they to do to get that great shot.

- Blog entry by Becca Jordan