Notes from the Lake Conference                                                      

Ronie Jacobsen, Van Vliet Lake Association Board Member         

I attended the Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference in Cable on June 20, 2008.  The event was well organized and the talks were very informative.  Close to 200 people were in attendance from various parts of the state. 

There were lake related exhibits on display in the lobby.  Representatives from the DNR, National Park Service, lake monitoring organizations, private companies offering aquatic plant control services, and several conservation groups were available to exchange ideas.  Information on lake management, aquatic invasive species, aquatic plant management, shoreline restoration, and loon monitoring programs were included in the displays.

Keynote Speaker

Impacts of Climate Change on Lakes and Streams

John Magnuson, UW Madison Center for Limnology professor emeritus

Dr. Magnuson presented data on the days of ice cover on Lake Mendota over 150 years showing a gradual decline over time. From 1850 to 1900 the average number of days of ice cover was between 90 and 120.  From 1950 to 2000 the average number of days of ice cover was between 60 and 90.  He emphasized that the data goes up and down over a short time period and that data from one or two individual years is less important than evaluation of long term trends.

He also discussed that for climate change to be global, there must be evidence from diverse locations as well as long time periods.  Sometimes the data can be extrapolated from records that were compiled for reasons other than climate studies.

A high school student did a project gathering data on the dates the Apostle Island ferries were running.  His research showed that over the time period the ferries have been in business, the last ferry of the season is running later in the year and the first ferry is earlier.  Therefore, since open water days are increasing, ice cover days are decreasing.

There is a lake in Japan where records exist since 1440 for the ice cover on the lake because there is a Shinto shrine on the lake and a religious festival associated with the annual formation of an ice dam across the lake. From 1440 to 1875, the number of days of ice cover on the lake decreased by about 1 day per 100 years.  From 1800 to 1993, ice cover days decreased by 19 days per 100 years.   

Finally, a North America map of where the ice breakup line is on April 15 has moved steadily northward from 1975 to 2004.

Dr. Magnuson believes that global warming will lead to more extreme weather events in Wisconsin including periods of heavy rain as well as droughts.  River flow volumes will increase over time.  Some species of fish will thrive in warmer waters and others will struggle.  Wisconsin winters and summers will both change along with the recreational activities and businesses that depend on certain weather conditions.

What can be done with this information?  Mitigation efforts attempt to lower greenhouse gas emissions and slow the anticipated rise in average temperature.  Adaptation efforts include planning by resource managers and policy makers based on climate change as a future reality. 

Topic Sessions

There were four topic streams with three sessions offered for each.  The general topics were Lake, Fish, and Wildlife, Legal and Policy, Lake Science, and Lakeshore and Shoreline Health. Conference attendees could attend sessions from different streams or stay within one.  All twelve sessions were unique so one person could only hear 25% of the talks offered.  I stayed with the Lakeshore and Shoreline Health topics and a synopsis of those presentations follows.

Beautiful Shoreline Buffers

Sarah Boles, owner of Northern Native Plantscapes in Cable

Implementation of a native shoreline buffer begins with a site analysis including soil, existing vegetation, light, moisture, adjacent land use, and type of vegetation zone.  Some properties only require natural restoration because the desired elements are already there.  Other sites need enhancement with some pruning out and the addition of composting materials to improve conditions for native plants.  Full restoration is required for sites that no longer have any native vegetation.

Design plans need to consider how many of the different types of native plants are desired, scale of the desired plants so that a pleasing contrast in heights is achieved, and definition of areas within the buffer including walkways, sitting areas, and areas that will be left relatively undisturbed. 

Site preparation is an essential part of a full restoration project and not an area to try to skimp on. Cost and maintenance requirements must be considered.  It is less expensive to use seeds but a quicker result will be obtained using plant plugs. Watering is essential for the first year and weed control for three years. 

A native shoreline buffer will not look like a garden and native plants have more variability in size from year to year than cultivated plants.  A native buffer is not maintenance free or necessarily less expensive to implement than a garden or lawn.  A native buffer is an ecologically healthy landscape that provides animal and fish habitats and contributes to the quality of a lake environment.

Communication That Works

Dorothy Lagerroos, retired Environmental Policy professor at Northland College

To implement any kind of change, it is important for a group to use words and approaches that build bridges and find the common ground with the people they want to convince.  Time spent listening to diverse opinions can help define the values that are shared.  The message of a group should start with the shared values, describe the threat, provide a solution, and suggest actions.

Promotion of any plan should include visuals.  People respond to pictures of children, pictures that tell a story, and pictures of people enjoying the type of setting the group is trying to promote.  In general, people understand and respond to maps; they may be confused by charts or graphs.  Stories work better than lists of facts.  Stories about who and why are better than stories about what and how.  Multiple formats, different types of events, and descriptive signs help to repeat a message.

Mistakes to avoid include doom and gloom, abstractions, guilt, complexity, exaggeration, anti- people messages, and you-can’t-win messages.  Use words and phrases carefully – “protect our clean water” is better than “clean up our water”; “for our children” is more effective than “to promote economic development”.

There is no magic bullet to accomplish a goal.  A positive message and a willingness to negotiate are important.  People respond to fairness, balance, and freedom of choice.

Aquatic Plant Management Planning: a Primer

Cheryl Clemens, Owner of Harmony Environmental located in Amery

Aquatic plant management plans are important to prevent and eliminate aquatic invasive species, to promote fish and wildlife habitat, to address plant concerns in a lake, to identify management methods, to coordinate actions, and to resolve differences of opinion.  A plan is required for any whole lake harvesting or herbicide permit.

The aquatic plant management planning process can take approximately two years from initiation to implementation.  After identifying the need for a plan, a plant survey is the first step.  An advisory committee must be formed to gather input, work with the results of the plant survey, and compile a draft APM plan.  Public involvement is required for plan approval and can include opinion surveys, educational forums, open houses, opportunities to comment on the draft plan, and public meetings.

Applications for DNR grants are due on Feb 1 or Aug 1.  Application for a grant including control strategies must be submitted 45 days ahead of the grant due date for DNR review and approval of the control plan.  The state share of the payment has been increased from 50% to 75% of the grant.  State payments are available for plant control as well as plant surveys.  Most but not all of the lakes receiving grants to date have AIS issues.

A specific lake’s APM advisory committee usually has about eight members who should represent various interests.  A committee might include year round lake residents, nonresident owners, nearby residents who use the lake, township or county staff, a DNR representative, and a representative from a conservation or fishing group with specific interest in the lake.  The number of meetings required depends on factors such as the amount of controversy and knowledge level of the participants.  A meeting facilitator is needed and a game plan should be in place before the meetings begin.  The facilitator should have a good knowledge of DNR rules and guidelines to keep discussion focused on ideas that are feasible.  Ground rules on how meetings will be run need to be set up and agreed upon at the start of the process.

There is currently no defined standard of a severe navigation impediment.  Alleviation of navigation nuisances is an acceptable APM goal but the burden of proof is on the group submitting the plan that such a nuisance exists.  There is a working draft document titled “Aquatic Plant Management Strategy, Northern Region WDNR” which is available on the DNR website.  Treatment for invasive species is recognized as a priority; treatment of native plants is a more contentious issue.  

Aquatic plant management plans are new and the rules and guidelines are still being written.  The ultimate goal of any APM plan must be the protection and development of diverse and stable communities of native aquatic plants.