Wisconsin Lake Survey
29 Wisconsin lakes will be included in a nationwide survey this summer to study the ecological health, water quality and recreational value of the nation's lakes. Two of the lakes, Blueberry Lake in Sawyer County and Haskell Lake in Vilas County, are located next to tribal lands and so may be sampled by the tribes. The 11-acre Buckskin Lake in Florence County will be the smallest Wisconsin lake studied. The state's largest inland lake, 133,404-acre Lake Winnebago, will also be included in the water quality survey.
Funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Wisconsin DNR and U.S. Geological Survey staff will conduct the water quality sampling, habitat assessments and other data collection. Their efforts will include assessing whether phosphorus and other nutrients delivered by runoff pollution, non-native species, lakeshore development, or pathogens are stressing lakes, and to what degree.
A total of 909 lakes (representing five size classes and distributed relatively evenly across the lower 48 states) are included in the survey. The lakes were selected randomly from a sample that includes natural and manmade freshwater lakes, ponds and reservoirs that are at least 3.28 feet deep and over 10 acres, excluding the Great Lakes.
The sample includes a subset of lakes from EPA's national 1972 study of water quality in lakes so the scientists can look for trends over time. DNR and USGS teams will collect water and other samples from the lakes during mid-summer.
Results of the national survey of lakes are expected by analyzed and compiled by EPA and partnering agencies during 2008, with a final report issued in 2009.
February 6, 2007 6:45 AM | Category: Cleanup, Technology