Tag: fish habitat

🌊 Dive Into the 2026 Wisconsin Lakes & Rivers Convention!

lakes-pro

When tackling a monumental challenge—like restoring a watershed, managing invasive species, or mitigating internal phosphorus loading—it can take years, even decades, to see the fruits of our labor.

This spring, we are gathering to celebrate exactly that: the long-term programs and the accumulated actions of countless people who have persevered through the years to protect our waters.

Whether you are a lake district commissioner, a shoreline property owner, a student, or a water resources professional, the 2026 Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Convention is the place to recharge your batteries, share your successes, and prepare for the future of Wisconsin’s waters.

🗓️ Event Details At-A-Glance

  • When: April 15–17, 2026
  • Where: Holiday Inn & Convention Center | Stevens Point, WI (Virtual options are also available for select sessions!)
  • Theme: Decades of Dedication
  • More Info & Registration: WisconsinWaterWeek.org

🔍 Why You Should Attend

Brought to you by the Wisconsin Lakes & Rivers Partnership, this annual gathering is a unique convergence of science, citizens, and policy. Here is what you can look forward to:

  • 💡 Learn from the Experts: Choose from over 60 concurrent sessions covering hot topics like aquatic plant ecology, shoreland health, fisheries, and watershed restoration.
  • 🛠️ Hands-On Workshops (Wednesday & Friday): Dive deep into interactive sessions. Learn how to use DNR online data tools, design local runoff practices, or apply for state grant funding to launch your next big project.
  • 🤝 Expand Your Network: Connect with fellow lake and river advocates, DNR representatives, extension educators, and environmental consultants.
  • 🏆 Celebrate Lake Stewards: Join us for the annual Wisconsin Lake Stewardship Awards banquet to celebrate the extraordinary volunteer and professional efforts keeping our lakes pristine.

👥 For Our Lake Districts & Property Owners

If you’ve been using our online tools—like the Sediment Health Calculator—and are wondering “what next?”, this convention is the ultimate place to find answers. You will find workshops dedicated specifically to lake district administration, citizen monitoring protocols, and practical, on-the-ground engineering solutions for shoreland runoff.

🎟️ How to Join Us

Registration is officially open! Whether you are joining us in person in Stevens Point or hopping on via Zoom for hybrid/virtual tracks, make sure to secure your spot.

👉 Ready to register or view the full agenda? Head over toWisconsinWaterWeek.orgto lock in your spot.

Let’s get together, look back at how far we’ve come, and celebrate the people carrying the torch for Wisconsin’s waters into the future!

📣 Spotlight: 2026 Illinois Lakes Management Association Conference

lakes-pro

The Illinois Lakes Management Association (ILMA) is gearing up for its 2026 Annual Conference, taking place February 16–18, 2026 at the iHotel & Conference Center in Champaign, Illinois. This event is one of the Midwest’s most robust gatherings focused on lake, watershed, and fisheries management, and it offers an excellent opportunity for Wisconsin lake advocates, professionals, and volunteers to connect with regional peers.

👉 Conference Details & Registration
Location: iHotel, 1900 S. 1st St, Champaign, IL 61820
Dates: February 16–18, 2026
Learn more: ILMA Conference Page
Register: Conference Registration

With 30+ expert presenters, multiple concurrent sessions, and workshops, ILMA 2026 offers practical, science‑based programming relevant to lake groups and water resource professionals across the region. [ilma-lakes.org]

Highlighted Topic Areas

ILMA’s call for presenters reveals a strong lineup of topics shaping today’s inland lake management landscape, including:

  • Stormwater impacts on lakes and streams
  • Lake and stream restoration planning
  • Fisheries management and aquatic conservation
  • Watershed land‑use impacts on fish populations
  • Nutrient cycling and internal loading
  • Shoreline protection and enhancement
  • Invasive species monitoring and treatment
  • Harmful algal blooms
  • Emerging lake science & management innovations

🙌 Why Wisconsin Should Care

Although hosted in Illinois, ILMA’s conference consistently draws attendees from across the Midwest. Many of the lake management challenges addressed—nutrient loading, aquatic plants, shoreline resilience, invasive species—mirror those faced by Wisconsin lakes. Participating offers valuable cross‑state learning, new partnerships, and fresh tools that local lake associations can bring home.

Our Second Love, Our Lakes

lakes-pro

On this Labor Day I hope most are getting the opportunity to get out onto their lakes to enjoy a wonderful day in the upper midwest. As the boating season begins to wind down and the leaves begin their annual color change we can reflect back and the summer that to many may seem like it never was. The Great Outdoors to many others has proven to be an excellent distraction to a world in apparent disarray. For some of us who have spent more time than usual out on the water it may have provided greater insight into the value of our surface waters; this includes public waters of the state, rivers for example for kayaking/canoeing, etc.

What have we seen? Have we accumulated any new knowledge that has helped us become better stewards of the waters? Have we observed something new that has led us back to our home office to investigate the question on the internet? Have we shared information or questions with others? If our waters our something we truly cherish it takes more than a passive interest to preserve it.

The diversity of lake users is greater today than it has ever been. This includes users of varying backgrounds with variable agendas. These agendas may not always be be in unison with the best interests to the waters we inhabit, but we can all hope to play in this sandbox in harmony. If our waters spoil well then the party is over. Our water resources do not have a hospital they can got to when they feel sick or are becoming undone. We are sickness but also the cure.

This is a good time to sit back, enjoy the weather and reflect back on the things we can do better on with our lakes. What have turned a blind eye to for too long. Fall brings time to contemplate these things and plan for the winter and upcoming year. Start taking stock in the little things and track lake progress.

Up Next, we’ll take a look at the process of video recording your shoreline.

July – Lakes Appreciation Month

lakes-pro

As the title of this blog-article suggests, July is Lakes Appreciation Month! It’s in the dead of summer when most lake activities are fully ramped up. With the ongoing Pandemic 2020 the great outdoors have been a welcome distraction to some in their social distancing efforts. We fish and recreate on them, some of us even work on them.  Lakes are even drinking water sources for some of us, but do we really show and advocate our appreciation for them? It’s hard to say.  How is it that we even show appreciation for our lakes?  Consider some of the thoughts below:

  • By way of reading this article it is highly likely that you have already joined your local lake association, but have you ever looked beyond those borders? Perhaps there is a local watershed association as well.  Our lakes and streams tend to reflect what is draining to them and at times lake associations can get tunnel vision, over-focusing on in-lake issues. Watershed issues can be just as vital. Involvement with both lake and watershed management creates the holistic picture.
  • One silver lining of the pandemic and shelter in place order has been the spike in available online webinars at little to no cost.  I’ve attended webinars as far away as the Maine Lakes Society, and while much of the material looks familiar at first glance, there is always something that can be picked up.  Watch the Twitter Feed for occasional announcements.
  • Check out your local volunteer lake monitoring opportunities. There is much to be learned by sitting and listening to others but getting your hands on the equipment and learning the components of the number and how the information is collected can give you new insight and understanding.

So, July is a big month; continue practicing social distancing from others, but that should be easy enough to do from your lake’s perspective, boating, kayaking, canoeing, shore fishing, etc.  Consider how you can show you appreciation for your lakes and it will continue to give back to you.