Tag: Wisconsin lakes

HAB’s on the Rise

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There is a lot going on in the world today and the recurrent appearance of harmful algal blooms (HABs) is simply just another issue Wisconsin waterway stakeholders are not fully prepared to take on. The State of Wisconsin is blessed that it does not receive much drinking water from reservoirs (other than Lake Michigan). Plain states such as Kansas, are dealing with critical HAB issues now.

What is HAB again? Harmful Algal blooms are a not really algae at all. HABs are actually a photosynthetic type of bacteria closely resembling the visual aspects of other types of algae but only exist under the right environmental conditions. These bacteria are know as cyanobacteria (often referred to as blue-green algae). The exact chemistry has yet to be pinpointed but there are certain trends that over time have shown to favor the presence or growth trigger for HABs.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services maintains a good informational source on HABs. The WDNR also has a page here, specifically directed towards lakes.

Why is this a problem. HABs > cyanobacterial > blue-green algae or whatever term you chose to use can have exposure risks to various age groups and furthermore household pets. There is more accurate and detailed information on the links provided above, but prolonged exposure is a health risk, more to young and old, but there is no need to subject anyone to these issues if everyone does there part to keep their lakes healthy. The ever recurrent theme is tied to pursuit and maintaining of a healthy lake environment.

Many of the HAB triggers are consistent with less than ideal lake or stream conditions tied to signs of eutrophication, which will be the topic of future discussion. For right now think of it as an overabundance of available nutrients typically associated with excess phosphorus. Phosphorus is known to be a trigger for standard algae blooms, and excess aquatic biomass accumulation, both of which lead to unnecessary premature aging of lakes.

Lake aging is a natural process, but sedimentation and excess bio-accumulation speed up the process. Combating both these issues starts with responsible lake and watershed management. Working in the watershed to reduce annual loading to the lake and looking inside the lake to observe recurrent shoreline erosion and migration that might be hidden. Shoreline erosion is a silent producer of sediment and degrades habitat. Therefore working to combat these issues through responsible lake and watershed management will assist in HAB management as well. Do not make the mistake of thinking HABs are limited to lakes and reservoirs only. Streams can exhibit HAB like symptoms as well which can also end up in a lake system.

Welcome to Wisconsin Lakes.net

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Happy Independence Day! Welcome to this website-Blog!

I’ve always loved the idea of “home”. Wisconsin is where I grew up and I am happy to be back home working on our lakes and watercourses. I have worked at offices located in several other states along the way, with the opportunity to work on projects in adjacent states. It has been a great adventure with a tremendous amount of experience to be gained in a variety of environments and among some extremely talented minds, but I always knew this was a domain I desired to re-inhabit.

I guess I should caveat things by saying that I didn’t just appear overnight, I have been working on projects, primarily in southern part of the state for the last 10 years, but mostly from a distance, slowly integrating into the local policies and protocols. Make no bones about it, Wisconsin is different and operates differently than many other states. This isn’t exactly a bad thing, but integral in understanding the flow of things when you are at the plate.

Wisconsin is such a very water and natural resources rich state that it can become part of your very being. It can become imprinted on you at a young age and continues to follow you wherever you may go. The state’s abundance of clear, and relatively clean lakes and streams overshadow the fact that these areas need management and upkeep as much as any water body. For every clear and clean lake there is an equal number of lakes that are overloaded with nutrients, typically driven by a delivery mechanism yet to be controlled or fully understood.

As I have explored the canvas of lakes management and furthermore the natural resources components that accompany these services over the past 20 years of my career I have realized just how dependent people are on use of the internet to begin their journey. While this is totally reasonable, there is no “paint by numbers” in this business. No replacement for experience or a trained eye coupled with applied education. Lakes are not houses, they are a living breathing ecosystem that is constantly evolving to achieve a balance, more particularly in the last few centuries this would include the heavy influence of man.

So welcome aboard! Perhaps there is something that you can learn from my projects or the experience of others. I hope to have others contribute over time their expertise and input. To the maximum extent possible I will try to keep this website- blog less opinionated and more factual but at times it becomes difficult to hold the line when you are passionate about things, particularly decisions driven by others who are forced to look at things as black and white or place a financial line in the sand. So let us soldier ahead to discover our lakes, rivers, and everything else in between.

-BV