Thanks to an $184,000 grant in partnership with Portage County, faculty and staff at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) have been working on a systematic analysis of 29 area lakes. The study will be completed by June 30.

Preliminary results have been compiled into pamphlets for each lake to be used in the local planning process. A session about how this information can be used will be presented at four locations around the county beginning Thursday, February 12. Each presentation begins at 6:30 p.m. and will focus on a different group of lakes with the discussion including a recap on land use, water quality, wildlife habitat and options for lake management. The respective town and village boards and planning committee members along with the public and media are invited to attend.

A presentation/discussion about "Lake Basics From Alkalinity to Zooplankton" will take place at the Jensen Center in Amherst on Saturday, January 31 at 9 a.m. This session will provide information about lakes, watersheds, basic water quality and will lay the foundation to better understand the study results.

The grant, "A Snapshot of Portage County Lakes at the Turn of the Century: Assessing Watersheds, Water Quality, Habitat and Changes Over the Last 30 Years to Inform Citizen Based Lake Protection," builds on UWSP�s College of Natural Resources (CNR) 1970s and 1980s research. Project support was provided by UWSP, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Lake Protection Grants Program and Portage County citizens.

"Thanks to previous baseline work by retired Emeritus Professor Byron Shaw and other CNR faculty and student researchers, data compiled during this study some 20 years later gives local planners a true measurement of changes in the health and vitality of our area lakes," said Nancy Turyk, water quality specialist for the Center for Watershed Science and Stewardship at UWSP and lead author of the grant. "With Portage County in the throes of state-mandated land and water use planning, this type of data will prove invaluable as the county seeks to maintain and even improve water quality in the coming years."

According to Turyk, all but six of the 29 lakes have previous research data to draw upon. The lakes studied include Adams, Amherst Millpond, Bear, Bently Pond, Boelter, Collins, Ebert, Emily, Fountain, Helen, Jacqueline, Jonas, Jordan Pond, Lime, Lions, McDill Pond, Onland, Pickerel, Rhinehart, Rosholt Millpond, Severson, Skunk, South Twin, Spring, Springville, Sunset, Thomas, Tree and Wolf. All 29 lakes are either spring fed, seepage or drainage type lakes. The largest lake in the study is McDill Pond (261 acres) at a maximum depth of 15 feet. The smallest lake is Ebert (12 acres) with a maximum depth of 29 feet.

The schedule of study result meetings is as follows:

(February 12) � Belmont Town Hall, 9110 16^th Road

Lake reports for: Adams, Bear, Boelter, Fountain, Pickerel, Spring, Thomas and Wolf

(February 17) � Lions Camp, 3834 County Road A

Lake reports for: Bentley Pond, Collins, Helen, Jacqueline, Lions, Rosholt Millpond, South Twin and Tree

(February 23) � Jensen Community Center, 487 N. Main Street

Lake reports for: Amherst Millpond, Ebert, Emily, Lime, Onland, Rinehart, Severson, Skunk and Sunset

(February 24) - Schmeeckle Reserve, 2419 North Point Drive

Lake reports for: Joanis, Jordan Pond, McDill Pond and Springville Pond

According to Turyk, water quality tests were taken from each lake eight times throughout the year. Temperature, amount of dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH and Secchi depth (water clarity) also were measured. The information has since been entered into a database for cross analysis with previous research.

An aquatic plants inventory also was conducted, with emphasis on sensitive and exotic plant colonies at each lake. Robert Freckmann, emeritus professor of biology, oversaw portions of this phase of the study. Herbarium staff has access to specimens collected in many of these lakes since 1968 to compare and contrast with the current data. Eight of the 29 lakes were surveyed to assess fish spawning habitat and the ability of each lake to support various fisheries. Ronald Crunkilton, professor of natural resources, assessed the eight lakes� fisheries, including an overview of sensitive fish habitat in each lake.

Ten lakes had a bird study component, evaluating the number and type of bird species found near some of the developed and less developed lakes. Tim Ginnett, assistant professor of natural resources, took the lead on this portion of the study.

Eric Wild, herpetologist in the biology department, conducted amphibian and reptile surveys throughout the study. All lakes were visited for frog call, salamander and turtle surveys.

Robert Bell, chairman of the biology department, will lead an algae study on all 29 lakes this spring. Algae samples will be taken from April through September, with a focus on algae impacts on water quality.

An assessment of shoreland vegetation is the last component of the study in which staff mapped shorelands in order to get an overall picture of shoreland health in both developed and undeveloped areas.

For more information on this study, contact Portage County Land Conservation Department at 715-346-1334 or the Center for Watershed Science and Stewardship at 715-346-4155.

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tmiller/vc/portage county lakes project