Shallow Lakes Program

Wisconsin lakes have been unusually low water levels lately. Changing lake levels changes the ecosystem, and thus poses new problems for the area. These problems include water quality and wildlife habitat issues. Smaller, shallower lakes allow sunlight to penetrate deeper. This allows for plants to grow in areas that were formerly too deep for them to live. This changes the entire base of the food chain, so it affects the entire ecosystem. Sometimes this change can benefit the ecosystem, while sometimes the change is detrimental. Whatever it does, it means that human behavior has to change too in order to keep the lake healthy. To provide information and answer questions about what changes the low water levels cause, the Wisconsin Lakes Association and the Town of Washington are sponsoring a presentation: "Declining Lake Levels: Living Lightly on Less Water”. This program is being held on Saturday, May 2, 2009 from 9 to 11 A.M. in the Northland Pines High School auditorium in Eagle River. Speakers include Tim Asplund, Statewide Limnologist, WI-DNR Bureau of Watershed Management, Susan Knight, Assistant Faculty Associate, Center for Limnology, UW Madison and Buzz Sorge, Lake Management Planner, West Central Region.