A study of the aquatic macrophytes (plants) in Peppermill Lake was conducted during the summer of 2012 by the Adams County Land and Water Conservation and a volunteer from the Peppermill Lake District. Two aquatic surveys were done during the summer of 2012: one by the transect method, in order to match changes from prior transect survey results, and one by the point intercept method for comparison to prior point intercept surveys. A study of the diversity, density, and distribution of aquatic plants is an essential component of understanding a lake ecosystem due to the important ecological role of aquatic vegetation in the lake and the ability of the vegetation to characterize the water quality (Dennison et al. 1993).

Peppermill Lake is a spring-fed impoundment approximately 67 acres in size located in the southeast corner of Adams County in the Town of Jackson. It is a shallow lake with a trophic status ranging between mesotrophic to eutrophic. Supported in the past by 2 lake associations, popular support grew for the creation of a Lake District and in 2002, the Peppermill Lake Management District was formed.

Peppermill Lake is located in the Town of Jackson, Adams County, WI, in the south central part of Wisconsin. It is reached off of County G as it goes south. Peppermill Lake is a mesotrophic impoundment with good to very good water quality and very good water clarity. It has 65 surface acres, with a maximum depth of 14 feet and an average depth about 6 feet. Peppermill Lake is at the head of a stream subsystem that flows eventually into the Fox River and Lake Michigan. There is a public boat ramp on the northeast end of the lake owned by the Town of Jackson, as well as about 200 feet adjacent to the boat ramp that can be used by the public for fishing. The dam is owned and maintained by Adams County. The lake is the headwaters for Peppermill Creek, two miles of which was placed on the Wisconsin 303(d) impaired waterways list in 1998 due to sedimentation, degraded habitat and elevated temperatures. The Peppermill Lake District has developed a lake management plan that is reviewed annually. The primary soil type in both the surface and ground watersheds is loamy sand. The second most common soil type in both watersheds is sand. There are also pockets of muck, sand loam, and silt loam, along with gravel pits and landfills. Loamy sands tend to be well-drained, with water, air and nutrients moving through them at a rapid rate. Runoff, when it occurs, tends to be slow. Loamy sands have little water-holding capacity and low natural fertility, although they usually have more organic matter present than do sandy soils. Both wind and water erosion are potential hazards with loamy sands, as is drought. There are difficulties with waste disposal and vegetation establishment because of slope and seepage.

Lakes Planning Report

Adams County proposes to develop a comprehensive lake management plan for Peppermill Lake. Major project elements to include: 1) water quality sampling, 2) lake condition response modeling, 3) comprehensive lake mapping, 4) stakeholder and public involvement, 5) analysis and plan development. The Department will be provided a draft management plan for review and approval. Upon approval, the plan will be distributed to local libraries, fedearl state and local agencies, the Peppermill Lake District, Town of Jackson and will be made available for public review at the Adams Co. Land and Water Conservation Department office. The DNR will be proviced both paper and electronic .pdf copies of a final report on the project.

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