Lakes Planning Report

The Spooner Lake District will conduct phase 2 of a multi-phase project to complete a comprehensive lake management plan for Spooner Lake in Washburn County. The USGS will conduct in-lake water quality monitoring twice monthly at two sites in the growing season and once in winter and early spring. Flow and water quality data will be collected on Crystal Brook at Hwy 70. Volunteers will read a staff gage at the Spooner Lake Dam to attain out-flow data. The additional data will support development of a nutrient and hydrologic budget in phase III and will be used to compare the water quality effects of a large herbicide treatment that occurred in 2002 - 2003. Herbicide treatments will be suspended in 2004. Complete a watershed characterization and subarea delineation to: identify agriculture land uses with the highest potential to deliver polluted runoff; identify environmentally sensitive areas and quality habitats; predict watershed land use changes; evaluate the level of protection afforded through local ordinances and land use planning. An education and communication effort to inform the community about the project results, the unique aspects of shallow lake ecology, explore appropriate management scenarios/expectations and promote shoreline restoration, will be conducted.

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