Beecher Lake is located in the Township of Beecher (T36N,R20E,S28) in Marinette County, Wisconsin. The lake actually consists of two separate lake basins, Beecher Lake and Upper Lake, connected by a narrow channel. Locally the combined lakes are referred to as Beecher Lake. The Beecher Lake EWM Control Project (Phase II) was approved in 2015 to address factors identified in the initial AIS control project that were impeding winter water level drawdowns.

A map of the public access sites of Beecher Lake in Marinette County.

Beecher Lake has a well-developed and diverse aquatic plant community with an average floristic quality index of 34.7. The maximum rooting depth varies from 7 to 12 feet due to variations in water level and water clarity. Water clarity varies considerably from year-to-year based on the volume of tannin stained runoff from the lakes 2,800 acre watershed.Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM) was discovered in Beecher and Upper Lakes in june 2007. Plant samples were collected and verified by the Freckman herbarium at UW-Stevens Point. A cursory survey of the lake in October 2007 found EWM was primarily limited to the Beecher lake basin with moderate to dense stands covering more than 6.5 acres.

The Beecher Lake District, c/o Nancy McKenny, is hereby granted under Section 30.20(2), Wisconsin Statutes, a permit to remove materials from the bed of Beecher Lake. The project is to dredge an area at the outlet of the lake to improve flow conditions for invasive species management. The project is to temporarily lower the water level on the lake, dredge a 1350 foot long channel approximately 45-50 feet wide. The work is to be performed during frozen ground conditions. All of the dredge spoils will be deposited in an upland area. The project is more fully described in the permit application.

Since the discovery of Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) in Beecher & Upper Lakes in 2007, the Beecher and Upper Lakes Protection & Rehabilitation District has been working to control the invasive plant in an effort to reduce its impact on the native plant community and recreational use of the lakes. In 2008 the District received an AIS Planning Grant to develop a comprehensive and sustainable aquatic plant management plan for Beecher & Upper Lakes. In 2010 the District received an aquatic Invasive Species Control Gant (ACEI-073-10.1) to implement the DNR approved Aquatic Plant Management Plan for Beecher Lake. The management plan includes a multi-faceted strategy to prevent Eurasian water milfoil domination in Beecher & Upper Lakes and preserve the diverse aquatic plant community. The strategy calles for EWM management via winter drawdown, selective use of aquatic herbicides, manual harvesting where applicable, and monitoring for the native milfoil weevil (Euhrychiopsis lecontei).

Grant ACEI-172-15 awarded