Lake Winnebago and Up-River Lakes Aquatic Plant Sampling Protocol - Phase 2 (2017)
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Purpose

Currently, the health and areal extent of emergent and submersed plant communities in the Lake Winnebago System is largely unknown or at best, anecdotal in nature. Comprehensive sampling procedures (PI Survey) take too long to complete (almost 200,000 acres) and also cannot easily be repeated to assess long and short term trends in the plant communities. The up-coming TMDL will require restoration of the aquatic plant communities to 1) reduce internal loading and 2) filter and sequester external nutrient / sediment loads being introduced to the Up-River Lakes via the Fox and Wolf River Watersheds. A streamlined approach needs to be developed to annually quantify aquatic plant communities in representative areas throughout the system. This project will develop and field test a new quantitative sampling method developed in partnership with multiple DNR programs and outside stakeholders such as County LCD staff and local environmental groups.

Objective

This project is necessary because the aquatic plant community in Lake Winnebago and the up-river lakes is largely unknown. With TMDL's on the Lower Fox River, Upper Fox River and Wolf River aquatic plant data is going to be very valuable moving forward. This project will develop the protocol, determine location/number of sampling locations, determine polygon size at each location and the number of points within each polygon that is statistically valid. WBIC's: Lake Winnebago - 131100 Lake Butte des Morts - 139900 Lake Winneconne - 241600 Lake Poygan - 242800 Lake Puckaway - 158700

Outcome

The project outcome will be an Aquatic Plant Sampling protocol for Lake Winnebago and the up-river lakes. This project will also complete the first season of sampling once the protocol is finalized. This data will be valuable for the current TMDL's. Fisheries staff have been asking for this data for years. It will help them with spawning habitat and fish recruitment analysis. Wildlife staff have also expressed interest in the data. Wildlife habitat for ducks and other shorebirds that regularly use the Lake Winnebago System. Protocol and all data collected will be shared with a large amount of stakeholders. 1. TBD 2. No water quality samples associated with project 3. No water quality samples associated with project. Field work for project should be completed by 9/30/16. 4. 10/31/2016 5. 12/31/2016 6. SWIMS 7. Eric Evensen or Ted Johnson

Study Design

This will be essentially a streamlined version of the Point Intercept Methodology with some important differences - Method will likely need to use a stratified approach that is representative of the ranges for all habitat types. - Sampling plots can be of different sizes - Some likely will be relatively large in size with a set sampling grid (so many points per unit area) - Could have some small sampling areas as well. Sampling point selection will need to consider - Water depth (deep water sites will be selected as well. Even if no plants exist currently. TMDL activities have the potential to increase water quality) - Degree of wind exposure (energy) - Spatial relationships to Stream and River inlets; break-walls, channels and other man-made structures. (Poygan breakwall before and after) - Lake-bed substrate composition (% sand, silt, clay) - Distance from shorelines - Proximity to critical habitats (cane-beds) - Proximity to cities and high public use areas. Method will need to be field tested to determine: - Time needed to complete work - Do the actual results achieve established goals? - Eliminate unforeseen variables that could effect results. Meetings with local stakeholders - Conservation clubs - Winnebago steering team - Others

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