The Presque Isle Town Lakes Committee (PITLC) was formed in 2005 to address resource management concerns in lakes within the Town of Presque Isle. The Committee has been active in a number of lake management activities on Crab Lake including: aquatic plant management, water quality sampling, invasive species sampling, and community education activities. The Committee contracted Northern Environmental (now Bonestroo, Inc.) to help develop an aquatic plant management (APM) plan for Crab Lake. The Crab Lake APM Plan includes a review of available lake information, an aquatic plant survey, and an evaluation of feasible physical, mechanical, biological, and chemical management alternatives if deemed appropriate. The APM plan also recommends specific prevention activities for aquatic invasive species (AIS) in the lake system; which are discussed below. Northern Environmental completed an aquatic plant survey on Crab Lake in 2007, which identified twenty seven aquatic plant species. The most abundant aquatic plants identified during the survey were wild celery (Vallisneria americana), dwarf watermilfoil (Myriophyllum tenellum), and three equally abundant species creeping spikerush (Eleocharis palustris), large-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton amplifolius), and fern pondweed (Potamogeton robbinsii). A brief aquatic plant survey was also conducted on North Crab Lake identifying twenty seven aquatic plant species. The Floristic Quality Index (FQI) is an index that uses the aquatic plant community as an indicator of lake health. Crab Lake exhibited an FQI of 37.07, higher than the state northern ecoregion average (24.3). North Crab Lake exhibited and FQI of 34.1, also higher than the northern ecoregion average.

The Town of Presque Isle is sponsoring a large scale lake planning grant to study Crab Lake in Vilas County with a study completion date of June 30, 2008. The Crab Lake Property Owners Association is a project partner. The project will focus on developing an Aquatic Plant Management (APM) Plan. Project activities include: 1) Data review and project kick-off meeting, one site visit to discuss goals, and project final meeting 2) Develop public questionnaire and prepare educational article 3) Point-intercept (PI) survey of aquatic plants with 2 sets of pressed plants 4) Aquatic plant community mapping and analysis 5) Water quality sampling - secchi, DO, P, and Chla through citizen lake monitor and Temp during aquatic plant sampling 6) Watershed and land use analysis 7) Develop APM Plan.

14416812

The Town of Presque Isle is sponsoring a large scale lake planning grant to study Crab Lake in Vilas County with a study completion date of June 30, 2008. The Crab Lake Property Owners Association is a project partner. The project will focus on developing an Aquatic Plant Management (APM) Plan. Project activities include: 1) Data review and project kick-off meeting, one site visit to discuss goals, and project final meeting 2) Develop public questionnaire and prepare educational article 3) Point-intercept (PI) survey of aquatic plants with 2 sets of pressed plants 4) Aquatic plant community mapping and analysis 5) Water quality sampling - secchi, DO, P, and Chla through citizen lake monitor and Temp during aquatic plant sampling 6) Watershed and land use analysis 7) Develop APM Plan.