LSRI - Lake Superior Nearshore Monitoring
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Purpose

Under this project and with assistance from WDNR, Lake Superior Research Institute (LSRI) will conduct a comprehensive ecological assessment of Wisconsin's Lake Superior basin communities identified as priority areas by the WDNR Plan. Sites and parameters proposed in this project were selected using guidance from the Wisconsin Great Lakes Strategy, the Lake Superior Binational Work Group 2011 Monitoring Priorities, and discussions with WDNR Lake Superior fisheries biologists and resource managers and are identified in the WDNR Plan. Sites included in the project are not part of the National Coastal Condition Assessment.

Objective

This project implements the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Lake Superior Nearshore Monitoring Plan. It will establish 71 permanent monitoring stations in coastal wetlands, small craft harbors, nearshore areas and tributaries identified as priority resources by the WDNR. Biological, physical, chemical and land cover data will be collected and analyzed using accepted standardized monitoring protocols and biological indicators developed under the SOLEC process for Great Lakes communities. Data and assessments will be used by the State to understand and report on the current status of the resource; identify and prioritize problems; identify targeted monitoring needs; and develop and implement strategies that protect and restore habitat and wildlife in Wisconsin’s Lake Superior basin.

Outcome

This project will establish a permanent monitoring framework for assessing the condition of priority coastal resources in Wisconsin's Lake Superior basin. Data and analysis from the 71 stations set up in tributaries, coastal wetlands, nearshore areas and small harbors will provide Wisconsin and the Great Lakes community with baseline information across Wisconsin's Lake Superior basin. Biological, physical, and chemical data will be collected from 17 coastal wetlands, 20 nearshore sampling stations, and 34 tributary monitoring stations. Land cover, shoreline erosion areas, and man-made structures will be analyzed and mapped for 10 coastal wetland watersheds and 10 tributary mouths. Monitoring protocols and sampling stations were selected to avoid overlap and maintain consistency between sampling data. This effort builds on recent coastal wetland monitoring and working with local scientists and resource professionals will increase logistic efficiencies and decrease overall and travel costs for the project. All staff working on the project have extensive first-hand knowledge and experience working in Wisconsin’s Lake Superior basin. All data from this project will be freely shared with other users and a formal partner network will be created to facilitate data sharing. The general public and stakeholder groups will be presented with the results of this project. The 3-year sampling effort will provide the State of Wisconsin with a comprehensive baseline assessment of its Lake Superior coastal nearshore area, which is crucial to the aquatic ecosystem and food web of Lake Superior.

Related Reports

Run Project Summary Report
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Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
Nearshore Health and NPS
GLRI_37735507
2010
Active
 
Reports and Documents
Final Report: Implementing WI DNR’s Lake Superior Nearshore Monitoring Plan
Implementing WI DNR’s Lake Superior Nearshore Monitoring Plan Project Documents, GLRI proposal, Elliot
 
Activities & Recommendations
Monitoring Ecosystem
Under this project and with assistance from WDNR, Lake Superior Research Institute (LSRI) will conduct a comprehensive ecological assessment of Wisconsin’s Lake Superior basin communities identified as priority areas by the WDNR Plan. Sites and parameters proposed in this project were selected using guidance from the Wisconsin Great Lakes Strategy, the Lake Superior Binational Work Group 2011 Monitoring Priorities, and discussions with WDNR Lake Superior fisheries biologists and resource managers and are identified in the WDNR Plan. Sites included in the project are not part of the National Coastal Condition Assessment.
 
Watershed
St. Louis and Lower Nemadji River
 
Waters
Lake Superior
Monitoring Data
Lake Details