Purpose
This project request is for DNR Water Resources support for Unmuth and interns just for travel costs and lunches to guide and assist the County and other cooperators to collect water quality/chemistry, algae and plants for 3 Dane Co. lakes. This project is proposed for a two year period.
Dane County Land and Water Conservation Department will apply for a DNR lakes large planning grant on February 1, 2013, to collect water quality/chemistry, collect algal samples from Fish, Mud and Crystal Lakes in Dane County. In addition the grant monitoring will include an aquatic macrophyte survey of Mud Lake.At the same time DNR Fish Management proposes to monitor fishes in all three lakes, and proposes to rotenone Mud Lake by late 2014 - early 2015. Project information we will be used to help the County to develop property management plans around the lakes, and help DNR biologists evaluate the lakes for impairements and determine if the lakes are meeting designated uses. The monitoring will provide baseline data prior to the proposed rotenone project in Mud Lake, and provide baseline data on Crystal Lake prior to granting of a permit for the lake district to reduce water levels by pumping. Mud Lake has not been monitored for water quality, and a plant survey has not been completed since 1994. Fish and Crystal Lakes were last monitored in 2005, and at the time data indicated water quality was declining in both lakes. Objective
Water bodies included in the proposal are Mud Lake (WBIC:1006500), Fish Lake (WBIC: 985100), and Crystal Lake (WBIC: 978900), at the deep hole in each lake.
Management questions that will be addressed for Mud Lake are as follows.
1. What is the trophic status of the lake, and has it changed? 2. Is it meeting a designated use? 3. To gather baseline data prior to rotenone application to assist with fish and aquatic habitat management planning once rotenoned. 4. Does it qualifiy as impaired. 4. Determine public health status in terms of algae. 5. Use the information to help guide the Dane County master planning process for the property. 6. Information on aquatic vegetation to compare to a survey done in 1994 before lake water quality began to decline.
A baseline survey of water quality of Mud Lake has not been done, only a single sample was collected in 1997 after a major event led to a fish exodus through the culverts into Fish Lake, and observed poor water quality almost overnight. Mud lake has not been monitored to determine if it is meeting it's designated use. It has not been monitored for aquatic plants since 1994. Since the 1970's Mud Lake water levels have risen, and extensive beds of emergent vegetation disappeared. Subsequently the lake was pumped to relieve flooding. In the mid-1990's the lake began to have frequent fish kills and heavy algal blooms. DNR staff have experienced rashes symptomatic of blue green blooms while wading near shore.
Management questions that will be addressed for Fish Lake are as follows 1. Determine if lake water quality is declining, and identify possible causes. 2. Determine if the lake impaired. 3. Determine if it is meeting designated use. 4. Determine public health status. 5. Use information for the Dane County property management planning process. Fish Lake has also had flooding problems, a loss of emergent vegetation in bays and along shorelines, wetland draining in the watershed, and is now being pumped to reduce lake water levels. This past year biologists documented the worst secchi readings in it's history. The lake has not been monitored for water quality at the deep hole since 2005. The lake has gone from mesotrophic to eutrophic according to lake secchi readings, and experiences algal blooms, especially in the bays. Pumping from Fish Lake near culvert connections to Mud lake may be drawing poorer water quality from Mud Lake into Fish Lake.
Management questions that will be addressed for Crystal Lake are as follows. 1. Determine if lake water quality is declining and identify causes. 2. Determine if the lake is impaired. 3. Determine if it is meeting the designated use. 4. Determine public health status. 5. Use information for the Dane County property management planning process.
Crystal Lake has not had montoring at the deep hole for water chemistry since 2005. The lake has flooding into agricultural fields and barnyards, agricultural runoff, and campground sewage treatment overflow issues most certainly have negatively impacted the lake. It experiences fish kills, and fish have exhibited symptoms of poor water quality - tumors, lesions. DNR staff have also experienced rash like symptoms evident of blue green algal blooms. There is a permit application and proposal recently submitted by the lake district to pump water from Crystal Lake to Roxbury Creek and ultimately into Wisconsin River backwater sloughs which are ERW waters. Outcome
For all three lakes: Evaluation for impairment, designated uses, status of lake water quality to aid in identification of watershed issues that may be impacting lake water quality, evaluation for public health - wading, swimming. Identify issues important to County park management planning, and DNR lakes management planning. Study Design
All three lakes:
2 years of monitoring for water quality and chemistry.
May - Sept. Temp, DO. pH, Conductivity profiles
June, Jul, Aug collection of phosphorus and chlorophyll A
July collection of nitrogen series and lab conductivity pH, alkalinity, color, tss, turbidity.
June - ? algae monitoring
Mud Lake only- Point intercept aquatic plant monitoring.Related Reports
Run Project Summary ReportView Umbrella-ProjectsView Related-ProjectsTMDL/303d Projects
Identify Impaired Waters
SCR_16_CMP13B
2013
Complete
TSI from P, secchi, and other water quality and chemistry collected monthly June, July, August 2010 in shallow near shore areas where pumping of lakes occurred on Fish/Mud, and proposed pump site for Crystal Lake.
Watershed Mapping or Assessment
Fish, Mud and Crystal Lakes Monitoring - Project information we will be used to help the County to develop property management plans around the lakes, and help DNR biologists evaluate the lakes for impairements and determine if the lakes are meeting designated uses.