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Posts: 194
| I recently read an article in the Wisconsin State Journal Claiming victory on Lake Wingra. If you're not familiar, several organizations banded together to first study a small section of the lake to see if the water quality would improve if Carp were removed. It did inside the small enclosure. This eventually led to 7000 carp being removed from the lake over the last two winters. It's my understanding that one of the main objectives of the project was to improve the water quality so "Native" plant species and fish can flourish.
My question is this. Has anyone seen anything but Eurasion Watermilfoil or Curly Leaf Pondweed flourish in the lake? The water is definately more clean looking and light penetration is better. Now instead of a weedline in 5' FOW or so, the weeds are developing everywhere. All I have seen is E Milfoil and Curly Leaf Pondweed with only some patches of "Native" plants in the shallows. The lake is almost all 12' FOW or less and both the invasive species in the lake will grow down to 12'. Are the weeds going to take the whole lake over in a few years? BTW, the study portion of the lake, which is shallower, is an inpenitrable E Milfoil mess now. Will weed harvesters need to run constantly? Was this well intentioned idea a good one? I'm not a fan of Carp, but I have to wonder what the future holds. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | I would have to agree, I have had the same concern..with most of the lake being 7-9 feet of water...will the weeds take over? imo the water becoming clearer is going to be a bad thing overall...they did not remove all the carp so imo it will be better if the carp reproduce and dirty the water back up or this lake will become one big weed bed....not a good thing...I have been out there once in the last few months and was shocked how far out the weed growth was...
Edited by BNelson 9/21/2009 7:34 PM
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| well, they found Spiny Water Fleas in the Yahara Chain now, so they'll eat the stuff that eats the algae and that'll make everything more green so the weeds won't get as much light...and fa-zah! shallower weed lines in a soup bowl.
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Posts: 194
| Lambeau, I saw the Spiny Water Flea story on the news. Very disturbing. I could see how we have a mess on our hands now in Madison more then ever. That would certainly explain the thicker algae blooms showing up in the lakes this year. It's my understanding that the SW Fleas were only found in Mendota, but that means they are already in Monona and Waubesa or, at least will be due to the flow of the Yahara. But Wingra is technically upstream of Monona, right? So the SW Fleas would have to be introduced there separately, no? (Unless they can jump the dam.) Which they probably have been. The SW Flea is a related but separate issue. I'd like to hear some feedback from some biologists to my original questions. Particularly our local biologists.
I remember a seminar at one of the Muskie Inc meetings a couple of years ago by Scott Stewart who said the Carp study done on Lake Wingra was flawed. Yet the Carp removal project moved forward anyways mainly due to the influence of the Friends of Lake Wingra.
Edited by Kazmuskie 9/22/2009 11:33 AM
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Location: Contrarian Island | here is the article....
clearer / cleaner water in Wingra will only choke the lake out with weeds is my guess...not good...
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/article_c268c081... |
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Posts: 619
Location: Verona, WI | This is definitely happening already. It's been a month or so since I was on the lake and the east end in particular is starting to thicken up with weeds in areas that didn't have them before. In general if you got into 9 ft of water you could troll at that depth without to much of a problem. Now you need to pull your baits much shallower to go over weed tops that weren't there in years past. Not good for fishing - law of unintended consequences.
Shane |
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Lake Wingra Improvments?