Clean Lakes 101 - Aquatic Plant Management on the Yahara Lakes

Join Clean Lakes Alliance in-person or virtually Wednesday, July 13th to learn about how Dane County manages the lakes' abundant aquatic plants.

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/clean-lakes-101-aquatic-plant-management-on-the-yahara-lakes-registration-360835698287

About this Talk
The mechanical harvesting of aquatic plants started in the early 1980s on the Yahara chain of lakes. Efforts have since expanded to include a fleet of 12 aquatic plant harvesters and various equipment. However, rapid plant growth and changing public expectations continue to present ongoing challenges. Effective aquatic plant management is a difficult balance between sometimes competing factors, such as public safety, recreational opportunity, a healthy aquatic ecosystem, and cost. Today, Dane County's mechanical harvesting program focuses on two priority areas. The first priority is to target plant growth occurring within the Yahara River. Excessive plant growth restricts water flow moving through the Yahara chain of lakes, creating challenges to maintain lake levels with the Wisconsin DNR water level orders. The second priority is to mitigate recreational impairment by removing invasive aquatic weeds. Additionally, there are often public misunderstandings related to where and when aquatic plant harvesting is allowed. In this talk, we will discuss regulatory requirements, locations of harvesting, and impacts to the local fishery. Information on data collection and the five-year permitting process will also be described.

About our Speaker
Pete Jopke is a 1990 graduate of UW-LaCrosse and has spent time with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Sauk County, and, for the last 26 years, with the Dane County Land and Water Resources Department. His entire 31 year career in natural resources has been centered on water. In addition to working with the aquatic plant program, he also serves as the County’s Aquatic Species Coordinator and assists with all things lakes and rivers. An avid angler, you will often catch him throughout the year pursuing his finned friends.

Event Details
This event will be held at The Edgewater hotel - Grand Ballroom C, level 5 (1001 Wisconsin Pl, Madison, WI 53703). Doors open at 7:30 a.m. The program runs from 8 - 9 a.m. A Q/A session will follow the presentation as time allows. Complimentary event parking will be available at The Edgewater parking ramp. Parking spots fill up quickly and may be limited depending on hotel capacity.

Clean Lakes 101 Lecture Series
Clean Lakes 101 is a series of educational events open to the public and a great chance for residents to learn more about the science behind the issues that affect our lakes. Each month we feature a different expert to make the science accessible and interesting to non-technical audiences. The series is produced in partnership with the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and UW Extension Lakes, with presenting sponsors First Weber Foundation and Johnson Financial Group, hosting sponsor The Edgewater, supporting sponsor National Guardian Life Insurance Company, and media partner WKOW 27 News.

Event Website