BACK FROM THE BRINK

How Lake Ellwood, Once Doomed Is Being Rescued

By Eric Engbretson, Engbretson Underwater Photography

Imagine a town consisting entirely of seniors. The town has no children, no teenagers, and no young adults. All the schools, playgrounds, and sports fields have closed. The town is eerily empty and still. And every year, as seniors pass on, the town’s population grows smaller and smaller. With no young people to replace the departed, the town will simply disappear from the map. A grim future indeed.

Until last year, this same sad demise seemed destined for Lake Ellwood in Florence County, WI.  In its waters, bluegill and largemouth bass had grown old. For the better part of a decade, no young fish were surviving to replace them. But now it seems that a corner has been turned and the news is good.  Today, Ellwood is a lake on the brink of recovery.  The story of the lake’s resurrection is a tale that involves invasive plants, a dedicated fisheries biologist, and a host of scientists working against the clock to save a small but beloved piece of Florence County.

THE CRASH

A healthy lake gets a steady stream of newborn fish every year, and the newborns that survive to maturity constantly enlarge the adult population. Fish biologists call this process recruitment. Of all native fish, largemouth bass and bluegill are both extremely prolific and they have shown outstanding talent for recruitment. Unlike walleyes, which require very specific conditions to reproduce, largemouth bass and bluegills thrive even when conditions are far less than ideal. Typically, when two years pass without largemouth bass and bluegill recruitment, fish managers become concerned, and Lake Ellwood has now seen seven consecutive years with failed recruitment.  Dr. Andrew Rypel is the state’s lead panfish researcher for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  “It’s an eyebrow-raiser to be sure. What’s happened on Lake Ellwood has gotten our attention.  It’s very weird.”

Greg Matzke is the DNR’s senior fish biologist for Florence and Forest Counties. When I visited him in his office at the Florence Resources Center a year ago, he was eager to discuss Lake Ellwood.  “The fisheries biologist position for Florence was vacant for three years prior to my arrival,” he told me. “By the time I got here in year 2010, many of our lakes hadn’t been surveyed in a while.  When we got around to looking at Lake Ellwood in 2012, the fish population hadn’t been surveyed for a decade. What we found was a lake with few young fish. By the end of our spring survey it was clear to me that something was wrong with some of the major fish populations in Lake Ellwood.”  What Matzke documented in 2012 was an almost total collapse of the fish community. In Wisconsin, a failure of this magnitude in largemouth bass and bluegill recruitment is utterly unprecedented.

Matzke typed excitedly on his keyboard as a graph flashed onto the screen. Compiled from the data he had collected, the graph showed a sudden drop in northern pike recruitment after 2004, followed by bluegill and largemouth bass recruitment failures after 2006. Northern pike and largemouth bass recruitment had not occurred at all since 2004 and 2008 respectively, while bluegill recruitment fell off and became insignificant after 2006. “We surveyed that lake extensively, with 44 fyke net lifts and 7 complete electrofishing surveys totaling 20.22 miles (on a lake with 2.8 miles of shoreline) and couldn’t find a single fish younger than five, six and eight years of age, for largemouth, black crappie and northern pike. Not one.” said Matzke. “Nobody has ever seen anything like it.” In total Matzke spent 19 days surveying the fishery in one small lake, which is a great deal of time and effort, and I wondered how many lakes earn such scrutiny. “Not many,” said Matzke. I asked the big question: “What happened to the fish?” He paused and exhaled. In a reflective mood, he lowered his voice: “At first I had no idea, but after gathering and analyzing all the data it’s quite clear…. I believe it has to do with the milfoil treatments out there.”

THE MILFOIL CONNECTION

In the bars of Spread Eagle, fishing is a hot topic among the locals. It fills the air in the summer months, when local businesses are booming and lakefront owners are spending more time on the water.  Between rounds, someone mentions the fish crash in Lake Ellwood, and explanations flow like beer from a freshly-tapped keg. On a steamy night last July at the Chuck Wagon Restaurant, the fate of the lake engaged almost every person in the room. Barroom biologists blamed culprits ranging from low water levels to fish cribs and even invasive Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM) sucking the oxygen out of the lake.

Back in their offices, Matzke and his colleagues considered these possibilities and decided none of them were credible because these same conditions exist on hundreds of lakes throughout Northern Wisconsin, and none of the lakes has shown collapses in fish as was documented in Lake Ellwood. In their opinion, the crash stemmed from chemical herbicides applied to control the invasive plant Eurasian watermilfoil.

Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM) was discovered in Lake Ellwood in 2002. Treatments started during the next spring. The Lake Ellwood Association contracted with a lake management firm to monitor and treat the lake every spring thereafter with very good success. As chemical treatments continued, invasive plants began to subside.  Encouraged by their success, the lake association continued treatments in the hope of eradicating small but persistent areas that would materialize.  An unintended consequence was that native plants were also being killed by the herbicide.

Once considered the most crucial problem facing the Lake Ellwood Association, milfoil has now taken a back-seat to the lake’s most urgent issue:  The fish crash.  It was a shift in priorities that took time to embrace.  Matzke recalls that “when it came to Lake Ellwood, too many people were focusing on the wrong thing.  In the beginning, when I told them about the fish crash, they listened, but still seemed more concerned about the milfoil.  I explained that milfoil was not the biggest problem.  A milfoil-free lake is worthless as a fishery if it can’t sustain healthy fish populations.”  Many people were still talking about invasive species ruining the lake when it was losing its fish at an alarming rate.  “We needed to do something to encourage fish recruitment before it was too late.”  Despite being alerted to the collapse of the lake’s fishery and a hypothesis that linked the crash to the milfoil treatments, in the spring of 2013, the Lake Ellwood Association applied for their annual permit to continue chemical treatments.  The news of the disappearance of what was once a balanced, self-sustaining, and vibrant fish community had seemingly fallen on deaf ears.  Matzke, along with WDNR water regs staff, denied the permit application.  He defended what was an unpopular decision at the time by saying, “We need to take a time-out and find out what’s going on in this lake. It’s not a stretch to suggest that the milfoil treatments may be doing more harm than good.”  At first, many were unconvinced that any connection existed, but since then, those who have studied the data compiled by Matzke admit that the evidence is hard to ignore.

So how could treatments aimed at invasive plants be hurting Lake Ellwood’s fish?  The exact pathways behind the crash are still being investigated, but two plausible reasons might explain why multiple fish species have failed to recruit.  One is that the chemicals disturb the aquatic insect community that young fish need for survival, and the fish literally starve to death in their first few months of life.  Another theory that holds more water is that the chemical herbicides have depleted too much of the lake’s native plant community that young fish need for refuge.  Without dense plant beds to hide in, young fish may be preyed upon by larger fish, and by the fall, entire year classes of fish are gone with no survivors to contribute to the lake’s fish community.  It could also be a combination of both of these scenarios.  While it’s unknown exactly how the fish crash happened, it’s clear that the chemicals played a key role.  Native vegetation is critical to fish.  There are many examples illustrating this important connection.  On other Wisconsin Lakes, the loss of native vegetation has proven to be the cause behind similar crashes of largemouth bass and bluegill populations.  In those lakes, rusty crayfish or common carp were responsible for removing too much native vegetation, causing largemouth bass and bluegill populations to collapse.  On Lake Ellwood, the same thing has happened.  But on this lake, humans, using herbicides, are behind the loss of native plants fish need.

Dr. Andrew Rypel, Wisconsin’s leading panfish researcher, says that the complex relationship bluegills have with plants are just beginning to be understood by fish scientists.  “We’re trying to understand how this occurred and we’re looking at other water systems with aquatic plant management programs around the state to see if this is an anomaly.”  He added, “With bluegills, we know habitat is important.  In fact, for the first time, we’re really starting to study how plants affect fish quality”.

Is there a way to save the fish, preserve native plants and still limit invasive milfoil?  “Yes,” says Greg Matzke, “But not with continual use of chemical herbicides.” Denied permits to use any further chemical herbicides, the Lake Ellwood Lake Association cleverly looked to alternative methods of milfoil removal.  Last summer, they contracted with an Iron River company, Many Waters LLC, to use Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting (DASH) as an alternative to herbicides.  The DASH system features a giant vacuum cleaner atop a pontoon. At the bottom of the lake, scuba divers use their hands to pull out invasive milfoil (and avoid native plants) and then feed it into a tube that takes it to the surface for collection and removal. Unlike chemical treatments, DASH acts selectively by focusing only on milfoil and leaving other plants generally undisturbed.  Matzke gave his warm approval to DASH: “We need to preserve and expand native plants in Lake Ellwood for fish to have a chance at survival. The DASH system removes milfoil without harming the native vegetation essential to fish.” Early results appear encouraging:  In the summer of 2013, DASH took more than two thousand pounds of milfoil out of Lake Ellwood.

 HOW BAD ARE INVASIVE PLANTS?

Dr. Jennifer Hauxwell is chief of fisheries and aquatic sciences research at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  Headquartered in Madison, her team of scientists have been studying Eurasian watermilfoil for ten years.  What they’ve discovered so far is that EWM is tough to pin down.  It doesn’t seem to behave in any two lakes quite the same way, and there’s no way to predict if it will peacefully co-exist with native plants as it does in most lakes or reach overabundance as it does in others.   Hauxwell says, “In some lakes EWM never ‘takes off’ or expands to levels requiring any management.  In some lakes EWM is a major component of the ecosystem and may provide structure/habitat complexity if native species diversity is low or absent.  In some eutrophic to hyper-eutrophic lakes EWM may be the only species keeping the lake from turning to algae dominated.” Hauxwell says her team has found other cases where it’s proven beneficial.  “Lake Wingra, once suffered from murky water due to algal blooms and lots of suspended sediment”, says Hauxwell.  “When carp that root up sediment were removed from the lake, the water cleared, and light was available to support plant growth. EWM quickly expanded in the lake and helped further clear the water and keep algae and suspended sediment low. It’s now a recreational nuisance, but it’s definitely playing an important ecological role in the lake community.”   Currently, EWM occurs in 4% of Wisconsin’s lakes mostly in small colonies that are not problematic.  “Our researchers quantified the amount of EWM in approximately 100 EWM lakes to get a sense for how widespread it may be in any given lake and across different lakes.” Says Hauxwell.  “We found that there was a wide range in abundance.  In the majority of the lakes we studied, it was sparse and occurred in less than ten percent of the inhabitable zone.” When does it reach nuisance level, I wondered? “’Nuisance’ is very difficult to define, and it’s in the eye of the beholder”, says Hauxwell.  Her team is excited about a plethora of research studies currently underway that will shed even more new light on this enigmatic species.

Mike Vogelsang is the DNR’s fisheries supervisor for the Woodruff area and oversees all fish management in six counties in Northern Wisconsin, including Florence.   He’s more concerned with the chemicals used to control EWM than with the invasive plant itself.  “There’s some real questions by our biologists, since they’re the ones required to review, and ultimately approve chemical application permits.  What are the effects of chemical use going to be twenty years down the road?  We’re already finding that in some cases they don’t break down as quickly as believed-they have toxicity long after the manufacturers say they do.”

Vogelsang also says that because it’s expensive to control and impossible to eradicate, learning to live with milfoil is inevitable.  “Where are we really going with these treatments?  When do they become excessive?  What effects are they having on fish communities?  These are some of the questions we’re talking about now.”  Vogelsang isn’t satisfied that EWM is the destructive threat that’s worthy of all the resources directed to control it.  “When EWM first came on the scene, there was a lot of fear associated with the plant, because it was a new potential threat, and the Department wasn’t sure if it would negatively impact our waters.  To help stop its spread, there was a lot of gloom and doom talk with lake associations and the general public.  We heard all these things about exotics and how bad they are, but it hasn’t been the end of the world.  The sky didn’t fall.  In many lakes, fishing got better with the invasives.  I’m not saying exotics are a good thing – and we should do everything we can to prevent their spread – but EWM hasn’t impacted our fisheries.”

Is an unwarranted level of fear driving lake associations to respond too aggressively to milfoil?  If so, it’s a fear that today feels like an over-reaction to a plant that now doesn’t seem to be capable of ruining lakes after all.  Ironically, while EWM hasn’t harmed fisheries, the unintended consequences of using chemical herbicides to control it has, as it did on Lake Ellwood.  Is what happened on Lake Ellwood an indictment of chemical herbicides?  “When over-used, I think so.” Says Vogelsang.  “It’s simple: No weeds equals no fish.  If I had my own private lake and it got milfoil, would I attempt to control it with chemicals?  No.  I would leave it alone and know that eventually the plant would become naturalized with the native plant community – like it has on many lakes where no chemical treatments have been used.”

Steve Gilbert, another fish Biologist, echoes Vogelsang’s observations.  He reports that for the past 22 years that he’s worked in Vilas County, the negative impacts of EWM on fish in Vilas County lakes has been zero.

While the DNR has consistently denounced EWM, new plant science and testimony from fisheries managers now seem to undercut the agency’s long-standing rhetoric. The days of demonizing Eurasian watermilfoil may be nearing an end.  Stated simply, EWM is not be as bad as we formerly thought. It’s a tough bell to un-ring and DNR insiders are struggling to navigate the complicated path to this more moderate public position, without undermining their credibility.

THE FISH RETURN

May 2014.  A year has passed since my last meeting with Greg Matzke and I’m back in his office to discover what has happened with Lake Ellwood since we last talked. The spring of 2013 was the first year in a decade when chemicals weren’t applied and the results were instant and dramatic.  Grinning now, Matzke tells me that his fish surveys from the fall of 2013 show an astounding thirteen-thousand percent increase in young-of-the-year bluegill since 2012 (the last year of chemical treatment).  The 2013 survey also found young-of-the-year largemouth bass, which makes the 2013 year class the first successful recruitment of this species in Lake Ellwood since 2008. In fact, largemouth bass recruitment in 2013 was measured at a rate more than double the recruitment level in 2002 (before chemical treatments began). This immediate rebound adds solid weight to the theory that herbicides did indeed cause the famous collapse in the fish community. A thirteen-thousand percent increase in bluegills sounds incredible and I asked Matzke to put the numbers into context. “We captured just over 97 age-0 bluegill per mile during our electrofishing survey; this is up from less than one age-0 bluegill per mile in 2012. The 2012 year class still looked poor with only 0.67 age-1 bluegill per mile during the 2013 survey.  For the first time in a long time, conditions are acceptable for bluegill and largemouth bass to reproduce successfully. And they’re responding.”  Putting the question as directly as possible, I asked if it was simplistic to think that “no plants equals no fish” and that “with plants, we have fish.” Matzke said, “That’s an interesting point. I mapped out the aquatic vegetation in Lake Ellwood during August 2013 with acoustic equipment to get a picture of the plants.” Showing me a multicolored map of the lake, he pointed to red-shaded areas that contained the most concentrated areas of plants. “We didn’t find a dense plant community by any means, but in certain near shore areas, there was dense plant cover where there hadn’t been any before.” Matzke draws an optimistic conclusion: “This suggests that for bluegill and largemouth bass recruitment, overall plant abundance may not be as important as these narrow strips of dense aquatic vegetation that are now found in Lake Ellwood after the herbicide treatments have stopped. These areas serve as great nurseries for young fish, offering preferred prey items and cover from predatory fish, giving bluegill and largemouth bass a fighting chance to recruit.”

When news of the Lake Ellwood fish crash started to spread, says Matzke, “I started getting calls. Other fish biologists from around Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota had heard about Lake Ellwood and they were looking for more information.” They were consulting Matzke to learn about signs of incipient problems in their own lakes. Matzke also took “calls from regular folks around the State” who lived on lakes with invasive milfoil and who worried that chemical treatments were hurting fish populations in their waters. Was the same thing happening to other lakes? Matzke shrugged: “It’s really hard to say. To know for sure, you need to steer your sampling efforts to target young-of-the-year panfish. That’s not something fish managers typically do in their ordinary work.  Unless you’re specifically looking for it, it’s the kind of problem that could go undiscovered for a long time and may go unnoticed until the adult population begins to be effected, as it did on Lake Elwood”.

Now retired, fisheries biologist, Bob Young oversaw Florence County Lakes from 2000-2007.  He fondly remembers Lake Ellwood as once being a high quality panfish lake.  He’s been following the recent changes closely and feels another important lesson can be learned.  “The invasive species folks should be working closer with fish managers so they can avoid situations like this. I’ve always been uneasy with the notion that total chemical war needs to be made on any and all invasive plant populations. Maybe it wasn’t the best thing for Lake Ellwood.”

A PROMISING FUTURE

Events in Lake Ellwood have also drawn the attention of the Dr. Greg Sass.  Sass is another member of the DNR’s elite Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Research Section. As the agency’s equivalent of a CSI unit, these fish detectives answer calls to solve the most perplexing mysteries in the fisheries of the State. They’re the team whose groundbreaking scientific work in many areas over the years have directly led to major improvements in Wisconsin’s fishing.  Sass visited Lake Ellwood in 2013 to investigate and define the forces behind the crash in the fish community.  His ongoing study will gather more data not just from Lake Ellwood, but from two other lakes (Cosgrove, and Siedel) in Florence County.  Sass is hopeful that eventually his team will be able to mechanistically explain the bluegill and largemouth bass recruitment failures observed in Lake Ellwood.

In Florence, meanwhile, Matzke says his office will continue fish surveys to monitor the recovery now underway.  He remains optimistic about the future (which doesn’t include any further chemical treatments for Eurasian watermilfoil.) “It’s my hope that we can come to a clear understanding of the things that drive natural reproduction of the fish in Lake Ellwood.” Turning to the crash in the fish community, Matzke expressed his hope that “we can plausibly explain how the fish community crashed. So far the signs are quite clear; it was the treatments to eradicate milfoil—not the milfoil itself—that have seemingly indirectly caused the collapse in fish recruitment.”  Lake Ellwood still has a few acres of invasive milfoil and likely always will.  But native plants as well as young bluegills and largemouth bass are beginning to return.  For fishery managers, that makes for a tradeoff with the sweet taste of victory.

Let’s go back to that town you imagined, the place where every citizen was a senior. The place is turning robust, as a new cohort of kids has taken to the playgrounds, sports field, and schools. “That’s not the same as a town with a lot of young adults,” cautions Matzke, “but it makes for a promising start.” At this time, the Wisconsin DNR’s careful work seems to justify the same spirit of cautious optimism about the future of Lake Ellwood. More habitat articles at fishiding.com

(For further information, questions or comments about this article, please email Greg Matzke at Gregory.Matzke@Wisconsin.gov)

Statewide general permit for fish habitat structures ready to use

Weekly News article published: January 28, 2014 by the Central Office

MADISON – Lakefront property owners statewide can now more quickly and easily create “fish sticks” habitat near their shoreline to benefit fish and improve fishing, state fisheries and habitat protection officials say.

A new streamlined permit available from the state and an easy step-by-step guide for fish sticksare now available on the Department of Natural Resources website to help foster the projects, which involve placing trees in shallow water and anchoring them on the shore.

“”Fish sticks” projects are paying off in northern Wisconsin lakes by providing more critical habitat for fish and insects, birds, turtles and frogs,” says Scott Toshner, the Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist who worked with partners on “Fish Sticks” projects that placed hundreds of trees in the Eau Claire chain of lakes in Bayfield and Douglas counties.

“More people wanted to do this same kind of thing on their own shoreland property so DNR created this general permit and a step-by-step guide to make the process easier for them.”

Fallen trees provide shelter and feeding areas for a diversity of fish species and nesting and sunning areas for birds, turtles, and other animals above the water, Toshner says. “Nearly all fish species use woody habitat for at least one portion of their life cycle,” he says.

“But fallen trees have been removed from the water in many areas. “Fish sticks” add to the natural complexity of the near-shore area by restoring woody habitat that was removed during shoreline development.” More habitat articles at fishiding.com

Interest in Fish Sticks projects to restore this woody habitat has been growing throughout Wisconsin and the region, says Martye Griffin, the DNR waterway science policy coordinator. DNR responded by converting the existing general permits for fish habitat projects (Fish Crib, Half-Log, Spawning Reef, Wind Deflector and Tree Drop) to a statewide general permit, and added standards for fish sticks.

The new general permit allows property owners on lakes to have a streamlined permitting process to submerge groups of trees near their shoreline, Griffin says.

“The streamlined permit process is less costly and can be reviewed in less time,” he says. It also allows for fish sticks sites constructed in later years and by different property owners on the same lake to “add on” to an existing approved permit without a new application fee – something the DNR has never done before, he says. Even though an ‘add on’ site may not require an application fee, the sites are still reviewed the same way as a new site.

The general permit identifies the location, design, and other standards and conditions these beneficial projects must meet to qualify for the general permit and to ensure minimal impacts to public rights in the waterway.

Step-by-step guide

In addition, DNR created a new, step-by-step guide for landowners who are interested in developing a fish sticks project. “It provides instructions to plan and complete a project, including equipment needed, site suggestions, and potential funding sources.”

More information on the general permit and to access the fish sticks guidance documentis available by searching the DNR website for “Fish Sticks.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Toshner, 715-372-8539 Ext. 121; Martye Griffin, 608-266-2997

There are countless Bass fishing events that take place across our country each year allowing participants a chance to take home substantial prize money and products. This past weekend was no exception on J. Strom Thurmond Reservoir  in Appleton,Georgia.

 With a first ever of it’s kind, The PotashCorp FishBack Open Team Tournament, contestants competed to raise money and awareness in support of the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance (GOCA) and the North Augusta Fishing Team.  After the two day event, 100% of the proceeds were donated to these two fine deserving groups with $6000.00 and $4000.00 respectively being  awarded.

With a guaranteed payout of $12,000 for first place, more than 125 boats competed in this first annual open. The two man team event goal, was raising money for two great groups. Boats and fisherman from numerous surrounding states, geared up for this unique opportunity to fish this expansive body of water.

Fast boats and seasoned anglers planned to  jockey for a chance at taking home one of the many cash and donated prizes, including two 52″ wide screen T.V’s donated by Fairway Ford.

Before first light on Saturday, hundreds of decked out fishing rigs decended on Wildwood Park and the Tommy Shaw Memorial weigh in at Clark Hill.  Anglers of all levels  including a few FLW pro’s, then discovered fishing wasn’t the only job on hand for the day.

The twist to this groundbreaking Bass tournament concept…….install artificial fish habitat during the event, enhancing the environment and the fishery! Maybe come back on day two and catch a lunker on the habitat unit you installed on Saturday!

That’s right, each boat was required to give something back to the fishery by installing an artificial fish habitat structure at either their first or second stop of day one. Over 150 new artificial habitat units were installed during the event.

More than one strange look was apparent when the requirement was announced. You want  me to put what in my spotless, pristine gel coated water rocket? I barely have enough room for the twenty something rods and hundreds of pounds of tackle we can’t fish without.  Are we going to fit yet more gear and supplies, ropes, cinder blocks, etc.?

No worries, each boat of two fisherman received a Safehouse model habitat by Fishiding.com to unfold and install. These patented, self contained habitat units are made from reclaimed vinyl siding, cemented into a PVC container. Standing about 45″ tall when shipped, the vinyl limbs bend out in all directions and create a “Safehouse” about 7′ diameter and 3′-6″ tall, weighing approximately 15 pounds.

No additional tools or supplies…or mess when putting these habitat units out. Just bend to shape by hand, whatever looks good, then toss over the side. Each artificial fish habitat unit will sink to the bottom and land upright to resemble a bush. The wide limbs create maximum shade, often preferred by bass and forage fish. Nutrients then stick to the vinyl and start the food chain.

The brains behind this first of it’s kind conservation awareness tournament came from the event mastermind, Joey Bruyninckx of PotashCorp.

“Giving something back to the fishery only made sense.” Cancer, Kids and Conservation, what better causes to support?

We met Joey and his team through our involvement with the North Augusta fishing Team. PotashCorp has been a loyal supporter of the North Augusta Fishing Team.( NAFT ) Months back, we were contacted by a hard working young lady named Rosie DeAnnutis, a selfless volunteer for the NAFT. She asked if we may like to get involved in supporting the kids on a cold spring tourney at the same location, Wildwood Park back in March.

We very much wanted to be involved, but because of the timing and the distance, we called on our trusted partners at SOlitude lake Management at their nearby office’s in Charlotte and Raleigh to assist us by speaking to the kids about habitat. SOlitude  has various offices throughout the mid-Atlantic states.  Serving clients in 9 states  including: VA, NC, SC, MD, DE, PA, WV, NJ and NY, offering top notch professional service and advice for all your lake and pond aquatic needs. Aquatic, Fishery, Wildlife and Forestry Biologists, Environmental and Ecology Scientists, all make up the SOlution to a better planet earth.

Matt Phillips, their Aquatic Biologist/Environmental Scientist was happy to help and make the three hour drive to participate. The group discussed fish recruitment, stocking and available habitat. These young, fishing machines embraced the information and wanted to be involved in any habitat restoration plans they could assist with. Matt and Joey began to discuss ideas for the upcoming FishBack Tourney that cold and overcast day as the kids enjoyed the time spent together, outdoors.

The NAFT is open to kids in junior high through high school, ages 11-18. The coach Sean Hall, has a special gift. Gaining the trust and respect of these kids, he loves the outdoors and teaching them about what is important for their future, and the environment. More habitat articles at fishiding.com

Sean brings in DNR officers, Biologists and other related professionals to talk to the kids about boating safety, fish health and species identification to name just a few. “Fishing is only a small part of what these kids take out of being part of the team.”

Although Sean is amazing in how he keeps the kids attention, he certainly can’t do it alone. Jeannie Parks Wilson and Bobbi Boatwright round out the staff to keep this team growing. Getting involved in more events and spreading the message surrounding the multi-faceted benefits of youth fishing teams is their core goal.

After speaking with local DNR officers, it was determined that the lake needed additional habitat, more than any other feasible efforts like stocking, which was another idea and potential option. The lake levels had been extremely low in the recent past which takes a significant toll on fish spawning and recruitment. Additional habitat that fish can utilize to feed, hunt and hide within creates not only big bass, but forage species as well.

This less known concept in habitat improvement is growing Nationwide and moving to installation of inert, artificial materials, that last underwater for decades or longer. In the past, brush piles, Christmas trees and the like have been the norm. Although these materials hold fish and work very well. Their life underwater is short lived due to decomposition, also robbing dissolved oxygen from the water column. Inert materials like boulders, rock and plastics never break down and provide a surface for life to form immediately after submersing.

With over 50% of the Nation’s waters in an impaired state, biologists and esteemed professionals from all the State and Federal agencies are looking for ways to improve water quality before it gets any worse. Aeration, Floating Treatment Wetlands, living shorelines and artificial habitat, are just a few of the tools we are learning have multiple benefits.

These products when placed in the water, attract and convert excessive nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen into fish food called periphyton. That fuzz that grows on surfaces underwater….”mothers milk” of the underwater world. All fish graze exclusively on this highest known source of food for their first year of life. Unlike aquatic vegetation, these products never die off and continue to process nutrients all year around in a process called biomimicry. This same technology is currently being used in fields like wastewater treatment, fish farming, aquaculture and hatchery settings worldwide.

The Potash Corporation, founded in 1989 is one of the world’s largest producer of Potash, Phosphate and Nitrogen, responsible for 20% of the global capacity through their Canada operations. PotashCorp has built the world’s largest fertilizer enterprise by capacity on world-class potash resources and high-quality phosphate and nitrogen assets. These primary nutrients that crops need, as well as livestock feeds and industrial goods, are an essential part of our everyday lives.

PotashCorp  brought in support from all over for this unique twist on bass fishing. The Clark Hill Committee and Columbia County worked tirelessly for weeks with Joey and his team to make this event the huge success that it was.

Fairway Ford provided registration and support as well as trucks for display on tournament days, as well as prizes for the raffle.

Dixie Riverside A&A Vending services also contributed not only by donating all the food and drinks, but has been an ongoing supporter of the North Augusta Fishing Team.

Fireplaces and More were on hand cooking fresh pulled pork sandwiches, dogs and the like for the two day event, keeping the masses fed.

Zoom baits, another NAFT supporter and integral part of this years FishBack tournament, were on hand with samples of some new baits for all involved and a major part of the planning to make this years event possible. Chris Baxter, Zoom sales manager and FLW pro, has a special connection to this event. After his wife was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer, he wanted to do more to raise awareness for other women and possibly save a life with early detection. Baxter reached out to Doug Barron with the GOCA.

More on Chris and his partnership with GOCA in a story recently written in Wired2Fish.com.

Doug and his right hand man Chase Powell, were around all weekend to answer questions and provide literature and support regarding ovarian cancer. Passionate outdoors men, these two guys have a soft and dedicated commitment to help women and their families diagnosed with this unfortunate disease.

From black tie events and prestigious supporters, fishing tournaments with shorts and sandals, the message on how to early detect this type of cancer is one of their main goals. Lots of travel and long days are the norm for these two stewards of ovarian cancer support and education.

Kicks 99 radio also was on hand with music and games, proudly showing their support for the kids and the Georgia cancer Alliance.

GreenfishTackle and The Tackle Shop had strong support for their products both on and off the water. Owner Jon Hair not only spent countless hours planning with the team but also got out and caught some fine fish as a contestant in the event.

Seatow was there for all on the water support as well as donating prizes to the raffles.

Loads of bass made their way to the weigh in, almost 8.5 pounds and 7.5 pounds  won the big bass checks for $1000.00 on Saturday and Sunday respectively. The NAFT kids ran to the lake for release of each boats catch like revolving fish doctors, spending needed time to revive tired fish. Two, five fish limits were added together for the total weight of the event, which a number of the top finishers were over 30+ pounds in aggregate!

A unique and welcome surprise for a couple traveling from the Chicagoland area. My wife Renee’ and I were welcomed into this family of fish loving folks, dedicated to helping others less fortunate and bettering others lives. A touching prayer and our National anthem started the event Saturday morning in the dark. Hundreds of eager contestants stood silent with respect, heads bowed and hats off.  Southern hospitality is alive and well in the Augusta area. Take note America, this is how it’s done!

Photos by: Michael E. Johnson Photography 706-832-6762

additional links/stories: ODU, facebook Wired2Fish, potashcorp/facebook

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/06/04/oklahoma-wildlife-officials-hope-fish-like-tornado-debris/#ixzz2W0JRnrJw

Hooked for life – by Bruce Kania

Fish Fry Lake may be the best fishing hole in Montana…at least for kids!  The lake is only 6.5 acres, but the water’s invitingly clear and it is extremely easy to catch yellow perch, crappie and bluegills.  Even some Yellowstone Cutthroat trout happen here…which may be their easternmost extension.  Fish grow fast in this lake at Floating Island International’s headquarters 25 miles from Billings, Montana.  Fish Fry Lake is a test site for BioHaven® floating islands as well as other embodiments of BioHaven technology.Last year over forty kids (and a couple adults) caught their very first fish on the lake.  For most of these fisher people it was as simple as attaching a piece of nightcrawler onto a small jig head, then flipping the baited hook into the crystal clear water and watching their line for some indication of a bite.  Typically the line will twitch when a fish picks up the offering, and then it’s a straightforward process.  Lift the rod tip and reel in a scrappy panfish.  Some kids start off with a cane pole, just like I did way back when.  Today there’s even lighter fiberglass extension poles and it’s pretty easy for little guys, and gals, to swing the offering over open water, wait a moment, then pull up a seriously exciting fish!The pond is also home to painted turtles, leopard frogs, bullfrogs, tadpoles, blue herons, mallards, wood ducks, teal, spoonbill, widgeon, yellow and red headed blackbirds, woodpeckers, garter snakes, the occasional bull snake, crawfish, salamanders, Canada geese, osprey and even the occasional Bald Eagle, all of which tend to be of great interest to kids.  As I was growing up there was a similar wetland within walking distance…and kid tracks along the shoreline evidenced fascination with critters and plants, and pretty much everything wild.  Episodes with poison ivy notwithstanding, kids and water and fields and wildlife, they used to go together as naturally as water flows downhill.  Today though, computers seem to have taken over some of that space, some of the territory that used to be reserved for kids and nature to get to know each other. 

We are not against computers!  The advances associated with the huge strides in information transfer technology that we’ve experienced in the last twenty years are life changing, and mostly positive.  But wouldn’t it be ideal if we could retain some connection with nature?  And certainly not just on a computer screen, but in person and up close!  Catching a fish, splashing after a leopard frog, or sneaking up on a big old gander goose is the stuff of childhood, and I don’t think it’s a good thing to miss out on.

I remember a troupe of kids passing by with fishing rods in hand one day last summer, when one of the boys, lagging behind, complained about the sun being “too hot!”  A young gal in the group suggested he “man up”, at which point the young lad was pretty much forced by the amazing power of peer pressure to deal with conditions.  Not sure if those kind of life lessons happen frequently in front of a computer screen.

And kids don’t catch fish automatically.  Not even on Fish Fry.  They must learn the process, think it through, and then connect the dots.  Along the way, with a bit of patience, they are rewarded.  This is good stuff for kids.

There was a young gal that could not handle touching a worm.  When it came to touching a fish, that was at least as bad as the idea of touching a worm.  An hour later she was independently doing both.  Real life lessons, and a new connection with where food comes from.  More good stuff!

Today the majority of fresh water lakes in the U.S. are so nutrient rich that they are at risk of running out of dissolved oxygen, without which fish die.  Fish Fry Lake has turned this condition on its head.  We have learned how to cycle those same nutrients into fish, instead of algae.  Catch rate on Fish Fry is a fish every two minutes on average.  The 6.5 acre lake yielded 5,168 fish last year, which translates to 210 pounds of fish per acre.  And along the way the water in Fish Fry was kept within Cutthroat Trout temperature requirements.  A nearby public lake, with conventional management, yielded about ten pounds of fish per acre.  And those fish were stocked, while Fish Fry’s are wild and naturally reproductive.  In late summer, the bottom half of the public lake is devoid of breathable oxygen.  Trout that were stocked in that lake in the spring have a choice…they can cook in the warm water on top, or suffocate in the stratified cooler water below.  The same conditions repeat themselves in thousands of U.S. waterways every summer.  But it doesn’t have to stay this way.

What if we focussed on our public waterways, especially in cities and villages?  What if we took that water and cycled the nutrients that are already there, into fish?  This is a very real prospect.  We do have the science, and we have the tools.  Dive into our website and keep this vision in mind…of kids catching fish hand over fist.  This is a new vision of abundance, and it’s within reach.  We can concentrate nature’s wetland effect and the result is an upward spiral that leads to both clean water and huge abundance of healthy, vibrant and edible fish.

Following are a few Thank You notes by kids who’ve fished here on Fish Fry:

Dear Ms. Anne and Mr. Bruce.

Thank you for letting us go to Floating Islands.  It was a lot of fun. I loved catching fish.  It was fun.  I like your dogs.  I think the picnic was fun, too.  I think I learned a lot about fishing.  You made my day.  Thank you for everything.

Thank you for letting us fish and play with the dogs.  I caught four fish.  It was awesome!  The floating islands are really cool and I hope to come back again.

I liked….. fishing, seeing the fish.  Thank U.

Thank you for letting us fish for different kinds of fish.  I enjoyed fishing.  I also caught a ton of fish within the small amount of time I spent fishing.  I also enjoyed walking on the floating islands.  I really enjoyed throwing frisbees for the three cute dogs….. I thoroughly enjoyed going to Floating Islands and I hope to come again.  Thank you very much.

– See more at: http://www.floatingislandinternational.com/2013/05/hooked-for-life/#sthash.iT9q5opN.dpuf

Lake on the Brink:

The unexpected consequences of fighting Eurasian Watermilfoil

By Eric Engbretson

In 2012, Greg Matzke, a fisheries biologist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, made a startling discovery on Florence County’s Lake Ellwood. During a comprehensive fish survey which included spring, summer and fall netting and electrofishing surveys, Matzke discovered that all of the lake’s largemouth bass were older than 5 years of age, with approximately 91% of the largemouth bass population being at least seven years old.  The absence of younger fish indicated a recruitment failure for a number of years.  Such failures in largemouth bass recruitment over multiple years are unprecedented in the state of Wisconsin.

“The current largemouth bass population is in serious trouble,” Matzke reported. “It appears that natural reproduction of largemouth bass has not occurred since 2007. As these older/larger fish move through the population, a significant reduction in largemouth bass abundance will take place, with the potential for the complete loss of this species of fish unless the current situation changes.”

Matzke next began looking at the lake’s panfish population.  What he found was stunning. Overall, the lake’s panfish abundance had fallen an estimated 75% in just the last 10 years, with bluegill and rock bass abundance down an estimated 65% and 89% respectively, showing that these populations also appear to be collapsing. Intense sampling throughout 2012 found only a single black crappie under six years of age, showing another alarming recruitment failure in several consecutive years. When Matzke analyzed the ages of Lake Ellwood’s northern pike population, the results were even more disappointing: There were no pike under the age of eight!

Matzke stared at the data he had collected. His department had never seen a mystery like the absolute and complete recruitment failures of native northern pike, black crappie, and largemouth bass (along with significant reductions in recruitment of other panfish populations). He shared his findings with other fisheries professionals across the state and they all said the same thing.  They had never seen a collapse like this in their careers. Matzke and his team scrambled to collect more data and tried to find a cause that could have brought the fish to the brink of extirpation in Lake Ellwood. Surveys from 2002 had shown normal abundance, size structure, growth, and recruitment in all of these species. What had happened in the last ten years that was preventing fish from successfully reproducing?

The only thriving species of game fish in the lake were smallmouth bass. Their abundance and size structure had grown in the last decade and recruitment was high.  This suggested that the problem was targeting specific species of fish. Because Lake Ellwood’s smallmouth bass were doing so well while the other species were collapsing, the focus turned to the lake’s historically sparse but important aquatic plant community. All the species showing recruitment failures are highly dependent on aquatic vegetation for spawning as well as cover and food for their young. Matzke observed that smallmouth bass seem to be different. “The fact that this species was not affected by the reduction in plant life,” he said, “is not a major surprise since as a species smallmouth bass are less dependent on aquatic vegetation.”

The Smoking Gun

Eurasian Water Milfoil was discovered in Lake Ellwood in 2002. Herbicide treatments began in 2003 and increased every year. By 2007 recruitment of northern pike, largemouth bass and black crappie had come to an end. “When I started to analyze the data it was strikingly obvious to me that there are some problems associated with the herbicide”, said Matzke. When he graphed the fish abundance (by year class) over the last decade and overlaid it with a graph showing yearly herbicide treatments, he found what he believed was a critical connection.  Fish numbers fell as the amount of herbicide increased.  Interestingly, in the year following a relatively low application of herbicide, young bluegill (and black crappie to a much smaller degree) began to appear again, but their numbers are still very low and they will likely disappear before they reach age 2.

Year class strength, indexed using age estimation to determine number of individuals of each year class captured during a 2012 comprehensive survey, for northern pike, black crappie, largemouth bass and bluegill plotted against the number of pounds of 2,4-D (not acid equivalent) used to treat aquatic plants in Lake Ellwood, Florence County, 2003-2012.

“We still wonder which stage of reproduction has failed in these species”, says Matzke. “Aquatic vegetation plays a major role in spawning site selection and in the survival of eggs and fry. Plants are also the source of primary production providing food and habitat for young fish and prey items, including invertebrates and minnows. It seems likely that one or all of these important phases of reproduction are dwindling in Lake Ellwood.”

On April 17, 2013 Matzke met with the Lake Ellwood Association to reveal his data and conclusions. He told the group, “The main cause for failed northern pike, largemouth bass and black crappie recruitment (along with the massive reduction in panfish abundance) appears to be the loss of aquatic vegetation.” The 2-4-D herbicide used on Eurasian watermilfoil had been successful in reducing the abundance of this invasive species significantly. Conversely, other native plants were also harmed by years of chemical treatment. Matzke said he has no reason to believe the chemicals have directly caused a failure in reproduction of any species of fish in Lake Ellwood. However, Matzke does believe that the chemicals have indirectly caused recruitment failure by eliminating too many of the aquatic plants young fish need in order to survive.  Matzke has called for a change in the way the Lake Ellwood Association has been managing the lakes aquatic plants.  He recommended that further chemical treatments for milfoil be stopped.

“First and foremost,” says Matzke, “we need to promote and strengthen aquatic vegetation in Lake Ellwood.” He stresses the role of aquatic vegetation in spawning and concludes that the loss of vegetation (including the invasive milfoil) has almost certainly wiped out a great deal of forage for young fish.

It seems that milfoil treatments controlled the invasive plant but also jeopardized the health of the lakes fishery. Today the lake contains a dwindling and rapidly aging population of largemouth bass, black crappie, northern pike, and bluegill. Matzke hopes the plants will come back in time for the remaining old fish to produce at least one year class before they die. If that doesn’t happen, many fish populations will likely be extirpated from Lake Ellwood. New fish can be stocked, of course, but the lake would lose the unique genetic lineage of the fish that have lived there for thousands of years.

The Future

Could chemical herbicide treatments for Eurasian watermilfoil be reducing fish recruitment in other lakes? None of the other lakes that have been receiving chemical treatments have had their fish populations surveyed this intensely. Large scale recruitment problems due to loss of important plant cover could be taking place throughout the region where the invasive plant is now being fought. There is no way to know if this is happening, and frankly, up until now, there has been no reason to find out.  Fisheries experts around the state are only now learning of Matzke’s findings on Lake Ellwood. In the future, they will likely start paying more attention to fish recruitment on lakes treated for Eurasian watermilfoil which would allow the Department of Natural Resources to determine whether this crisis is an isolated instance or a more widespread problem.

In the meantime, it’s a race against time for Lake Ellwood’s native fish. The question remains: Will the plants come back in time to save these fish populations?

David Beasley, head Fisheries Biologist for Solitude Lake Management talks about the need for fish habitat for a balanced aquatic environment. Fishiding.com and Solitude Lake Management have been working closely together to help clients up and down the East coast improve water quality and fish habitat. Beasley has been a strong leader in helping lake and pond owners understand the multiple benefits of adding and improving fish habitat in their waters. Dozens of unique habitat models at fishiding.com

Together, working with numerous Federal and State agencies , private lake owners, lake management associations and DNR Biologists, habitat restoration and improvement is near the top of everyone’s list.

Artificial fish habitat made from PVC, never decay and only improve with time. Un-like wood, plants and natural products that decay over time and remove dissolved oxygen from the water, bio film and periphyton growth adhere to PVC, creating nature’s finest available food for fry development. This magical film excels in nutrient uptake, converting over abundant phosphorus, nitrogen and other nutrients from the water brought in from run-off  fertilizer, and plant decay. This inert substrate allows algae growth all year long, providing this important “mother’s milk” of small fish development.

Check out all the products available on-line at fishiding.com or Solitude Lake Management and see why the Industry Leader’s are leading with fishiding artificial Fish habitat Products.

By Mark Reinsel

ES&E Magaqzine’s May/June 2012 issue

An enhanced floating treatment wetland (FTW) that incorporates air diffuser technology is under evaluation in an ongoing study at Floating Island International in Montana. The latest-generation system lifts and circulates water through floating streambeds within the FTW. This combination of FTW and improved water circulation/aeration is part of a product range called BioHaven®. The primary objective of the study is to determine whether biofilm-based microbes can provide nutrient removal, while increasing fish productivity.

This system, which is a new type of
constructed wetland, has been evaluated
for treatment of agricultural effluent and
municipal wastewater. Cost-effective treatment options for end users with limited
funding will be its greatest benefit. It can
provide treatment of agricultural-impacted
waters, municipal wastewater, storm water
and polishing of tertiary waste water, along with lake restoration.

Fisheries managers will be especially interested in the productivity potential afforded by a biological system, which can reduce algae and grow more (and bigger) fish. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover at fishiding.com, the leader in proven science based, fish protection.

Wetland areas have been reduced worldwide, while nutrient loading has increased
with growing human populations. Mass-production agriculture, as practiced in many developed nations, can contribute to hyper-eutrophication in water bodies that were previously low in nutrient concentrations. In fresh water, partly as a result of normal seasonal stratification, nutrient loading can deplete oxygen levels within the livable temperature zone for fish species.

Over the last 11 years, Floating Island
International (FII) has developed the Bio-
Haven FTW technology, which mimics
the ability of natural peat-based wetlands
to purify water. The Leviathan™ extrapolates
this technology by maximizing surface area and circulation, which are key components of wetland effectiveness. The islands are also designed to provide
optimal perennial plant habitat.

System background:
Dissolved oxygen and temperature measurements taken on Fish Fry Lake,
FII’s 6.5-acre research lake in 2008/2009 indicated that stratified water near the
surface was too warm to sustain a trout fishery. While temperatures below the
stratified warm water layer were sufficiently cool for trout, that zone contained
low dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. During late summer, no strata of water could
consistently provide the cold-water, high- DO environment demanded by fish, such
as rainbow, brown and Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
Groundwater containing variable nutrient concentrations enters the lake at an estimated average rate of 18 m3/hr. Surface water also flows into the lake with variable nutrient concentrations and flow rates. Evaporative loss and outflow are balanced to maintain the lake level, which is approximately 9 m deep.

As the lake was filled several years
ago, a series of BioHaven floating islands
covering 5,200 square feet (480 m2) of
lake area and providing over 9.3 ha of saturated surface area was installed. Several
islands were positioned next to the inflow
to maximize exposure to the highest nutrient concentrations.

These islands were designed to maximize production of biofilm (organisms attached to underwater surfaces), and to move nutrients into and through the food web.
After addition of the last 232-m2 FTW, floating islands now cover approximately 715 m2, or 2.7% of the lake’s surface area. Active treatment system with floating streambed Leviathan is an enhanced form of constructed wetland, and is FII’s latest effort to move excess nutrients into the food chain or harvest them. It integrates high volume, low-pressure circulation with matrix surface area constructed of postconsumer (recycled) polymer fibers, for maximum wetland performance.

Air-driven directional diffusers circulate up to 2,300 m3/hr, pushing it through the Bio-
Haven matrix and plant roots. The system’s floating streambed contributes to aeration and nutrient uptake.

The FPZ-brand air diffusers require 3 hp (2.2 kW) to operate, typically with 230V
single-phase power. Leviathan is designed to provide the  complete “wetland effect,” including aerobic, anaerobic and anoxic microbial nutrient conversion. This allows it to treat large, nutrient-rich stratified bodies of water, including “dead zones,” in both freshwater and marine settings. Removal of ammonia, nitrate, phosphate and soluble organic carbon has been demonstrated.

The system can move nutrients from
any depth into and through the islands’
biologically active substrate. In the
process, these nutrients are digested by
beneficial microbes and form periphyton
(attached plant and animal organisms
embedded in a polysaccharide matrix,
similar to biofilm), which is the base of
the freshwater food chain. As these excess nutrients transition into the food chain via biofilm/periphyton, both water quality and fish growth rates can be dramatically improved.
Leviathan can de-stratify water bodies, resulting in greatly expanded habitable zones for targeted fish species. As part of this process, high DO levels can be achieved and maintained, and water temperatures homogenized.

Results:
A 232-m2 Leviathan system, incorporating floating streambeds and grid-powered water circulation, was installed in the lake in April 2009. This system circulated up to 770 m3/hr through the stream channels within the island. Each cubic meter of Leviathan’s matrix, averaging 0.64 m in thickness, provided 820 square meters of surface area.

After 17 months of operation, water clarity had improved from a low of 0.36 m of visibility to as much as 3.3 m. Clarity is now at 5.8 m. Simultaneously, the
water temperature gradient was reduced, creating a larger zone of “livable” water for fish. Two age classes of Yellowstone cutthroat trout were introduced 13 and 14 months into the test. Through the summer of 2010, a favorable temperature/dissolved oxygen strata, ranging from the water surface down to a depth of at least 3.7 m, was maintained as potential cutthroat trout habitat.

One-year-old and two-year-old black crappie were also introduced two months
into the test, and naturally-occurring northern yellow perch were present in the
lake when it was filled. All three species have flourished.

The new aeration scheme in the lake improves water quality by incorporating
dissolved phosphorus and nitrogen into the aquatic food web, in the form of periphyton,
while limiting the growth of deleterious algae. Total phosphate concentrations
are reduced from about 0.04 mg/L to 0.02 mg/L, while nitrate-nitrogen
concentrations decrease from about 0.6 mg/L to 0.01 mg/L.
Fish Fry Lake is relatively unique in that it supports fish accustomed to cold
water (Yellowstone cutthroat trout), temperate water (perch) and warm water
(crappie). Montana officials have made two unsuccessful attempts at sustaining
cutthroat populations in an adjacent stretch of the Yellowstone River.
Fish catch rates and growth rates are now being monitored at the lake. Initial
data show that experienced fishermen catch an average of one perch every two
minutes. Visual observations from diving and an underwater viewing station indicate
that perch approaching or exceeding the Montana state record of 1.0 kg now
inhabit the lake.
The perch harvest at Fish Fry Lake averaged 12 kg of fish per week from May-
November 2011. With a phosphorus content of 0.9% in perch, phosphorus removal
from the lake via fishing averaged 0.10 kg/wk, or 84% of the estimated
phosphorus input to the lake.
In summary, Fish Fry Lake was poised to become another eutrophic waterway, until a new form of applied stewardship was introduced, which reversed the process.

Mark Reinsel is with Apex Engineering.
E-mail: mark@apexengineering.us