Lake Decorah Restoration Initiative Will Take Place Over Coming Weeks & Months
The Lake Decorah area will see several restoration initiatives take off over the coming weeks and months. The City of Mauston and a group of local volunteers have started work on small-scale projects that aim to reduce nutrient loading and sedimentation in Lake Decorah and the Lemonweir River. Excess nutrients are finding their way into the lake and river via multiple routes, causing excessive aquatic plant growths which negatively affect water quality, aquatic like and recreational opportunities. The City plan is to utilize a portion of the funds raised at the first annual Lake Decorah Restoration Ice Fishing Tournament to conduct water quality test at several locations around the lake and improve the habitat immediately surrounding tow City-owned retention ponds.
Prairie grasses and forbs will be plated in suitable areas at both the Attewell and JC-AIRS retention ponds. The vegetation buffer is expected to reduce use by Canada geese, provide some pollinator habitat, and reduce maintenance costs. Additionally, aeration systems will be incorporated in the sedimentation ponds to increase oxygen levels and provide improved fishing opportunities. Students from the Mauston School District will test the pond waters for abiotic characteristics such as phosphorous and dissolved oxygen (D.O.) levels. Tech Ed classes will also build blue bird houses for the two sites.
In addition to these habitat restoration efforts, volunteers from Outdoors Forever, Muskies Matter, and the Mauston School District are venturing out in the mosquitoes to conduct monthly water quality and habitat assessments at four established sites in and around Lake Decorah. The data collected will help us better understand the health of our waters and provide valuable information to those who make land and water management decisions. Representatives from other municipalities along the Lemonweir River met in Tomah on June 19 to discuss these and other water quality initiatives taking place throughout the watershed and learn how we can all work together to improve and protect the health of our water resources.
A special thank you goes out to local farmers Riley and Voss for the land preparation.
Source: WRJC.com
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