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Healthy Lakes & Rivers

Presented By:

[Insert Name]

[Insert Date] | [Insert Event Name]

Improve Habitat & Water Quality

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Agenda

4

Applying for Funding

3

Technical Resources

5 Best Practices for Water Quality

2

1

Intro to Healthy Lakes & Rivers

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Acknowledgements

Representatives from:

Extension Lakes
County Land & Water
Wisconsin Lakes
WI DNR

Healthy Lakes & Rivers Team

Amy Kowalski, Extension Lakes

Tracy Arnold, Portage County

Tyler Betry, Sheboygan County

Pat Brown, Barron County

Emily Moore, Burnett County

Patrick Anderson, DNR

Lauren Haydon, DNR

Brenda Nordin, DNR

Scott VanEgeren, DNR

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RESULTS

Let’s make Healthy Lakes & Rivers together!

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BACKGROUND

Woodford and Meyer 2003

What has Happened to People?

Amato et al. 2012

Percentage of County Parcels Affected by Shoreland Zoning

October 2016

UW – Extension 2016

BACKGROUND

> 15,000 lakes in Wisconsin, and the majority of property parcels are on shoreland areas in some counties. So, waterfront property owners have a huge stake in our lake and river health.
Two primary threats to our lakes are water quality declines and habitat loss. Image on top right shows decreasing green frog populations with increasing development. This decline is the same across various fish and wildlife populations and the habitat they depend on. The silver lining of the Woodford and Meyer study and other similar studies, is it was not the development itself that caused wildlife declines, but rather people’s behaviors and actions – mowing lawns down to the water’s edge, removing fallen trees and aquatic vegetation, not stopping runoff – that caused the declines.
That begs the question, why are people doing this? We also know more about what makes people tick. For example, in social science there is something called reactance theory. That is when you tell people they are doing something wrong, they may do the opposite of what you tell them and even try to undermine your efforts.
All these things put together – a water rich landscape, declining fish and wildlife habitat and populations, and people’s resistance to information they perceive as limiting personal freedoms, had us at DNR asking ourselves for years, what can we do to encourage better shoreland conditions? Healthy Lakes integrates natural science and social science – taking relatively small steps to do projects that improve habitat and reduce runoff and celebrating the results. Local champions are the key to its success.

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Buffalo Lake, Marquette County

To protect and improve the health of Wisconsin lakes and rivers by increasing shoreland property owner participation in habitat restoration and runoff and erosion control projects.

Healthy Lakes & Rivers Goal

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Fish Sticks
Native Plantings
Diversion Practice

4. Rock Infiltration

5. Rain Garden

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Lake Nebagamon, Douglas County

Best Practice: Fish Sticks

Nearly all fish species use woody habitats for at least a portion of their life cycle.

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Buffalo Lake, Marquette County

Best Practice: 350 Sq Ft Native Shoreline Plantings

Improve wildlife habitat, enhances natural beauty and privacy, slows runoff, and stabilizes the shoreline.

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Best Practice: Diversions & Rain Gardens

Diversion - Used to convey runoff away from the lake or river

Rain Garden - A shallow depressed garden located in the upland zone that captures and infiltrates runoff

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Best Practice: Rain Gardens

Photo Credit: Chetek Lakes Protection Association (Barron County)

Rain gardens can also be designed for sloped properties (<10%) with the use of a berm

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Best Practice: Rock Infiltration

An excavated pit or trench filled with rock that reduces runoff by storing it underground to infiltrate.

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Technical Assistance

Fact Sheets

Practice Overview
Funding & Admin FAQ

Technical Guidance

Installation Details
Project Specifications

Statewide Plan

Implementation Focus

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More Healthy Lakes & Rivers Resources

“Score My Shore” Shoreland Evaluation Tool�survey.healthylakeswi.com
Free publications to order and distribute
Lakes & Rivers Partnership Network

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Healthy Lakes & Rivers Grants

Eligible sponsor applies on behalf of landowners (multiple best practices)

$1000 per Best Practice
$25,000 grant award max
75/25 state/sponsor match

2-year* grant agreement and 10-year individual landowner contract with maintenance requirements
NEW: Applications accepted year-round (limit 1 per year)

Photo: 2016 Governor’s Fishing Opener on Minong Flowage

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Website includes:

Application
FAQ
Factsheet
Tutorials
Example Documents
& MORE!

www. HealthyLakesWI.com

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Partner organizations & local champions have helped install…

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Thank You!

Questions? Please reach out to:

Healthy Lakes & Rivers Program

General Inquiries: HealthyLakesWI@gmail.com
Grants: dnrsurfacewatergrants@wisconsin.gov

Regional Contacts

Visit dnr.wisconsin.gov/aid/SurfaceWater.html to find your regional Lake or Stream Biologist