Field Notes: October, 13 2013

Today was a beautiful, but windy day on the lake.  There were a number of ducks, on the lake, wood ducks on the dredge bank, ruddy ducks in open water, and a pair of bluebills in Bluebill Bay, go figure.  This year's bulrush plantings are doing very well, and the 2012 surviving plantings a doing good.  The large marsh on the east end of the lake, by Old Ditch Road was ablaze with the high winds.  

2013 Bulrush Planting

Marsh fire, east end of Lake Puckaway

View from Hwy 73

October 8, 2013 Water Monitoring Report

Fall is in the air, and ducks and geese are on the lake.  Water temperature flirted with 60 F, but it just wouldn't get up there while I was on the lake.  Unfortunately I ran out of time to run up river for a Secchi (water clarity) reading.

September 24, 2013 Water Monitoring Report

September 3, 2013 Water Monitoring Report

So far 2013 had good water clarity by Puckaway standards, unfortunately the heat wave at the end of August and early September caused a large algae bloom that put an end to that.

Field Notes: August 18, 2013

Freshly planted Hardstem Bulrush

One week ago the last of this year's emergent planting was completed, about 4,000 pots went in.  Most are doing well, but now Canada geese are grazing some to almost nothing.

Sand bars, and sandy beaches are exposed, and they are attracting shore birds like spotted, and upland sandpipers, and killdeer.  Sandhill cranes are congregating on the north shore of the East Basin, and many of the nearby marshes and fields.

This year seems like a good year for leopard frogs.  The shorelines with taller vegetation are thickly populated with these amphibians.  I've seen a few rare Blanding's turtles crossing the roads.  We've had very little rain and most likely the marshes where they live are drying up and forcing them to look for wet areas.  In other reptile news I've been coming across a number of northern water snakes.

Blanding's Turtle crossing the road.

While planting and checking out the native vegetation I've been noticing many schools of tiny bluegills hiding nearby, ready to dart for cover.  I can't say whether they had a good hatch or not this year, but they are very nice to see hundreds to thousands of them every day I'm out.  I wish I had time to fish for their parents...

August 18, 2013 Water Monitoring Report

Water clarity continues to be much better than the previous two years.  Hopefully this is a trend that will continue into next year.  Once again I was working on a Sunday when there was heavy boat traffic on the Fox River upstream of the lake.  This traffic above the slow-no-wake zone erodes the banks and kicks up the bottom greatly reducing viability.

Secchi disk was visible while sitting on the bottom of the lake at the inlet, so a true 

August 2, and July 15, 2013 Water Monitoring Report

Sorry for the delay.  Water clarity is still much better in the lake than last year although the water is greening up.  Dotted bars indicate the Secchi disk was visible sitting on the bottom, so a true reading is not available.

American Lotus Bed

Field Notes: Timber Breakwall and Fragile Habitat Signs

A new pilot project aims to find a new way to combine to a sediment trap with, fish habitat, and wetland protection functions.  This project, funded by a US Fish and Wildlife Service grant through Green Lake County, has constructed a 300 ft. breakwall by installing a two rows of cedar timbers and filling the space in between with old Christmas trees and other brush.  This breakwall will provide unique fish habitat on Lake Puckaway, but its primary purpose is protect the wetland on the leeward side by reducing wave energy, and the quieter water behind the wall should allow sediment to fall out of the water.  Plants should then have a better chance of taking root, and provide even more fish habitat. This pilot looks to be less expensive, and more natural alternative to rock.  I will add a map soon of its location.

Ted Johnson and Eric Evensen from WDNR lend a had installing Christmas trees.

Plant beds like the ones made of cane (common reed, or phragmites) or bulrushes provide excellent cover for fish, and prevent erosion by reducing wave energy.  The plants are frequently under stress from high water, and heavy waves, and sometime damage from boats so the lake district has installed "Fragile Habitat" signs at many of these beds.  These signs ask that anglers and boaters keep their boats out of the beds.  These beds are popular fishing spots and will remain so, but the must be treated with care by not entering with the boat, or dropping anchor in them.  This is important at all times of the year, but stems are particularly vulnerable early in the year before they can be seen above the water line, but even dead stems from the previous year help push oxygen to the roots through the winter, and as they begin to break dormancy in spring.  Running a snowmobile through a cane bed has been known to kill the plants below, and the snowmobile path can be visible in spring as empty trails through the beds.  So cast a lure into, but don't drive or drift into the cane, and bulrush beds.  Thank you.

July 8, 2013 Water Monitoring Reporort

Water nice and warm today, about 81 degrees at 3:00 pm.

July 1, 2013 Water Monitoring Report

Water quality seems to have slipped into its typical pattern which should continue through the rest of the open water season.  This pattern is a decrease in water quality as water comes down the Fox River and through the lake.  This pattern developed later than the previous two years, likely because the cool spring has slowed algae growth.  Now with water temperatures in the 70's and 80's the green stuff can grow rapidly.  Still the temperature is cooler than last year, so maybe we will be spared heavy blooms.  Although I don't publish the Grand River measurements on the blog, it again has the highest water clarity measured in the early summer season.  Today it was 4.3 feet, but the Secchi disk was still visible while sitting on the bottom.

Field Notes: June 28, 2013

New phragmites shoot and roots, 13 days after cutting and planting

I have been gone on vacation for little more than a week, and now that I am back, it is time to get busy with planting.  You may have noticed clumps of plants appearing here and there around the undeveloped parts of the lake.  These are likely phragmites plants, which make up the cane beds.  I have begun several experimental plantings by cutting stems from wetland plants and poking them into the lake bottom.  It may seem strange, and it may not work, but after 13 days the first cuttings are already sending out roots and shoots.  Whether or not these can produce a healthy enough root system to survive the winter remains to be seen, but even if mildly successful this could be an inexpensive tool to establish new beds or expand existing ones.  

Water is really too high to begin planting bulrush plants, but there is no guarantee the water will go down, so I’m slowly planting if hope that conditions will improve.  Our custom grown plants should have a fair chance at making it because they are between 3-4 feet tall.  Planting is never comfortable, but in deep water it is a real strain, and if a person is under 6 foot they need a snorkel with the current conditions. 

It appears that there will be no nesting on the rafts this year, but we have learned a lot from the experience, and plan on making some modifications to the rafts to make them more attractive to the birds.  The artificial island on Lake Butte des Morts had a record number of nest with eggs this year, so at least there should be more birds to attract in this part of the state.  

June 16, 2013 Water Monitoring Report

Happy Fathers' Day!

Many people were out enjoying the lake, with warm temperatures both in and out of the water (74 F).  Unfortunately heavy boat traffic was causing significant shore erosion above and below the the slow-no-wake area.  This, and Saturday's storms left the river turbid while the lake was fairly clear.

Field Notes: June 3, 2013

Daryl Christensen adding hay to
Forster's Tern nesting platforms

Wildlife

So far there are no Common Terns nesting on the rafts, but several adults, and non-breeding birds are still hanging around.  Daryl Christensen and I placed 20 small platforms for Forster's Terns, at Pancake Island among the River Bulrush that grows there, on Friday. The birds are either nesting or have staked their claim on them.  Daryl has been placing these platforms for many years.

Update: 19 of 20 platforms had nests

Forster's Tern Nest Platforms

Habitat

I began some experimental plantings of cuttings of common reed (canes).  If these are successful it will be a great way to establish and expand existing cane beds for very little cost.  

Underwater photo of wild rice in its
submerged growth phase.

So far it is looking like a good wild rice year up the Dead River.  Wild rice is a fragile annual grass, so sudden changes in water level could change that overnight.  

Last year's emergent plantings are struggling for light even though the water is somewhat clear in places.  Plants are coated with algae, sediment and other debris.  This can cause stress, and may end up killing some of the plants.  

Fish 

It is interesting to see massive schools of tiny fry, of several unknown species.  These are being preyed upon by Northern Pike, which just hatched in April, but are already 2-3 inches long.  I have seen several at our planting sites and take full credit for these fish.   :)

June 3, 2013 Water Monitoring Report

Today's average in-lake water clarity was 4.2 feet, and was courtesy of a massive zooplankton bloom.  It is massive in that zooplankton are very large, some large enough to see while standing in a boat, and massive in the number of individual tiny animals.  Large zooplankton are very efficient algae eating machines, and graze algae faster than it can reproduce. These zooplankton are feeding the walleye hatchery fish, not to mention yellow perch fry, and many others.  Soon the rapidly growing young fish will drive down the population of large zooplankton and algae will begin to dominate.

Water temperature was 67-70 degrees.

A Water Flea, or Daphnia, like this one from Lake Puckaway is a welcome sight.
Water Fleas eat large amounts of algae, and provide food for young fish.

Common Tern Nesting Raft: May 24, 2013 update.

Too many terns???

Lake Puckaway has been home to the endangered Forster's Tern for decades; now the District is attempting to get the endangered Common Tern to nest on the lake as well, by placing the nesting rafts made from old pontoons.  Apparently, the Forster's are a big fan of this beach property too.  On Friday, approximately 37 Forster's terns were busily preening or leisurely resting on railings or on the pea gravel inside Raft A (Western).  Three Common Terns were also there.  While I watched the raft, terns kept coming and going, leading me to believe Raft A is being visited by 60-100 of these endangered birds each day.  The raft itself could probably only hold the nests of 15 pairs, and that would be a dense nesting population.  No nests on the raft.  I was curious to see how disturbed the birds were after I had spent 15 minutes attaching new signs, so I counted how long it took for a tern to return:  29 seconds.

I also saw something I wasn't really expecting, and that was a flock of 16 Ruddy Turnstones, members of the sandpiper family, attempting to land inside the raft.  Some saw my ugly mug and floppy hat and flew off, but others landed and were the last birds to leave when I approached within twenty feet of the raft.  Ruddy Turnstones are only passing through on their way to their nesting grounds within the Arctic Circle.  While they are here they are neat to see, but unfortunately they will also eat tern eggs.  Fly on, Turnstones.

Raft B (Eastern), which is closer to boat traffic, has fewer birds on it, only 2-3 at a time, but maybe this will give the Common Terns some needed space to nest.  For those who like to fish the small cane bed nearby, casting into it from the channel side should not disturb the birds too much.  Thanks for giving them some space.

Common Tern Raft Update:  For 2014 tern rafts are both located behind "Bird Island" and raft B is now east of raft A .

Sorry for the up and down from the rocking boat.

New signs on nesting Raft B.  Each raft has two signs. 

Raft A, before new signs and loaded with Forster's, and a few Common Terns.
A flock of Ruddy Turnstones rocket into view on the right.  

May 24, 2013 Water Monitoring Report

Relatively heavy rains earlier in the week, coupled with bare ground on the farm fields probably brought in extra sediment down the river and into the lake.

The districts plantings from 2012 struggle to reach the light in turbid water.
These plants in the shallows, are now in the clear, so to speak.

Common Tern Nesting Rafts

The Lake Puckaway Protection and Rehabilitation District has placed two modified pontoon boats along the central dredge bank of Lake Puckaway.  The Common Tern is an endangered species in the state of Wisconsin because their natural nesting habitats--beaches and sand bars--have disappeared due to development and dam building.  The rafts placed on the lake simulate this habitat, while being less susceptible to fluctuating water levels and predators.  Lake Puckaway is already home to another endangered species of tern, the Forster’s Tern.  Forster’s Terns and Common Terns look very similar, but the Forster’s Tern typically nests on mats of vegetation.

Please only observe terns at a distance to avoid disturbing the birds.  If the rafts are visited too often, the birds may abandon the colony.  Keep at least 100 yards distance, and never enter the rafts.  Wildlife watchers can get a good look at these 4.5 ounce terns when they are resting on buoys, posts, rocks, or exposed sandbars.  They are fun to watch as they search and catch fish throughout the shallower regions of the lake.  When they spot a fish they hover and go into a dive, plunging and briefly disappearing into the water.  Males will often give their catch to their mate. 

Common Tern on nesting raft railing

 Rafts will be placed in early May and be removed after the breeding season in late summer.  Funding is provided by a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Lake Protection grant and the Lake Puckaway Protection and Rehabilitation District.  Check the Lake Puckaway blog for weekly updates during the breeding season.

UPDATE: 5/19/2013

Up to ten Common Terns, and two Forster's Terns have been seen using the raft simultaneously  and least for loafing purposes.  The western raft sees most of the use, and appears to have a nest on it with no eggs yet.  Common Tern nests are often just scrapes in the sand, but sometimes they add nearby sticks and grasses.  Rafts will soon get official looking signs.

Click for more photos

A Bit of Old News #2: Bridge Across Lake Puckaway?

Does anyone know anything about a bridge built across the lake in the ninetieth century?   My father-in-law said the old pilings were a good place to fish, but no one else is talking.

From The Appleton Crescent 1854:
"Bridge Across Lake Puckaway -- We learn from the Marquette Mercury that a good and substantial bridge is about to be constructed across Lake Puckaway.  The cost is estimated at from three to four thousand dollars. -- Madison Jour."

A War Department Document from 1866 mentions "the bridge at Marquette" in passing, so it was built, or partially built.

May 14, 2013 Water Monitoring Report

Water clarity seems a little lower than normal and that is not to be unexpected with three days of high winds over the weekend.

Water clarity as measured with a Secchi disk

April 20, 2013 Water Monitoring Report

Water quality monitoring is getting underway early this year, and during high water.  The Fox River at the Berlin has been above flood stage since April 12, but it looks like it may be slowly dropping today.  The day started out windy and rough, but the lake gradually improved.  Many kinds of ducks were bobbing up in down in the waves: buffelhead, common and hooded mergansers, mallards, and American  coots to name a few.  I also counted eight common loons, and four Forster's terns over the lake.

Flooded marsh at the mouth of Lake Puckaway (4/20/2013)

Ice Out?

It seems like the ice will never go out, considering last year was the second earliest ice out on record.  Everyday I look at the latest satellite photos to watch the painfully slow progress.  The photos are fuzzy and it's difficult to see much more than the difference between ice and open water.  However, I have this clear, old aerial photograph of ice going out to help visualize what the lake looks like today.  Technically it is just early ice breaking up, and struggling to form in November 1951, but it makes me happy anyway.

Ice on the East Basin of Lake Puckaway and Fox River November 1951

A Bit of Old News - Duckhunting #1

I've been running through old newspapers and thought I'd occasionally re-print some articles about Puckaway, or Apuckawa, or Puckawa as it is sometimes called.

"W. W. Haseltine, E. J. Pfiffner, and A.E. Morse went down to Puckawa lake the first of the week on a days hunt and succeeded in bagging 42 ducks.  At least that is what they all say, and duck hunters never prevaricate"

Steven's Point Daily Journal November 7, 1885

Panoramics

A few photos from 2012. Click to enlarge

West Shore Lotus Bed

Northwest Shore

Emergent Planting

Eurasian Water-milfoil