June 19, 2012 Water Clarity and Field Report

Today's poor water clarity shows that algae is enjoying the bright sun, hot temperatures (water was 82 degrees by 2:00 pm) and nutrients provided them.  The Fox River upstream is once again significantly clearer than the lake.  A large number of Forster's terns are again nesting on the lake this year.  They had to wait for May's extreme high water levels to drop, and boy have they dropped!

Whitetail doe enjoys the shade and leaves of a weeping willow on the Fox River

June 4, 2012 Water Clarity and Field Report

Today was a beautiful calm day on the lake.  There were a few wisps of clouds in the sky, the air was 75 degrees and the water not close behind at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Water quality was a mixed bag.  Clarity was good on the lake, but fair on the river.  Clear water was partially attributed to a calm day on the lake, but clarity on the lake exceeded that of any reading form June 2, to October 6, 2011 by 1.5 feet! 

Aquatic plant beds continue to look good, and excellent compared to last year.  Water clarity in the west shore plant beds was superb.  I estimate it exceeded seven feet.  I could clearly make out all the patterns on a 32 inch northern pike gliding through the water three feet down.  There were also dozens of last year's bluegill hatch, and too many minnows to count.

Water Clarity: May 22, 2012 and field report

Water clarity continues to be good for Lake Pucakaway, and essentially the same at all sampling sites.  Water is still stained likely from passing through wetlands.  Water temperatures 18 inches bellow waters surface are running 70 degrees during midday.

In shallow areas protected by aquatic plants, or flooded grass are millions of tiny fish about a half inch long.  I'm assuming they are some sort of baitfish.  In the same area is their food, billions of water fleas (I'll have to dig out the microscope to positively identify them) feeding on algae and even smaller animals, they don't bite.  This is the base of the food chain that drives the sport fishery for the lake.

"Minnow" fry 3/8 of an inch long.  Dots in photo are zooplankton.
These tiny animals will eventually feed the walleye that feeds you.

Aquatic plants are fairing well considering the flood, likely bolstered by the March low water and heatwave, seasonal temperatures since then, fairly clear water, and reduction in the carp population.

Water Clarity: May 10, 2012

Despite heavy flooding one week prior, water clarity was good by Lake Puckaway standards due to the lack of algae this time of year.  The flooding slightly changed the consistent summer pattern of clarity improving east to west.

2012 Puckaway Flood

After a dry summer, winter and early spring, a deluge hit much of the area May 3rd, pouring water into the Fox River, its marshes, and Lake Puckaway.  Damage to property owners is easily apparent, but habitat loss can be harder to measure unless large portions of marsh are ripped out and float downstream.  At best, plants such as bulrushes and canes (Common Reed, Phragmites australis) are stressed, but they can also be killed by prolonged high water.  Buffalo fish and common carp are taking advantage of the flooded marshes for spawning.  If it is a good year for carp production, it could spell bad years for aquatic vegetation a few years down the road.

Be thankful for wetlands!  Lake Puckaway is blessed with thousands of acres of wetlands adjacent to and upstream of the lake.  As the lake and the Fox River overtake their banks, these wetlands absorb or filter and slowly release billions of gallons of water.  Without the wetlands, flooding would be much worse on Lake Puckaway and many miles downstream.  Suspended solids and nutrients will also be taken up by these wetlands, improving water quality downstream.  

Wetlands doing their job as an old break in the Fox River
dredge bank  provides relief for residents from Lake Puckaway
 to Lake Winnebago.  

Keeping track of the flood waters can be done at a few USGS sites that report real time flow, gauge, and temperatures for the Fox River below Lake Puckaway at Princeton and Berlin.  You can even sign up for water alert, in which the USGS will automatically email or text you water level information based on the parameters you set.  The Lake Puckaway Protection and Rehabilitation District also takes manual readings at staff gauges at the Princeton Dam, Lake Puckaway, and just upstream of the lake on the Fox River.  

To see more photos of the flood click below.

Carp Removal in the News

 WLUK Fox 11, Green Bay
http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/fox_cities/warm-weather-helps-family-working-to-rid-fox-river-of-carp

WFRV Channel 5 News, Green Bay
http://wearegreenbay.com/fulltext?nxd_id=105987

In the Oshkosh Northwestern Newspaper.
http://www.thenorthwestern.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012120113197

Carp Be-gone

Carp and other "rough fish" being taken from the holding
pen for transport to market.

Carp cause all sorts of trouble by uprooting aquatic plants.  The loss of plants means the loss of shelter and food for fish and wildlife.  It also means the loss of ecosystem functions plants provide by holding and filtering out sediments and nutrients.  Carp also stir up plenty of sediments in their search for food and spawning activities.  Carp certainly are not the only cause and perhaps not the major cause of the lakes troubles.  Most of the lakes sources of trouble come from the landscape, nutrients and sediment come off of farm fields, construction sites and peoples lawns.  Dealing with hundreds of these sites takes decades, and success ten miles upstream will benefit Lake Puckaway, but it is still hard to see.  What is easy to see are 250,000 pounds of carp and other "rough fish" leaving the lake in the back of a two eighteen-wheelers.    The fisherman project they will be able to take 400,000 lbs of fish from the lake this year.  Will it be enough to help restore Lake Puckaway and reduce turbidity?  Not likely in one year, but it is a good start.  

People who fish the lake are understandably concerned about the safety of game fish during these operations   Anytime someone catches a fish whether it be hook and line, or in a net they will stress fish, and some percentage will die.  The day I had came to take these pictures, the game fish had been released, but there were no signs on the shore of any trouble.  I did see one dead yellow bass in the holding pen.  The cold weather no doubt helps keep stress levels down for the fish.
Click below for more photos.