September 25, 2014 Water Monitoring Report

Fall is in the air.  Water was 64 degrees F.  Water clarity is close to normal for this time of year.  As the season winds down I'll have updates on this years projects.  Enjoy the nice weather forecast for the next several days.

Bulrushes planted in 2013 are thriving at the Eastern Dredge Bank

Wild Rice on the Dead River/Lake Puckaway

September 11, 2014 Water Monitoring Report

My body wasn't quite ready for the chilly weather of just under 50 degrees when I started out this morning.  Water was still relatively warm at 65 degrees Fahrenheit.  Although it is still late summer, fall is in the air.  Some of the leaves are turning yellow and many of the aquatic plants are starting to uproot.  

 

August 25, 2014 Water Monitoring Report

Today's water quality monitoring followed early morning thunderstorms that downed a few trees and branches.  The temperature was forecast to be in the low 90's, but temperatures were only in the low 80's, with a water temperature of 77 degrees  This summer continues to be mild.

August 8, 2014 Water Monitoring Report

Water clarity is relatively good for this time of year.  Even with calm weather last week algae blooms were not too bad for August.  The same could not be said for algae on Lake Poygan which had large clumps of algae floating on the surface in many places.

Water clarity on the Fox River in the Puckaway area improved upstream as usual for summer.  This year we are monitoring water quality on Buffalo Lake as well.  Unfortunately our monitoring sites are on bridges and we can't use Secchi disks from high vantage points, so we will only be able to use other parameters like Chlorophyll a and total phosphorous concentrations to make comparisons.  Still it will be very interesting to see the results when they come back from the lab.

July 23, 2014 Water Monitoring Report

The regular summer pattern continues with decreasing water clarity as water moves from inlet to outlet.  Surface water temperatures are approaching 80 degrees, and daytime dissolved oxygen levels are supersaturated.

July 13, 2014 Water Monitoring Report

We just can't seem to catch much of a break in terms of wind.  This seems to be one of the windiest Julys I can remember.  If the spray from the boat is going to hit me in the face, at least it is 73 degrees.  The wind and waves are sure keeping the bottom churned up too, but at the same time it keeps the algae from reproducing so much.

June 26, 2014 Water Monitoring Report

Water clarity (secchi depth) is moderately good on the lake, and excellent on the Grand River where the disk was clearly visible on the bottom in 4.7 feet of water.  Water levels remain abnormally high, for this time of year with the nearby marshes holding standing water.  Although the water is high for this time of year on the long-term average, but it is has been like this for the last several years, minus a record drought in 2012.

Fourth of July is coming up, have a fun and safe time on the lake.