Lake monitoring training

The following was distributed on the UW Oshkosh announcement email list. If you are interested in participating in this important project, please contact Dr. Michael Lizotte, Director of the UW Oshkosh Aquatic Studies Center. I also encourage you to check out a 2004 report on the water quality of the Lake Winnebago Pool.

Dear UW Oshkosh community,

I would appreciate your help recruiting volunteers for monitoring water clarity on the Winnebago Pool lakes (DETAILS BELOW).

This project is a partnership between UW Oshkosh, UW Fond du Lac, UW Extension, WI Dept. of Natural Resources, and the Winnebago Lakes Council.

I will be offering a training session for lake monitoring on Tuesday August 1st, 6-8pm, at the UW Oshkosh Aquatic Research Laboratory (see invitation below). We are recruiting volunteer boaters to make simple measurements of water clarity on Lakes Winnebago, Butte des Morts, Winneconne and Poygan. The methods are simple, we give you the equipment, and we help you find a site on the lakes that needs monitoring and is a place you like to boat. GPS is needed for most sites on these large lakes.

I appreciate knowing how many people will attend the training, but anytime before the training day is fine.

Thanks,

Mike Lizotte

LAKES WINNEBAGO, POYGAN, WINNECONNE, & BUTTE DES MORTS

JOIN THE WINNEBAGO POOL SELF-HELP LAKE MONITORING NETWORK

VOLUNTEER TRAINING SESSION: Tuesday, August 1, 2006, 6:00-8:00pm, UW Oshkosh Aquatic Research Laboratory (Pearl Ave., behind Kolf Sports Center)

Training session will cover:

• lake monitoring by volunteers - why we need citizen help for the Winnebago Pool Lakes
• why we use water clarity to keep track of sediment and algae in our lakes
• how to make water clarity measurements and submit data for us all to use
• future possibilities, beyond water clarity

WHAT WILL I GET? Training, manuals, 2004 Winnebago Pool report, and your own instrument for water clarity measurements - the Secchi Disk.

WHAT WOULD I DO? Adopt a lake station in your neighborhood or favorite fishing spot. Small boats are fine for near shore, but larger boats with GPS are needed to work far offshore. Measurements take only a few minutes, and are most useful if collected every 1-2 weeks during the boating season.

WHO WOULD USE THE DATA? Citizens, educators, and the local, county and state officials interested in the health of our lakes.

HOW DO I JOIN? Please register for a training session listed above, or let us know you or a group are interested in future training opportunities by contacting Mike Lizotte:

by Email: winnebagopool@yahoo.com
by Telephone: 920-424-0848
by Mail: Michael Lizotte, Dept. of Biology, UW Oshkosh, 800 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh WI 54901

Dr. Michael P. Lizotte
Dept. of Biology
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
800 Algoma Blvd.
Oshkosh, WI 54901
tel: 920-424-0848

-Bryan