Lake Wee-Ma-Tuk Water Quality: Moving Forward

Goals: Fishing Sport fish are sight feeders Recreation/Swimming Aesthetics Home Values

Getting Started: Previous water quality data County Health Department Additional water quality information? Previous lake use and inputs?

For a given target area, we have: Inputs: Addition of energy, water, sediment, chemical substances, and organisms from the watershed Cattle manure, septic, lawn herbicides and pesticides, sediments, agriculture, other chemicals Many factors determine the movement of nutrients and sediments within most landscapes Vegetative cover throughout watershed (trees/plants at lake edge) Soil type Slope length/angle Frequency/intensity of rainfall Outputs: Export of material to downstream, to the sediment or to the atmosphere Internal Physical: Erosion, settling, lateral transport, thermal gradient, light penetration Internal Chemical: Oxygen and pH fluctuation, transformation of compounds Internal Biological: Contaminant uptake, growth, death, ecological interactions

Phosphorus: The most important nutrient in lakes Also the middle number on a fertilizer bag (should be 0) Note Scotts fertilizer has just announced that it will remove phosphorus from residential market fertilizers..lawns don’t need it and lake certainly don’t need it.

Too much phosphorus grows algae which leads to: potentially toxic blooms - rapid sedimentation - taste and odor problems - depletion of dissolved oxygen - fish kills - decline in property values Easier to keep it out initially, than take it out later! History of Lake Wee-Ma-Tuk may mean: Existing sediment from loadings in the past that may release nutrients over time

Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Example Nutrients=Algae=Plankton=Zooplankton=Bacteria=Low Dissolved Oxygen

2010 Phosphorus Experiment

Solutions: Soil stabilization and buffer strips Use of native prairie and wetland plants Rid yourselves of the non-natives and invasives that don’t help the situation Difference in root structures for soil stabilization and nutrient uptake Aesthetics! Home Values—we’re talking money here! (Maine found a 20% drop in property values if lakes bloomed) Recreational use and health Fishing Swimming Wildlife Goose deterrent

If you have major algae blooms and loading, you may need: Solutions: If you have major algae blooms and loading, you may need: Watershed actions (first) First- watershed reductions in loads related to development, land- use, fertilization, impervious surfaces. “Infiltrate rather than runoff” In-lake actions, if needed (once watershed is under control) (include dredging, aeration, circulation, biomanipulation) P inactivation through use of chemicals “Anti-fertilizer” treatment – coagulates and binds phosphorus and many other contaminants – changes internal processes Most often applies aluminum compounds to lakes with strong internal recycling

“Living Walls” www.pizzo.info

Savannah Planting

Lessons Learned: Have clearly stated goals (once you know the issues) Involve all essential parties (and maybe the non-essential ones too) as early as possible in the planning stage Homeowners Government (local and state, as needed) NRCS Illinois Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program Recognize the boundaries of the target area, but also consider the influences from outside that area Focus on what you can control first, then talk to others outside Think in terms of altering processes to reach desired ends, not just altering some feature at some instant in time Evaluate expected results in terms of conditions over a decade to a century – and consider adaptive management Assess costs based on long term enhancement or maintenance

Illinois Volunteer Lake Management Program (IVLMP) Educational program and cost-effective method of gathering information on lake health and management Funds from federal Clean Water Act and Conservation 2000 Program to achieve the following objectives: Increase citizen knowledge and awareness of the factors that affect lake quality so they can understand the lake/watershed/ecosystem and make informed decisions. Encourage development and implementation of sound lake protection and management plans. Provide historic data to help document water quality impacts and support lake management decision-making. Provide a guide for the implementation of lake protection/restoration and a framework for technical assistance for cooperative lake and watershed management projects. http://www.epa.state.il.us/water/conservation/vlmp/online-lake-database.html Greg Ratliff, State Coordinator: 217-782-3362

Illinois Volunteer Lake Management Program (IVLMP) Basic Monitoring (Year One) Secchi disk to determine water clarity Three site monitored, two times per month from May through October (1 ½ hours each event approximately) Field observations including: Water color Amount of vegetation Expanded Monitoring (must qualify for this through consistent data input) Monthly water samples Analyzed for: Ammonia Nitrates Total phosphorus Total suspended solids Volatile suspended solids Samples shipped to IEPA’s Champaign lab FREE OF CHARGE

Thank You!!! Environmental Consulting: Shae Birkey – AECOM Environment (217) 369-0314 slbirk@gmail.com Native Plant Nursery and Contractors: Pizzo and Associates www.pizzo.info (815) 495-2300