From Creek to River to Lake: Issues and Actions in the Oconomowoc River Watershed
Growing up in Lake-Country Wisconsin it was common to drive through town and pass a body of water, maybe even two. As a part of the Rock River Basin, the Oconomowoc River and its watershed has 5 main lakes and many streams. The life, resources and culture from life by the water make up a big part of the surrounding community. It is easy to see a connection of the aquatic resources in the area, even just walking the streets of downtown Oconomowoc and crossing the road and dam that separate the Fowler and Lac La Belle Lakes.
The Oconomowoc River watershed is just one of approximately ten watersheds in Waukesha county and one of many feeding into the Rock River and eventually the Mississippi. Compared to the scale of the Mississippi, the Oconomowoc River watershed is small but this does not exclude it from its own threats. At the top of the list of concerns is the increase in phosphorus levels and soil loss due to erosion and flooding.
Within the Oconomowoc River watershed, there are an identifiable three lakes classified as “impaired” by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) due to excessive phosphorus levels. Of the three Mason Creek and North Lake are closely monitored and scrutinized by regional planning commissions, the Oconomowoc Watershed Protection Program (OWPP) and the Wisconsin DNR. In recent collaborative 2018 and 2021 studies it was observed that the North Lake and the creeks feeding it initiate the uptick in soil erosion of the area as well as the surrounding agricultural areas providing an increase in the phosphorus of the connecting lakes of the watershed. The OWPP identifies contributors to the phosphorus levels as agricultural, stormwater and wastewater treatment. The increase in phosphorus levels leads to the increase of algal blooms similar to the blue-green algal blooms seen in Lake Mendota in Madison.
In order to combat these blooms and loss of soils in the northern part of the watershed, the OWPP is spearheading many community and municipal programs to protect the iconic lakes and streams of the area. In urban areas focus has been on increasing street sweeping activity to remove waste and sediment, the construction of stormwater ponds to collect storm and floodwater and allow sediment to collect at the pond bottom and allow clear water to then overflow into waterways or resupply groundwater.
The city is encouraged to install more permeable pavement which allows water to soak into the streets, roads, and sidewalks and a layer of soil that is designed to filter pollutants before the water soaks further into the ground. OWPP encourages homeowners to use less harmful gardening fertilizers and practices.
Agriculturally the OWPP and partners are working to educate farmers of the Mason Creek area to grow cover crops in the fall to provide root stability during off seasons.
And in order to reduce phosphorus from human waste the OWPP is working with the wastewater treatment facilities in the area.
Due to the high population and leisure use of the lakes of the Oconomowoc River Watershed most all of the lakes have been touched by invasive species including, Eurasian Water-Milfoil, Zebra Mussel, Rusty Crayfish, Curly-Leaf Pondweed, and Purple Loosestrife amongst others. With the increase in phosphorus in Oconomowoc area lakes, it makes sense that Zebra Mussels would enjoy the rich algae feeding ground of these lakes, but while they eat lots phytoplankton, they do not eat the Microcystis (Blue-Green Algae) because it is unpalatable to them, allowing for uncontrolled growth and large blooms.
Like Lake Mendota in Madison, it is a common occurrence to have beaches in my town shut down due to dangerous algal blooms. My hope is that similarly to the focus regional programs have on phosphorus and erosion in the Oconomowoc River Watershed, the control of invasives will continue to be monitored and someday solved.
Watersheds of Waukesha County. Waukesha County - comprehensive plan maps. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2022, from https://www.waukeshacounty.gov/globalassets/parks--land-use/planning-zoning/comprehensive-plan-maps-pdfs/watersheds-of-waukesha-county.pdf
Mason Creek Watershed Protection Plan. SEWRPC. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2022, from http://sewrpc.org/SEWRPCFiles/Publications/CAPR/capr-321-mason-creek-protection-plan.pdf
Upper Oconomowoc River Nutrient and Sediment Study. SWRPC - Recent publications. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2022, from https://www.sewrpc.org/SEWRPCFiles/Publications/mr/mr-258-upper-oconomowoc-river-nutrient-and-sediment-study.pdf
Lorditch, E. (2021, June 24). Are zebra mussels eating or helping toxic algae? MSUToday. Retrieved June 12, 2022, from https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2021/zebra-mussels-and-microcystis#:~:text=While%20invasive%20zebra%20mussels%20consume,that%20forms%20harmful%20floating%20blooms.
Due to the high population and leisure use of the lakes of the Oconomowoc River Watershed most all of the lakes have been touched by invasive species including, Eurasian Water-Milfoil, Zebra Mussel, Rusty Crayfish, Curly-Leaf Pondweed, and Purple Loosestrife amongst others. With the increase in phosphorus in Oconomowoc area lakes, it makes sense that Zebra Mussels would enjoy the rich algae feeding ground of these lakes, but while they eat lots phytoplankton, they do not eat the Microcystis (Blue-Green Algae) because it is unpalatable to them, allowing for uncontrolled growth and large blooms.
Like Lake Mendota in Madison, it is a common occurrence to have beaches in my town shut down due to dangerous algal blooms. My hope is that similarly to the focus regional programs have on phosphorus and erosion in the Oconomowoc River Watershed, the control of invasives will continue to be monitored and someday solved.
Watersheds of Waukesha County. Waukesha County - comprehensive plan maps. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2022, from https://www.waukeshacounty.gov/globalassets/parks--land-use/planning-zoning/comprehensive-plan-maps-pdfs/watersheds-of-waukesha-county.pdf
Mason Creek Watershed Protection Plan. SEWRPC. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2022, from http://sewrpc.org/SEWRPCFiles/Publications/CAPR/capr-321-mason-creek-protection-plan.pdf
Upper Oconomowoc River Nutrient and Sediment Study. SWRPC - Recent publications. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2022, from https://www.sewrpc.org/SEWRPCFiles/Publications/mr/mr-258-upper-oconomowoc-river-nutrient-and-sediment-study.pdf
Lorditch, E. (2021, June 24). Are zebra mussels eating or helping toxic algae? MSUToday. Retrieved June 12, 2022, from https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2021/zebra-mussels-and-microcystis#:~:text=While%20invasive%20zebra%20mussels%20consume,that%20forms%20harmful%20floating%20blooms.
Well written blog post! Your post reflected a lot of the lecture material, but also taught me some new information. You included a management strategy that I've never seen brought up - I've never thought of the positive ecological impact of street sweeping. I always thought of street sweeping as a purely aesthetic operation, but your article made me realize that it's removing pollutants. I wonder if street sweeping's ecological impact has been measured or estimated before.
ReplyDeleteHi! It sounds like Oconomowoc has a lot of the same problems Madison does with its lakes/rivers. I thought some of your examples on how to help lessen this problem were interesting. Like where you said there was certain types of pavement that better absorbs water accompanied by a layer of soil to filter out pollutants. That's something I've never heard of or considered. It makes me wonder if any of those approaches are used in Madison to solve the same problems.
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