Chetek Lakes Diagnostic and

Feasibility StudyBarr Engineering Company

August 2, 2009 Annual Meeting

Overview

• Lake Water Quality Basics

•Why Study?

• Study Details

•CLPA Volunteers Needed

How Does Phosphorus Affect

WQ?Increase in Phosphorus

Increase in Algae

Lake gets Greener

Secchi Disc readingDecreases

Phosphorus Sources

•Watershed

•Sediment

•Rainfall

•Groundwater

How Do Sediments Add Phosphorus to

Lakes?Really low oxygen at bottom

Phosphorus released from sediments

Phosphorus mixed throughout lakefrom

Boats Wind

Fall Temperature Change

Watershed Phosphorus Loading

Rain

Runoff

Phosphorus to Lake

Why Study?

•Secchi Disc readings Decreased Since 1996 – Why?

•Lake Sediment Study Needed

•Lake on 303d list of impaired waters

Study Details•Phase 1

•Habitat Study

•Monitoring

•Phase 2

•Internal Load Study

•Modeling

•Management Plan

Phase 1

DNR Habitat Maps•Aquatic Plant

Sensitive Areas

•Coarse Rock Rubble Habitat Areas for Walleyes

•Coarse woody debris habitat

•Shoreline buffers/restoration areas

Sediment Monitoring - Barr

•Mud - 7 cores

•Prairie – 18 cores

•Pokegama – 7 cores

•Chetek – 8 cores

•Ten Mile – 6 cores

•Total of 46 cores

Sediment Monitoring - Barr

•Discover exactly how much phosphorus is in the lake sediments by measuring it

Tributary Monitoring - USGS

•Flow – 2 years

•Phosphorus – 1 year

Lake Monitoring

•7 Times Per Year – USGS

•Volunteers – Weekly – June-Sept.

•Chetek – 2 years

•Other Lakes – 1 year

Other Monitoring - USGS

•Recording Stage Gage

•Recording Precipitation Gages

•10 Groundwater Piezometers

Phase 2

Phase 2 – Internal Phosphorus Load

Study

•Phosphorus release rates – low oxygen or high pH

•Boat propellor resuspension

Modeling Components

•How much Water enters the lake?

•How much Phosphorus enters the lake?

•Where does the Phosphorus come from?

•How much can Water Quality improve?

Management Plan

•Set Goals

•Watershed Management

•Internal Load Management

•Habitat Management

•Committee & Public Meetings

•CLPA Approval, WDNR Approval

What comes next?

•Projects from the management plan

•Projects that improve water quality

Schedule

•Phase 1 - 2010 to 2013

•Phase 2 - 2011 to 2013

Study Cost

•About $290,000 for Phase 1

•Estimate Similar Cost for Phase 2

•About $580,000 for Study

•About $116,000 per lake

Funding Sources

•Two DNR Lake Protection Grants of $200,000 Each

•USGS Funds 35% of USGS Project

•CLPA $10,000 for Each Phase

CLPA Cost

•About $10,000 for Phase 1

•About $10,000 for Phase 2

Volunteers Needed

•Lake Sampling

•Stream Sampling

•Sediment Sampling

Support

•Contact CLPA President John Plaza

•Support?

•Feedback?

Next Steps•Meet With

DNR

•Apply for Lake Protection Grant Funds

•Find Volunteers