The goal of the Lake Management Planning project is to develop a regional framework for cooperation to restore and protect the health of the Winnebago Lakes. This includes facilitating communication among stakeholders (such as residents and lake users) and multiple agencies to advance regional efforts that address topics such as: water quality, habitat, recreation, and aquatic invasive species among others. This monthly article provides a summary of project progress as we work to complete the lake management plan (LMP) and move toward implementation of management and project recommendations.
If you have any questions or would like to provide input on the project, please contact Korin Doering, Winnebago Waterways Program Coordinator, at (920) 851-0948 or korin@fwwa.org.
Technical Team Progress:
Water Level Management
The first Winnebago Water Level Assessment Team (WWLAT) meeting was held on July 30th, 2019 in Oshkosh. The group drafted ground rules, goals, and a list of tasks for 2019. The group also identified stakeholder interests that are not currently represented on the team. We will be actively looking to fill those empty seats over the next couple of months. Top priority is to recruit people who can represent the boating community and shoreline property owners in the four lakes, downstream of the Menasha Dam and in the Upper Fox and Wolf Rivers. If you or someone you know would be interested in representing shoreline property owners and/or the boating community in discussions about water level management in Lake Winnebago, please contact Korin Doering at (920) 851-0948 or korin@fwwa.org.
Information about water levels, water quality, habitat, and more can be found here: CLICK HERE
Water Quality Tech Team
We continue to draft the water quality report for the Lake Management Plan. Our goal is to have a draft ready for initial review by the end of August.
Shoreline Practices Tech Team
The shoreline erosion inventory draft report has been completed. We are now drafting the Shoreline Practices portion of the lake management plan.
Recreation Tech Team
The results from the recreations surveys that were completed late 2018 and early 2019 have been summarized in draft reports (one for boating, another for paddling). The drafts will be sent to the Tech Team for review. Those reports will be used to inform the recreation report and recommendations as part of the lake management plan.
Click the image to view flyer
Click the image to view flyer
Aquatic Invasive Species Tech Team
Our AIS Coordinator, Chris Acy, is wrapping up the final draft of the AIS Strategic Plan. The AIS Focus Group meeting is scheduled for August 7th, 2019 at 5:30pm. If you are interested in participating, please contact Chris Acy. Space is limited. chris@fwwa.org.
Aquatic Plant Management
The Aquatic Plant Management Focus Group meeting was held in June. The report from that meeting is currently in draft form. The final version of the APM draft strategy is being developed with the goal of having it completed by the middle of July.
Watershed Management
We began writing individual HUC12 watershed reports for each of the 32 HUC12s in the project area as part of the Nine Key Element plans that will be included in the lake management plan. The Watershed Management Tech Team met in June to prepare for the modeling workshop that will be held later this year.
Community Engagement
Drafting the Community Engagement report has been put on hold for the time being as we work to progress other management topics.
Habitat
We completed our review of the 1989 Winnebago Comprehensive Management Plan with help from retired DNR staff. This will help inform the habitat report and development of recommendations for the lake plan. We will begin drafting the habitat section of the LMP in the beginning of August.
Project Outreach and Engagement
Our online presence through our project webpages, e-newsletter, and social media continues to grow. We are up to 589 Facebook followers!
Are you interested in having us present to your group about lake management planning efforts in the Winnebago System? Contact us at korin@fwwa.org.
We invite you to follow us on Facebook or Twitter! Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter HERE.
Winnebago Waterways Steering Committee
For updates about the Winnebago Waterways Steering Committee including meeting agendas and notes, CLICK HERE.
Winnebago Waterways Executive Committee
The last Winnebago Waterways Executive Committee meeting was held on January 11th, 2019 at 1:30pm in the Fond du Lac City/County Government Center. Contact Korin Doering at korin@fwwa.org or (920) 851-0948 for additional details. The next Executive Committee meeting is scheduled for August 5th, 2019 at 3:00pm in the Fond du Lac City/County Government Center. The meeting is open to the public.
Questions? Contact Korin Doering, Winnebago Waterways Program Coordinator, at (920) 851-0948 or korin@fwwa.org.
Winnebago Waterways is a Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance program. The Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization that identifies and advocates effective policies and actions that protect, restore, and sustain water resources in the Fox-Wolf River Basin.
Follow the Fox Wolf Watershed Alliance’s Winnebago Waterways Program on our Facebook pageor @WinnWaterways on Twitter! You can also sign-up for email updates at WinnebagoWaterways.org.
