News & Reports
ACTION ALERT: DNR to Hold Aquatic Plant Management Rules Revision Roadshows
Agency provides four opportunities for public comment on changes to NR 107 and NR 109, the administrative rules covering aquatic plant management.
The Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources is pursuing revisions and changes to the administrative rules governing aquatic plant management in the state. This is similar to an effort to update the rules a few years ago. That effort ended when, in the midst of attempts to address concerns on the part of various stakeholders, the deadline passed for the rule changes to be enacted.
The first draft of the rule has not been released, but the agency is spending the first part of 2025 collecting feedback from stakeholders, impacted businesses, and the general public. Having already presented on the rules to industry groups and to attendees of the 2025 Wisconsin Lakes & Rivers Convention, the APM rulemaking staff is going on the road, with an APM Rulemaking Roadshow, starting today In Oshkosh.
Public input will follow a brief presentation on the rules changes by DNR staff. These events are in person and no virtual option will be available.
For more information, check out the Aquatic Plant Management Rules page from WDNR and scroll down to find info on the public meetings and other ways to comment.
Roadshow dates and times:
June 4, 4 p.m. – UW Extension – Oshkosh, 625 E. County Rd Y, Ste 600, Oshkosh
June 5, 4 p.m. – Oconomowoc Public Library – Lyke Meeting Room, 200 W. South St., Oconomowoc
June 10, 4 p.m. – Hayward High School Auditorium, 10320 N. Greenwood Ln, Hayward
June 11, 4 p.m. – Nicolet College – Northwoods Center Conference Space, 5350 College Dr., Rhinelander
How to participate:
- Public input will follow a brief presentation on the rules changes by DNR staff.
- These events are in person and no virtual option will be available.
- For more information, check out the Aquatic Plant Management Rules page from WDNR and scroll down to find info on the public meetings and other ways to comment.
Iron County, WI – June 2, 2025 – The presence of the spiny waterflea (Bythotrephes longimanus), a regulated NR40 species, has been verified in Sandy Beach Lake, located in the American Legion State Forest in Iron County, Wisconsin.
Initial evidence of the spiny waterflea was documented in the summer of 2023 by Zach Wilson, former Conservation Specialist with the Iron County Land & Water Conservation Department (LWCD). Wilson captured photographic evidence during routine lake monitoring efforts, which prompted further investigation.
In 2024, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR) staff members Dara Filmore and Matt Boehlke were asked to conduct follow-up monitoring. Zooplankton tows were collected from the lake and sent to the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene. A quantitative analysis of the sample was performed by the lab. This allowed for confirmation of the presence of a single spiny waterflea, indicating that the current population density remains extremely low.
Spiny waterfleas are an aquatic invasive species known for their negative impacts on the aquatic food web. They reduce the abundance of native zooplankton available, which in turn reduces food availability for juvenile fish and other aquatic organisms. Zach Lawson, DNR Fisheries Biologist for Iron and Ashland counties, says that this is especially concerning for walleye and yellow perch in larval and juvenile stages, which are dependent on zooplankton for survival. Reduced food availability for these species can reduce growth rates and potentially impact overwinter survival rates.
At present, there is no effective strategy for controlling spiny waterflea; therefore, prevention and early detection remain the most critical approaches to prevent further spread. Here is what YOU can do to help stop the spread of spiny waterflea:
- Inspect and remove all aquatic plants and animals from boats, trailers, and gear. Never move live fish, plants, or water from one waterbody to another. Wipe all fishing lines clean.
- Drain water from live wells, bilges, and motors before leaving any waterbody.
- Rinse watercraft, trailers, and equipment with hot water when possible.
- Dry your boat, trailer, bait buckets, and other equipment thoroughly for at least 5 days or wipe down with a towel before moving to a new water body.
The Iron Co LWCD will continue to work with WI DNR to monitor throughout Iron County and evaluate strategies as necessary.
For more information about aquatic invasive species and what you can do to help, please visit https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Invasives/fact/SpinyWaterFlea.
Contact: Rayona Suelflow
Iron County Land & Water Conservation Department
Phone: 715-561-2234, ext. 1
Email: rsuelflow@ironcountywi.org
Website: ironcountylwcd.com
Northwoods Six-County Lakes and Rivers Meeting to highlight benefits and risks of herbicides for AIS control
RHINELANDER, WI — Eurasian watermilfoil and other nuisance vegetation is spreading in northern lakes. Are herbicide treatments an answer? Or are they too risky?
A panel of experts will explore that topic at the annual Northwoods Six-County Lakes and Rivers Meeting on Friday, July 11, Nicolet College in Rhinelander.
“Herbicides are commonly used to control invasive species as well as native species that can grow to nuisance proportions,” said Ted Rulseh, president of the Oneida County Lakes and Rivers Association (OCLRA), a co-sponsor of the meeting. “Our panelists will spell out the pros and cons and also describe alternatives to chemical treatment.” The panelists are:
- Eddie Heath, senior aquatic ecologist at the Onterra lake management consulting firm
- Michelle Nault, lakes and reservoir ecologist with the Wisconsin DNR
- Representatives from the Eagle River Chain of Lakes Association and the Lac du Flambeau Tribe
The panelists will offer their perspectives and take questions from the audience.
The theme of this year’s meeting is, Quakes to Our Lakes: What’s Shakin’? Speakers will look in depth at the biggest threats facing our waters, from invasive species and climate impacts to the enhanced wakes created by wakesurf boats.
The morning will kick off with a legislative update on policy developments at the state level that affect lakes and natural resources generally. Featured presentations include:
- Gina LaLiberte, harmful algal bloom coordinator with the DNR, will be presenting on the growing issue of cyanobacteria (toxic blue-green algae) in our waters.
- John Richter, president of the Plum Lake Association and board member of the Last Wilderness Alliance, will be presenting on wake boats and their effects on shorelines, lake health, and more.
- Michele Sadauskas, Oneida County conservationist, and Beckie Gaskill, Lumberjack Resource Conservation and Development Council communications director, will be presenting on grant opportunities for lake associations and communities striving to protect their waters.
The doors open at 8 a.m. for coffee, camaraderie, and networking. Free registration is now open at https://SixCountyMeeting.eventbrite.com.
The meeting sponsors are OCLRA and the Vilas County Lakes and Rivers Association (VCLRA). Attendees are expected from Oneida, Vilas, Forest, Iron, Langlade and Lincoln Counties, but all are welcome.
Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM; Myriophyllum spicatum) was detected in the Turtle Flambeau Flowage in the summer of 2023. During 2024, staff from the Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation (Burke Center) at Northland College and the North Lakeland Discovery Center conducted point intercept aquatic plant surveys to document the extent of EWM presence within portions of the flowage and to provide updated data on the flowage’s overall aquatic plant community. Additionally, the Burke Center monitored flowage water levels at four locations to assess how water level fluctuations vary across the flowage in relation to fluctuations measured at the Turtle Dam.