Dense beds of Eurasian watermilfoil carpet the surface of Hancock Lake, a few miles east of Tomahawk, W.I., where undergraduate researchers Linden Taylor and Brigid Doyle have come to take samples of the invasive aquatic plant. The plant’s rapid spread has fascinated biologists and frustrated homeowners, who have seen it out-compete native plants, change freshwater …
In case you’ve somehow missed the news, let’s just say that it’s been wet in Wisconsin over the last week. Really, really wet. Here in Madison we’re still holding our breath, filling up sandbags and hoping no new major rain event pushes water-levels even higher. Already, our lakes have hit near-record water levels, causing floods …
Night was falling quickly over Big Muskellunge Lake. The pink glow of sunset was fading to grey, and a damp wind that cut through my thin raincoat had kicked up over the water. On our boat, Miriam Burgos pointed low at the horizon. “Do you see it?” she gasped. I followed her finger toward the …
It’s been more than 24 hours since a severe weather system stalled out over Dane County and dumped anywhere from 3.92 (Dane County Airport), to 11.63 (National Weather Service in Middleton) to an unconfirmed 15.33 inches of rain in Cross Plains. Initially, all of that water couldn’t get off the land fast enough, causing extreme …
by Sydney Widell – At the start of every fishing season, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources embarks on the arduous task of setting catch limits on the state’s popular game fish like walleye. In order to estimate how many fish anglers may safely remove from a lake while still keeping the population healthy, the …
by Sydney Widell — Howe Lake is hard to get to. It lies at the end of a narrow, rutted-out dirt road, ten miles from the nearest town. And it’s not just physical distance that makes it so challenging to visit. Howe Lake sits in the Huron Mountain Club, a gated retreat and old growth …
By Ryan Smazal, Wisconsin Historical Society; and Sara Fox, University of Wisconsin-Extension As many might know, the Great Lakes house about a fifth of the freshwater supply for the entire world. A less commonly known fact is that the Great Lakes contain more than 700 shipwrecks. Among those shipwrecks live over 3,500 plant and animal …
While we were knee-deep in stories about algae problems in Wisconsin’s lakes this summer, a serious outbreak of blooms has been unfolding in Florida where a massive “red tide” is swirling in the waters off both its Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Here in Wisconsin, our potentially toxic bluegreen blooms are caused by cyanobacteria like Microcystis aeruginosa, anabeana and …
This is Part 3 of a 3-Part series on an ambitious summer research project exploring how trees manage their water supplies and respond to drought. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. by Sydney Widell – When Brian Schlaff and I park our car on Birch Tree Lane, a quiet road that …
This is Part 2 of a 3-Part series on an ambitious summer research project exploring how trees manage their water supplies and respond to drought. Part 1 is here and Part 3 is coming soon! by Sydney Widell – “The thought of this breakfast is what’s kept me going,” said Brian Schlaff, when we arrive …