Green Lake is a highly valued recreation destination in southcentral Wisconsin and a significant driver of the local economy. At 236 feet (72 metres), it is the deepest natural inland lake in the state with both a warm-water and cold-water fishery that supports rich biodiversity.
The Green Lake Association, a nonprofit focused on safeguarding the future of Green Lake, retained our team to prepare a combined lake and watershed management plan to replace the outdated and separate lake and watershed plans. At 107 square miles (277 square kilometres), Green Lake’s large watershed contributes significant loads of phosphorus to the lake.
Additionally, much of the watershed is dominated by agricultural land use, which makes phosphorus load reductions from these sources challenging. In 2014, Green Lake was listed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as “impaired” due to low oxygen in the middle layer of the lake, exacerbated by high phosphorus loads.
Working with the Green Lake Association and with input from other key partners in the area, we are aiming to create one comprehensive plan that will holistically address issues in the lake, estuaries, and watershed. We will also develop management strategies and recommendations around these components. Additionally, we will organize the resulting plan to efficiently facilitate future plan updates and serve as a valuable resource for technical and government readers as well as the public.
When completed, the new combined watershed and lake management plan will guide water quality improvement strategies for Green Lake over the next 10 years.
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