Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Partnership

Might be just the weekend to check out one of the amazing fishing spots in Northern Wisconsin. Thanks to all of our Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources researchers for all the work you do to help protect our waters (and the flora and fauna in and around them).

While the idea of no way in or out sounds like a premise for a horror movie, the fish of Nebish Lake are just fine with that arrangement. The 93-acre lake, part of the DNR’s Northern Highland Fishery Research Area (NHFRA), is classified as a seepage lake, which means it has no inlets or outlets, and is replenished only by precipitation.

Nebish Lake has notably clear water, with visibility typical down to depths of 5.5 meters (18 feet) or more. It’s a popular spot for anglers eager to reel in smallmouth bass, but many folks fishing its waters might not know that Nebish has long served as a proving ground for statewide fisheries management.

For example, NHFRA staff have tested different smallmouth bass length and bag limits at Nebish to understand their effects on the population before potentially implementing the regulations at other Wisconsin lakes. Nebish has also been the study site for dozens of research projects on inland lake rehabilitation, trout introduction and other topics.

You can fish Nebish year-round with a valid Wisconsin fishing license and free NHFRA fishing permit, obtained when you check in at the research station on nearby Escanaba Lake. Learn more about angling opportunities at Nebish and the other NHFRA lakes by visiting our Fish the NHFRA webpage: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/research/FishTheNHFRA

Another great team is hiring at UWSP. This position at Center for Land Use Education works to help Wisconsinites make good choices on the land that can result in better protection of our water.

We are hiring a Land Use Outreach Specialist. This position will work with the Center for Land Use Education to develop and deliver outreach programs on comprehensive planning and implementation tools for Wisconsin communities.

Apply by October 14 at bit.ly/UWSPLandUseSpecialist

🪲 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹: 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗯 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗹𝗲 (Where did September go?) 🪲
From Wisconsin’s lakeshores to riverbanks, the Earth Boring Scarab Beetle plays a fascinating role in our aquatic ecosystems. By burying organic matter, these beetles prevent waste from washing into streams and wetlands. Their soil tunnels improve water absorption, reducing runoff and erosion. Healthy beetle populations signal balanced ecosystems where water and soil cycles work together. They belong to the family Geotrupidae, literally meaning “earth diggers.”
💧Clean water starts with all of us.💧

Meet the students from UWSP College of Natural Resources helping Extension Lakes this school year!

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗙. 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿. This past summer, Grace worked with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) as a Fresh Coast Intern. She installed residential-scale green infrastructure, such as rain barrels and rain gardens, for residents within the City of Milwaukee and nearby suburbs. The Fresh Coast program aims to reduce the amount of stormwater entering the combined sewer system by capturing rain where it initially falls. In this role, Grace learned about urban stormwater management and the steps that cities like Milwaukee are taking towards improved flood resiliency. She shares, “It was inspiring to observe the participation from many Milwaukee community members and how MMSD welcomed their engagement and collaboration – all in an effort to help protect Lake Michigan.”

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗚. 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. From June to August, Grace worked at the Green Bay Wildlife Sanctuary as one of their summer education staff. Her experience ranged from working with kids’ camps, writing lesson material, working outreach events, going to workshops, and doing ambassador animal programs. Grace learned so much about classroom management, interacting with the public, and of course working with our furry and feathered ambassadors. Her favorite memory from the summer was traveling to Peninsula and Whitefish Dunes State Park for ambassador programs. Grace recounted, “Working this past summer has been transformative for me and my experience as an environmental educator. I am so grateful and cannot wait to do it all again next summer.”

𝗔𝘃𝗮 𝗥. 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿. Over the summer, Ava was a Clean Boats, Clean Waters watercraft inspector in Vilas County. She traveled to boat ramps throughout the county and beyond, performing watercraft inspections and educating boaters about aquatic invasive species (AIS). She enjoyed getting the opportunity to speak with boaters about their personal experiences with AIS and connect with members from different lake organizations throughout the county. Ava said, "I had a great time exploring the different lakes of northern Wisconsin and learned a lot about preventing the spread of AIS!"

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is seeking a Director and Outreach Program Specialist to guide the Extension Lakes team.

Extension Lakes is currently comprised of five team members and has statewide responsibilities to develop, design, and deliver multi-program, lake-related education. Program planning and delivery is coordinated within the UWSP College of Natural Resources in coordination with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.

This is an opportunity to lead a respected statewide program while making a meaningful difference for Wisconsin’s lakes and the people and communities who depend on them. For more details, see link in the comments.

Last week, Lake Leaders Crew 16 met for the second time at Kemp Natural Resources Station on the shores of beautiful Tomahawk Lake. We spent our time enhancing our knowledge of aquatic ecosystems, lake ecology, and human impacts to lakes. The session included six on-the-water stations designed to illustrate elements of lake management and aquatic ecology. Thank you to the 17+ presenters and support staff for helping to make the session a success!

Check out this great resource from Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) to help you understand Ojibwe Treaty rights in our water-rich region.

A Guide to Understanding Ojibwe Treaty Rights | Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission Price $3.00 First Copy FreePrice: $3.00 Quantity Free Digital Download Digital Download Terms & Conditions Please read and agree to the following terms before downloading: The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission asserts property rights in and to this information. Use of these data is at....

We are seeking various presentations for the 2027 Lakes and Rivers Convention, taking place April 14-16 in Stevens Point.

Concurrent Sessions - There will be 5 rooms with sessions occurring simultaneously. Presentations can be as short as 20 minutes in length (15 minutes of content; 5 minutes Q&A) or up to 60 minutes (55 minutes of content; 5 minutes of Q&A). Please plan to include 5 minutes for Q&A at the end of your presentation time.
Deadline to submit a Concurrent Session proposal is October 1, 2026.

Pre/Post Convention Workshops - Half-day workshops (2-3 hours) will be on Wednesday morning, Wednesday afternoon, and Friday afternoon. Full-day workshops (6 hours) are also possible on Wednesday. Workshops are more interactive and/or hands-on and are meant to engage participants in in-depth conversations, problem solving, planning, and exploring.
Deadline to submit a Workshop proposal is October 1, 2026.

Lightning Talks - These quick, 5-minute (or less) presentations are meant to introduce a topic/share a success/show new research, with the goal of exposing attendees to multiple topics in a short amount of time. There will not be time for Q&A after lightning talks; however, we encourage Lightning Talk presenters to also present a Poster, which is where further conversations can take place. In addition, there are many networking time slots built into the agenda.
Submit a Lightning Talk proposal by March 1, 2027. Note: Lightning Talk proposals will be reviewed and accepted on an ongoing basis until the deadline or until we reach capacity. Submit your proposal early to ensure inclusion in the program.

Posters - Posters will be on display throughout the Convention. Poster presenters are required to be with their poster during the Poster Session on Thursday from 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Submit a Poster proposal by April 1, 2027. Note: Poster proposals will be reviewed and accepted on an ongoing basis until the deadline or until we reach capacity. Submit your proposal early to ensure inclusion in the program.

Proposal forms can be found at https://wisconsinwaterweek.org/

💧🌿💙 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁? 💙🌿💧
Students from the UWSP College of Natural Resources had a chance to practice identifying aquatic and wetland plants this past Saturday as they explored nearby aquatic habitats with Extension Lakes CLMN Educator Paul Skawinski. This is part of the Aquatic Plant Taxonomy class that Paul teaches for the Fisheries and Water Resources discipline.

📸 Paul Skawinski