Green Lake watershed - Completed research

Below are completed studies that were conducted within the Big Green Lake watershed since 1980. This is not a complete listing of all the research ever conducted, but we will continue to update this page with relevant studies as they become available. Click on any red text to view the definition.

Analyzing Phosphorus Trends in Green Lake (2011), The State of the Upper Fox Basin Report (2001), Lake and Watershed Protection Plan (1998), Updated Upland Soil and Barnyard Watershed Inventory (1998-1999), Big Green Lake Sediment Core Sampling (1999), The Lake Water Quality Model Study (1999), Big Green Lake Priority Watershed Project (1981-1997), PL-566 Project for Big Green Lake Watershed (1992)

Analyzing Phosphorus Trends in Green Lake (2011)

Water quality has been officially monitored and regulated since the implementation of the Clean Water Act of 1972. One major parameter used to determine water quality is phosphorus concentration. Phosphorus is a nutrient required by organisms to survive. However, too much phosphorus can cause organisms within the lake to become over active, which can decrease the quality of the water. Pollution from sources, such as wastewater, agricultural runoff, and residential fertilizers, can increase levels of phosphorus (and other nutrients) within the lake. Learn more about phosphorus trends. Read intern, Kylie Ainsley's full report, Regression analysis of phosphorus concentration in Big Green Lake.

Back to top

The State of the Upper Fox Basin Report (2001)

The Upper Fox River Basin Team and its partners developed a report which identified conditions, issues, and work priorities for the entire basin.  The report also identified specific issues for Big Green Lake and its tributaries. Learn more about the report's details or view Big Green Lake Watershed information on page 78 of the report.

Back to top

Lake and Watershed Protection Plan (1998)

In April 1998, the Green Lake Sanitary District submitted a Lake Protection Grant application to perform a Diagnostic and Feasibility Study (DFS) for Big Green Lake and its watershed.  Also known as Phase I of the project, the DFS’s project team consisted of representatives from Green Lake and Found du Lac County Land Conservation Departments, the Green Lake Sanitary District, the Green Lake Association, the WI DNR, Fox Wolf Basin, and the City of Ripon.  Phase II of the project consisted of the implementation plan designed in Phase I.  The objective for this project called for a 35% reduction in phosphorus and sediment loading from non-point sources to Green Lake over a 10 year period (1998-2008) and would be achieved mainly through conservation practices i.e. earthen and cultural best management practices. The work completed in Phase I allowed limited funding to be directed in an optimal process, prioritized by critical site ranking, toward the lake and its watershed.

The tools and information developed as part of Phase I included:

1. Updated Upland Soil and Barnyard Watershed Inventory (1998-1999)
   In an effort to better understand the origins and amount of nonpoint pollution in the Big Green Lake Watershed an updated inventory of the barnyards and upland soils was performed in 1998-1999. Studying these potential sources of nonpoint pollution was important because sediment, nutrients, pesticides, and bacteria are pollutants that can be carried from rural land into Big Green Lake. Additionally, this component’s objective was to provide a predictive tool that could be used to estimate the potential for phosphorus and TSS load reductions in the Big Green Lake Watershed by assessing the impact of alternative management scenarios on total phosphorus and TSS loads to Big Green Lake. View the complete report of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)
   and the Barnyard Inventory Report.
   

2. Big Green Lake Sediment Core Sampling (1999)
   Questions often arise concerning how a lake’s water quality has changed through time as a result of watershed disturbances. Questions often asked are if the condition of the lake has changed, when did this occur, what were the causes, and what were the historical condition of the lake?  Paleoecology, or core sampling, offers a way to address these issues. In 1999, sediment cores were extracted from 4 sites throughout Green Lake. Read the study conclusions and view sediment core sampling map. 

3. Lake Water Quality Model Study for Big Green Lake (1999)
   In 1998, the Green Lake District received a lake protection grant from the DNR to complete a diagnostic feasibility study. One component of the diagnostic study process was the development of a water and nutrient budget for the lake as well as a water quality model. The model will be used in the goal setting process to evaluate the impact of watershed pollutant load reduction on water quality improvement. Continue reading to learn more about the conclusions made from the results of the analysis or read the full lake water quality model study for Big Green Lake.

Back to top

Big Green Lake Priority Watershed project (1981-1997)

The Green Lake Watershed was one of four watersheds selected in Wisconsin for participation in the Wisconsin Nonpoint Source Pollution Abatement Program in 1980 in large part due to its value as a high water quality recreational resource.  The primary role of the project was to provide cost sharing and technical assistance for the control of nonpoint pollution via installation of best management practices (BMP’s) in an effort to reduce sediment and nutrient loading into Green Lake. Read more about the plans objectives, participation, and results. Read the entire reports of the 1980 Watershed Priority Plan, the Interim Evaluation of the Priority Plan 1988, the Final Report 1997, or the Final Monitoring Report 1997.

Back to top

PL-566 Project for Big Green Lake Watershed (1992)

While the Priority Watershed Project mainly focused on controlling runoff from upland crop areas and barnyard runoff, in 1992 the Green Lake Association approached the Green Lake County Land Conservation Department to determine the feasibility of implementing a PL-566 project for the Big Green Lake Watershed.  The PL-566 program is a federal watershed project wherein large scale dams and retention basins are constructed to protect channel areas and reduce sedimentation from unstable shorelines that would otherwise reach the lake. 

It was the recommendation of the Green Lake County Land Conservation Department that Green Lake County authorize the Land Conservation Department to apply to the USDA-Soil Conservation Service for a PL-566 watershed project for Big Green Lake. However, the PL-566 watershed project was never implemented due to potential controversy regarding some of its components. Read the PL-566 Study.

Back to top