OCLRA eNews – February 2026

Please share this information and the OCLRA website (www.oclra.org) with the members of your lake association, district and/or friends group and with your personal networks.

The next OCLRA Board meeting is Monday, February 9, at 9 a.m., at the ADRC building in Rhinelander, across the parking lot from Trig’s grocery. All are welcome.
Our meetings are also available via Zoom (same log in information each month)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82852792718?pwd=AAqazly7TWgg3ouBbodXp6zsLm8kLa.1

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• New lake classification tool helps guide protection efforts
• Researchers find Northwoods lakes getting saltier
• Lakes and Rivers Convention to feature Wisconsin Foodie host
• Wetland Science Conference set for February 24-26
• Boating industry outlines position on enhanced wakes
• Why a 30-foot water depth for wakesurfing?
• Help on the way for AIS volunteer recruitment
• Green Fire reports on proposed wetland protection rollback
• Date set for 2026 Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference
• Land and Water Conference to be held March 4-6
• Oneida County Clean Waters Action issues update
• Try a taste of Sweet and Sour Pie

New lake classification tool helps guide protection efforts

The Oneida County Land and Water Conservation Department has developed a lake classification and protection framework to help keep our lakes healthy. It evaluates each named lake in the county based on physical sensitivity and watershed health and then assigns a protection priority level. Each classification comes with recommended actions for lake organizations, municipalities, and shoreline owners. It also includes steps related to shoreland practices, development pressure, invasive species prevention, and monitoring. Lake groups can use this tool to quickly understand their lake’s vulnerability and focus on the most promising effective protection strategies. For more information, visit https://www.oclw.org/lakes-classification-project.html.

Researchers find Northwoods lakes getting saltier

Road salt helps keep us safe on winter highways, but it has a downside: harming water quality in Northwoods lakes. A story by WXPR Public Radio reports on data on chloride levels collected by scientists at the UW Center for Limnology’s Trout Lake Station. “Limnologist Carol Warden and other researchers have found that lakes, especially those along highways, are seeing increasing levels of chloride,” the article says…That trajectory is only going in one direction, and it’s on the rise.” Scientists are finding chloride levels that, while far from the U.S. EPS threshold, are high enough to potentially affect zooplankton and other macroinvertebrates.

Lakes and Rivers Convention to feature Wisconsin Foodie host

What does food have to do with water resources? Quite a bit, as it turns out. The noon-hour Friday Confluence session at the Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Convention will feature Luke Zahm, host of the PBS Emmy Award-winning Wisconsin Foodie TV series. Zahm, co-owner and chef at the Driftless Cafe in Minocqua, will lead a full-group session exploring how food and water are connected. “Just like a home-cooked meal, this session is a time to slow down, share experiences, and find commonality,” says the website for the convention, April 15-17 in Stevens Point.

Wetland Science Conference set for February 24-26

The Wisconsin Wetlands Association will hold its annual Wetland Science Conference February 24-26 at Baraboo/Wisconsin Dells. Registration is open and early bird discounts are available until January 23. Visit https://conference.wisconsinwetlands.org/.

Boating industry outlines position on enhanced wakes

How far from shore should wakesurf boats operate? In what water depths? How do 200 feet and 10 feet sound? That’s the position of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), a key representative of the boating industry. The industry is likely to push these limits in the form of proposed legislation in states including Wisconsin. Increasing evidence in peer-reviewed research says these limits are inadequate to protect lakeshores and water quality. OCLRA will continue to provide updates on this subject, including alerts to any boating-industry bills introduced in the state legislature.

Why 30-foot water depth for wakesurfing?

Lakes at Stake Wisconsin and Wisconsin Lakes have laid out the case for requiring a minimum water depth of 30 feet for operating wakeboats in the wakesurf mode. In summary, they cite research showing that disturbing the lake bottom increases nutrient availability (for example, studies show that 90-95% of phosphorous entering a lake lies in the top few inches of sediment.) And reputable studies show lakebed disturbances from wakeboat propeller downwash at depths up to 33 feet. Check out this video.

Help on the way for AIS volunteer recruitment

The River Alliance reports that the Wisconsin Aquatic Invasive Species Partnership plans to offer support for AIS volunteer recruitment and retention. The partnership is creating a two-hour professional development workshop planned for April. For more information, contact emily.heald@wisc.edu.

Green Fire reports on proposed wetland protection rollback

Wisconsin’s Green Fire reports that a proposal to roll back federal protections for wetlands and waters under the Waters of the United States Rule is underway. The Wisconsin WDNR estimates that roughly 75% of the state’s wetlands could lose federal protections. This means state and local actions to protect waters and wetlands will be ever more critical. Visit here to learn more.

Date set for 2026 Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference

The Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference will be held on Friday, June 12, at the Hayward High School. This conference always includes quality educational session and networking. Registration will be open starting in April.

Land and Water Conference to be held March 4-6

The Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association will hold its 73rd Annual Conference March 4-6 at Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells. It includes more than 40 breakout sessions, an awards banquet honoring outstanding conservation work across Wisconsin and much more.

Oneida County Clean Waters Action issues update

Oneida County Clean Waters Action provided January updates on critical issues on its website at www.occwa.org/.Items include:

• DNR’s latest update on the expanded PFAS testing in Oneida County
• Impacts of Clean Water Act rule changes on wetlands
• A Clean Water Minute on the carnivorous sundew plant
• Storyteller video about the Town of Stella PFAS issue
• Developments in Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program funding
• Proposed amendments to the county Shoreland Protection Ordinance

Try a taste of Sweet and Sour Pie

One of the best Wisconsin books I’ve ever read is the late Dave Crehore’s Sweet and Sour Pie, (2009, UW Press). I loved it not just because many of the stories center on my home territory, but because it’s brilliantly written, enough so to give me a case of writer envy. In this book of recollections, most dealing in some way with the outdoors, there is not a single word out of place. I actually looked up Crehore’s number and called to compliment him. Crehore, a former DNR public information officer, grew up in Manitowoc, and the “stories of his youth in 1950s Wisconsin are peppered with engaging characters and a quiet wit,” according to the publisher. You can probably find this book in a library or somewhere online. If you can find it, by all means get it, and read it. Just purely wonderful stuff.
–Ted Rulseh