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25 April 2013 Clean Rivers, Clean Lakes

Dr. J. Val Klump

They are changing

 lakes are very different today than even 10 years ago the speed and magnitude of change is dramatic

Habitat alterations Climate change Coastal Development Fisheries management Invasive species NPS runoff Toxic substances

cumulative environmental stresses

Major issues, tipping points & stressors 1. Runoff 2. Ecological integrity 3. Climate change

~ Closed basins what goes in stays in

 Runoff: urban and rural - event driven

~ 70-80% of loading in 10 days

Changing climate & agricultural practices

Lake Erie: 9 October 2011

1 ppb = WHO drinking water limit 20 ppb = WHO swimming limit W. Lake Erie (2011) 1200 ppb

Lake Erie: 9 October 2011

Nutrient inputs drive hypoxia

 Widespread seasonal hypoxia

 Highly perturbed ecologies

alewife
Sea lamprey

Round goby
Dreissenid mussels

Spiny water flea

> 180 spp. ~ 1 every 6 months

Dreissenid mussel invasion:

zebra (1990s) quagga (2000s)

mussels

Dreissenid mussel invasion:

zebra (1990s) quagga (2000s)

mussels

Amphipods

Dreissenid mussel invasion:

zebra (1990s) quagga (2000s)

mussels

Amphipods

Collapse of the food chain in < 10 years

The water is gin clear, you can see 90 feet down parts are now clearer than Lake Superior

500 million pounds of quagga mussels = 4 x weight of all prey fish species

2 generations

1995-98 2007-08 87% decline in phytoplankton biomass 70% decline in phytoplankton primary production

Over 30% of water column filtered each day

15% drop in Ca++ !

Oct. 9, 2011

Unprecedented nearshore HABs, unprecedented offshore clarity

beach

Increased water clarity

Lake level Photic zone

Zone of Cladophora growth

nutrients

Deeper Photic zone

Avian botulism

mussels
Expanded Zone of Clad. growth Quagga mussel colonization of deep water

AVIAN BOTULISM

 What about climate change?

lake effect snow

98 El Nino
PHOTOSYNTHESIS AT DEPTH
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 8
PHYTOPLANKTON PHOTOSYNTHESIS ( ugC / L / DAY )

40

50

8 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2/9 4/9 6/9 8/9 10/9 12/9 2/9 4/9 6/9 8/9 10/9 12/9 2/ 4/ 6/ 8/ 10/ 12/ 2/

DATE IN 1998 - 2000

40

65 0 6 50 325 0

20

15

45

25

35

45 45
35 30

90 85

50

45

55

20

30

35

70

25 30

80

55

40

20 40 5 45 3 75

45 40
10

60

a warmer Wisconsin

+ 4-9 F. hotter by 2090

downscaled climate projections for Wisconsin WICCI

2012 a warm year

Evaporation has increased about 25% since 1980

Precipitation-driven Outflow-removed

Summer evaporation Fall evaporation?

B
Fig. 19 (a) Outflow-removed lake level (red), precipitation-driven lake level (black), (b) difference between the curves.

of increase is during summer months alone Air temperatures have remained near constant

Hanrahan & Roebber 2011

The Past

the Future ??

4 ft Lake levels

1910

1960

2010

2060

Bottom water dissolved oxygen

July 2010

Aug 2010

Sept 2009

mg/L
June 2011 July 2011 Aug 2011 Sept 2011

July 2012

Aug 2012

Sept 2012

Oct 2012

Onset of stratification

Duration

Yet, also a wetter Wisconsin annual precipitation

 frequency of intense rain events 50-100%

Aging infrastructure

30

Watershed Management

Watershed management riparian corridor fragmentation/protection Land cover soil loss and watershed export models TMDLs nutrient and sediment loading NPS control - BMPs Wetland restoration

Individual Action

Downspout disconnects

mmsd.com
Fertilize responsibly

Its rain barrel season

32

Thank you

Neeskay = native American word for clean pure water

34

Bayfield Harbor, L Superior: Last boat in fall, 1st boat in spring

Green Bay ice cover

160 140 120

days of 90% or greater ice cover upper middle Green Bay 1973-2002

no. of days

100 80 60 40 20 0

~ 5 days per decade decrease

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

year

Decreasing ice cover rising water temps 2x > air