C. Aquatic Plant Survey Element

One of the primary goals of the Ad Hoc Committee was to acquire aquatic plant base-line data to ascertain plant communities within area lakes and to determine the extent of EWM contamination. The stated goals and accomplishments are:

1. Survey the eleven Tier 2 lakes in the Eau Claire chain plus the two infested lakes for the existence of EWM; and survey smaller landlocked lakes in the area Tier 1 lakes.
2. Recruit, equip and train volunteers to assist in lake surveys for EWM. More than 30 people attended the Aquatic Plant Identification Workshop to assist surveyors. More than a dozen volunteers helped with their boat volunteer work.
3. Collect data from surveys for a comprehensive report on EWM in area lakes. Aquatic plant data findings were compiled on maps and spreadsheets. The information was forwarded to the WDNR and a copy of all the data is available in the enclosed CD. See Table 4 and Appendix 4 for a summary of the survey results.
4. Utilize methodology recommended/approved by the WDNR. The WDNR's Aquatic Plant Management In Wisconsin (4/25/05 draft) was utilized for the survey protocol.
   • Use Tier 1 Survey for all 27 lakes.
   • Use Tier 2 Survey for 11 Eau Claire Lakes as well as Tomahawk and Sandbar Lakes.
5. Collect data on other aquatic plants (species, & distribution) to establish baseline status. Create distribution map. Distribution of all species of plants are found in the enclosed CD and have been forwarded to the WDNR. See Appendix 4 for a summary table of all species found by lake. A total of 42 species were identified in the survey.
6. Utilize GPS (global positioning system) technology and mapping software for accurate record keeping. Should EWM be found, GPS locations allow for easy relocation. The GPS units were used and all EWM sites found were so noted on the maps and on the enclosed CD. A total of 3596 sample points were surveyed for aquatic plants on the thirteen lakes sampled with the Tier 2 protocol (see Table 4) The data was forwarded to the WDNR aquatic plant data base. The EWM sample points determined in Tomahawk and Sandbar Lakes are shown in Appendix 1.