Dane County continues the restoration of Indian Lake County Park
July 07, 2015
Rhea Stangel Maier, Parks Volunteer Coordinator (608) 220-3922
Pete Jopke, Water Resources Planner (608) 279-3549
MEDIA: Erika Hotchkiss, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator (608) 212-6358
Land & Water Resources
Public invited to volunteer for a Special Work Day
Saturday, July 11th
8:00 am – 12:00pm
The next step in the County’s effort to restore Indian Lake will take place this Saturday, July 11th from 8:00am-12:00pm (Rain Date 7/12/15). Dane County Land and Water Resource staff in partnership with the Friends of Indian Lake will plant more than 2,000 native aquatic plants along Indian lakes shallow water shorelines. The planting of native species follows the carp removal that was completed last March.
The Friends of Indian Lake are excited to join Dane County's efforts to restore Indian Lake's health and vitality. “The lake is the centerpiece of a fantastic park and a natural resource for everyone to enjoy.” says Jeff Durbin, a member of the Friends group.
Funding for the plants was made possible through a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). With the guidance of Dane County and WDNR biologists, areas in and along the lake were targeted for the planting of native aquatic and wet prairie species. According to Pete Jopke, Water Resources Planner with Dane County “We will be planting aquatic plants to establish a more diverse native plant community which in turn will benefit the fish and wildlife.”
Dave Rowe, Fisheries Supervisor with the WDNR explains that the first step in restoring the lake was the removal of the carp population this past winter. According to Rowe, “Carp are notorious for rooting up plants and stirring up bottom sediments when they feed, which then prevents sunlight to penetrate the water. This causes the lake to switch from a plant rich lake to an algae rich lake and destroys the water quality.” Rowe continues “With the carp now significantly reduced, the plant community should once again thrive. This will have a positive impact moving forward with the restocking of native fish.”
Rhea Stangel-Maier, Parks Volunteer Coordinator, encourages the public to join the Friends of Indian Lake on the restoration project this Saturday. “Volunteers support Dane County Parks donating many volunteer hours to important park projects such as this. We are especially excited about this because it will be the first time we have done an in-lake planting. It should be a fun experience and educational as well.” According to Rhea, “Staff and volunteers will work in teams to plant the lake. Plant plugs will be secured and then protected with a makeshift fence to keep them safe from hungry geese.”
What: Planting of native aquatic vegetation at Indian Lake County Park
When: Saturday, July 11, 2015 at 8:00 AM
Where: Indian Lake Boat Landing located at 8381 Highway 19 - Please note this is not the park’s main entrance or parking lot.
What to bring:
- A water bottle
- Work gloves (if you have them)
- Shoes both for water and land as planting will take place on and off the shore.
- If you have a small canoe or kayak (with life preservers) and you’re willing to help please contact us prior to the event.
If you plan to volunteer:
Please RSVP Rhea at 224-3601 or Stangel-Maier@ countyofdane.com.
Refreshments and lunch will be provided by the Friends of Indian Lake.