Lake & Waterway Management focuses on the practices and strategies that keep lakes, rivers, and wetlands healthy. Topics include lake health, ecosystem balance, climate change impacts, shoreline restoration, fish populations, and sustainable management techniques that protect water resources for the future.
Lakes across the country are struggling with harmful algal blooms, low oxygen, and declining fish populations. While these problems are often obvious at the surface, many management practices are based on misconceptions that don’t address the real causes. Instead of solving the issue, they often make lakes even sicker. Chemical Treatments: A
Residents around Indian Lake in Worcester, Massachusetts, are raising concerns after a spike in fish deaths following the recent application of aquatic herbicides. These chemicals, intended to control the spread of invasive weeds, work by killing the plants outright. But once the plants die, they begin to decompose in the water—a process that consumes dissolved
Following a chemical treatment aimed at controlling aquatic vegetation in Port St. Lucie’s Elkhorn Canal, residents reported what they called the “worst smell in the entire world” as countless fish perished on the canal’s surface. Water tests revealed that dissolved oxygen levels plunged to levels unsustainable for aquatic life—an unintended but severe consequence of the
In June 2024, a chemical herbicide application in Florida’s Elkcam Waterway resulted in a catastrophic fish kill. Within 24 hours, residents reported fish gasping at the surface, and by the end of the week, thousands of dead fish had washed up along the banks. This devastating incident underscores the dangers of using chemicals to manage
Milwaukee, a city steeped in history and industry, is emerging as a global leader in addressing one of humanity’s most pressing challenges: water. As the world faces growing concerns over water scarcity, contamination, and climate resilience, Milwaukee has positioned itself at the forefront of innovative solutions. Through strategic investments, world-class institutions, and a commitment to
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency released new information regarding its ongoing efforts to determine what caused a massive fish kill in Duluth’s Tischer Creek in August. MPCA Communications Specialist Beverly Godfrey says the city of Duluth drained an estimated 1.7 million gallons of chloraminated water into the creek from the Woodland Reservoir over a 15-hour
The deepest natural inland lake in Wisconsin is the latest to take up the issue of wake boating. A wake boating advisory has been issued by the municipalities that surround Green Lake. Wake boats have special tanks allowing them to create larger wakes than other boats. The advisory asks wake boaters to operate in wake
Invasive Eurasian water milfoil is flourishing in Wisconsin’s lakes, sometimes outcompeting native plants and creating floating mats that cause problems for people, boats and property values. But new research shows that the benefits of using one type of historical lake-wide herbicide treatment may be outweighed by the costs to native aquatic plants. Lake management teams
Bioengineering is defined by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality as “using a combination of native planting and natural, or biodegradable materials to provide shoreline protection.” It also is often referred to as softshore engineering or lakescaping. Many shorelines use seawalls. These are a hard surface, such as wood, metal or concrete, that is installed
Work to restore Lake Horowhenua’s environmental health, which has been progressing well since the establishment of the Lake Horowhenua Accord in 2013, will increase in momentum later this year following a High Court decision. The Court’s decision was to dismiss an appeal made by the Hokio Trust, allowing Horizons Regional Council’s weed harvester to undergo