In recent years Fox Lake in Wisconsin has responded to a decade of water quality management that has shifted the lake from being turbid with frequent algae blooms to a clearer water condition.
This has fostered improved lake use, the return of aquatic plants and a more balanced fishery. One consequence of the water quality improvements is that some homeowners are experiencing nuisance levels of plant growth in front of their piers, inhibiting navigation to open water.
To address aquatic plant problem areas, the Fox Lake Inland Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District has developed an Aquatic Plant Management Plan that includes the mechanical harvesting of navigational channels to access open water and an herbicide treatment plan to create a path between the pier area and harvested channels.