freshwater ecosystems – Aquarius-Systems

November 2025 Newsletter

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 15:10:12 +0000

Leaves Fall, Lakes Stay Busy!

A Message from Our Leader: Looking Back, Planning Ahead for Our Lakes

As the Leaves Fall, Harvesting Winds Down

When Communities and Harvesters Work Hand in Hand

What’s Really Happening Beneath the Water?

February 2025 Newsletter

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 17:03:39 +0000

Water Warriors: Native Aquatic Plants vs Invasives

A Message from Our Leader: 2025 Lake Conference Season

Milwaukee: A Global Leader in Water Innovation

How Michigan Fights Road Salt’s Invasive Side Effects

Planting Native Aquatic Plants to Fight Invasive Species

Upcoming Conferences

Midwest Aquatic Plant Management Society 45th Annual Conference
Virginia Lakes & Watershed Association Annual Conference
Pennsylvania Lake Management Society 35th Annual Conference
National Water Quality Monitoring Council 14th Conference
Illinois Lakes Management Association Annual Conference
Western Aquatic Plant Management Society 43rd Annual Conference
Indiana Lakes Management Society Annual Conference
Wisconsin Lakes & Rivers Annual Conference

Texas Freeze Did Not Stop Zebra Mussels Tilapia and Other Invasive Species

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 18:38:44 +0000

Not even a historic week of freezing temperatures and record-setting snowfall last month could mitigate some of the toughest and most threatening invasive species known to central Texas, biologists from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department say.

While many of native Texas wildlife were injured or killed by the winter weather, some invasive critters such as zebra mussels, tilapia and maybe even apple snails fared just fine, said Monica McGarrity, a senior scientist at Texas Parks and Wildlife who specializes in aquatic invasive species.

Read More https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/26/some-austins-toughest-invasive-species-survive-freeze-biologists-say/6821488002/

UW System to Boost Wisconsin Water Research

Tue, 14 Dec 2021 16:00:15 +0000

Bounded by two Great Lakes and the Mississippi River – with 15,000 or so inland lakes and 44,000 miles of rivers and streams in between – Wisconsin is an ideal place to study freshwater ecosystems.

Freshwater education and research across the state has too often been an independent pursuit. Until now. As part of a state-wide initiative called the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin (FCW), 16 participants (mostly freshman) in the UW System would spend their first semester on campus all taking the same set of three science-based courses organized around this freshwater theme.

The goal is to increase Wisconsin student’s access to learning opportunities across the state and to set

young scientists on freshwater career paths, as well as explore the economic potential of clean, available freshwater for industry and tourism.

All in all, the project is a big win for the state of Wisconsin, its freshwater resources and the future scientists, policymakers and engineers who will make sure that our inland waterways remain an integral part of our lives.

Learn More

Wisconsin DNR Works to Restore Wild Rice Habitat on Spur Lake

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 20:08:27 +0000

Pete McGeshick II, 80, a Sokaogon Chippewa tribal member and former Rice Chief, recalls when he and Sokaogon Chippewa tribal members used to harvest wild rice on Spur Lake. The wild rice is all but gone, but DNR ecologists are working to clear Twin Lakes Creek, hoping to revive wild rice on Spur Lake.

The last several decades have been unkind to wild rice in Wisconsin.

The resource has deep cultural roots in the state, especially for Ojibwe tribal members. But it has been disappearing on lakes and rivers.

The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission estimates about half of the wild rice that once grew in Wisconsin is now gone. Five or six percent disappeared in the last decade.

Now, the Wisconsin DNR and a group of partners are trying to bring back what was lost on Spur Lake.

Glyphosate Could be Harmful to Freshwater Ecosystems

Tue, 12 Oct 2021 21:17:24 +0000

New research out of McGill University in Montreal suggests there is cause for concern regarding the effects of the herbicide glyphosate being sprayed on land near waterways.

The new studies found glyphosate puts freshwater ecosystems at risk even when its application meets approved guidelines.

“And what we found is … glyphosate concentrations as low as 0.1 milligrams per litre could lead to a species loss of zooplankton.”

Zooplankton are small aquatic microorganisms that live in waterways and if these zooplankton are killed by glyphosate being washed into freshwater ponds and wetlands, it could upset the ecosystems and alter the aquatic food web.

Where Road Salt Comes From and How It Pollutes Waterways

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 10:39:51 +0000

In 2013 U.S. officials applied about 17 million tons of salt to roads. Salt lowers the freezing temperature of water and thus melts street-clogging snow and ice. But its public safety benefits do come with some ecological drawbacks.

Salt not only damages metal and concrete, it contaminates drinking water, kills vegetation, and accumulates in streams, lakes, reservoirs, and groundwater, harming aquatic plants and animals. As much as 70% of salt spread on roadways stays within the watershed.

Now that we know where the salt goes, where does it come from?

The U.S. is the second-largest road salt producer worldwide after China, but we also import a good deal of the salt it uses to coat its streets. At 12 million tons per year, America is the biggest salt importer in the world. Most salt imports come from Canada and Chile.

Rock salt is formed in the ocean. The chlorine coming from the volcanoes at the bottom of the ocean mixes with the sodium washing off the continents with rainwater to create salt. There is a lot of salt in the oceans, but it is only about 3½% of the worlds salt supply. Areas with thick salt deposits was probably one where an ocean was, but has since evaporated.

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