Education, Water Quality & Projects
MY SHORELINE WEEK
My Shoreline Week has been an SCLA event since 2013. We ask all SCLA members to pay attention to how your property may either promote a healthy lake or detract from it. A recent theme was “Trust the Buffer.” We asked all members to assess their waterfront to see if they met the 35 foot buffer setback requirement from the ordinary high-water mark. We distributed flyers at various locations to highlight this event.
The best line of defense to preserve the quality of lakes is to maintain a 35 foot natural vegetative buffer to the shoreline. And, in Wisconsin, its the law:
"To protect water quality, fish and wildlife habitat and natural scenic beauty and to promote preservation and restoration of native vegetation, the county ordinance shall designate land that extends from the ordinary high water mark to a minimum of 35 feet inland as a vegetative buffer zone and prohibit removal of vegetation in the vegetative buffer zone..."----Wisconsin Administrative Code NR 115.05 |
WATER QUALITY
In 1989, volunteers began a project of testing our waters as part of the state wide Citizen Lakes Monitoring Network (CLMN). Early on this involved only the use of a secchi disk to measure water clarity. Over the years, we have added temperature measurements at various depths and we ship water samples during the summer months to the state lab in Madison where they perform phosphorous and chlorophyll measurements for SCLA. Based on recommendations from our lake quality consultant, in 2014, we added dissolved oxygen level measurements at various depths as well as recording the lake water level periodically during the summer months. A summary report is generated annually by the DNR lab for each of the monitoring locations describing the overall Spider Lake water quality. These reports and detailed measurements are available to all for review at dnr.wi.gov/lakes/clmn. The water quality of Spider Lake remains consistently very good and these water quality measurements and monitoring help assure this will be the case for many years to come.
COMPREHENSIVE LAKE MANAGEMENT PLAN (See Lake Management webpage for details and link)
In 2023 the first ever Comprehensive Lake Management Plan (CLMP) was approved to address water quality, aquatic plant management, lake habitat, and other management and social considerations for the long-term health of the Spider Chain of Lakes. To download a copy of the CLMP click here.
SPIDER LAKE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FOR KIDS... SLEEK!
Each year around the 4th of July, SCLA offers a morning filled with fun activities to teach our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and young visitors about Spider Lake. Our morning consists of learning activities on land, as well as on a pontoon classroom. We visit islands, view eagles nests, observe fish through an underwater camera and study micro organisms with the aid of microscopes. Our educators are university professors as well as Naturalists from the Cable Natural History Museum. Spider Lake kids from ages 4-14 and our Spider Lake high school and college helpers participate from year to year, bringing home a momento from the day to remind them of their morning and the chance to meet and spend a few hours with other Spider Lake kids
PROJECT LOONWATCH 
In Wisconsin, harassment of loons is punishable with a fine and jail time, so please NEVER disturb loons while they are on their nests. Also, give loons a wide (200 foot) berth when they are on the water. Use long lenses and binoculars to watch them from afar. In addition to natural predators such as raccoons and eagles, the loons are at risk from anglers; ingesting lead fishing tackle is also a major problem with all water birds. A program called “Get the lead out” encourages anglers to replace lead tackle with similar products made from tin, bismuth, steel, tungsten, or ceramic. These items are available at your local tackle store. Be sure to dispose of old lead jigs and sinkers properly at a local hazardous waste collection facility.
Holiday weekends are especially disturbing to loons and other wildlife; the noise from fireworks and the increase in jet ski and boat traffic and wakes make it especially difficult at times for the baby loons. By all means enjoy the lake during the summer season, but please keep in mind that we share our lakes with others-- both people and wildlife -- and that we need to be courteous to all.
The 2016 SCLA LoonWatch Annual Report is below, along with some interesting links with additional information on the behavior and nature of loons.
SCLA 2016 Loonwatch Annual Report.pdf
LoonWatch Project at Northland College, Ashland, Wisconsin
The Loon Project is a scientific investigation of population dynamics, reproductive success, and territorial behavior of common loons in the Upper Midwest. Primarily focused on Minnesota and Wisconsin, this organization has an active Blog with timely updates on research and information on loons. For updates and to join their email list click the Publications page of the Loon Project website.
FROM THE LOON PROJECT HOME PAGE:
The loon population is declining in the Upper Midwest. Understanding the causes of the downturn is essential if we wish to conserve loons in the region. Our findings from northern Wisconsin are clear; breeding success and population size there are in sharp decline. In Minnesota, we have more limited data, yet there are three indications of decline. Body condition of Minnesota adults has begun to decrease, in parallel with Wisconsin. Chick production in Minnesota is on a downwards trajectory. Perhaps most alarming, the adult survival rate in Minnesota is lower than in Wisconsin.
SPIDER LAKE FISHERIES
WDNR SPIDER LAKE MUSKY RESEARCH PROJECT
In 2024 the WDNR under the leadership of scientists Max Wolter and Colin Drassow launched the Spider Lake Musky Research Project.
Click here to download the slide presentation from the July 5, 2024 "Kick-Off Meeting."
To learn about the Spider Lake Musky Research Project go to 2024 Spring SpiderLines article (p. 18) by Max Wolter, WDNR Fisheries Biologist. Or download the article here.
UPDATES FROM Max Wolter:
July 12, 2024: Colin and I were very pleased with the kickoff meeting last week! I attached the presentation from the meeting for anyone who was unable to attend Please let us know if that generates any questions we can answer!
After the meeting, the excitement for the project was contagious. In fact, my team wasted no time getting back out there to continue our work. We spent a day this week looking for juvenile pike and musky. It’s going to be a challenge, but we are learning a lot about what’s possible there. The photo below shows a pike we caught that was born this year. They are currently about 3” long, which creates a bit of a “needle in a haystack” scenario with all the expansive weedy bays.
June 2024: The DNR Fisheries Team from Hayward and DNR Research Team from Spooner have been working hard to ramp up the Spider Lake Musky and Pike Project. This spring saw a flurry of survey activity, with a netting effort shortly after ice out targeting walleye, northern pike and muskellunge. Several electrofishing surveys are also being conducted, targeting bass and panfish in addition to the previously mentioned species.
This is a larger survey effort than we have previously attempted on Spider Lake. In fact, it is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious survey efforts in northern Wisconsin in recent history. At the end of the year we should have estimates to the total number of northern pike and walleye. In 2025 we will complete an estimate of the total number of muskellunge.
Several hundred northern pike were removed during the survey effort. We encourage anglers to harvest pike they catch as well (remember, the bag limit has been increased to 10 per day!). WDNR teams are also working to deploy tags in muskellunge and northern pike and a sophisticated array of sensors to track their movement and interactions.
This project has been supported by private individuals and groups both locally and statewide. This project is the first of its kind for these species. The high tech equipment and approach will lead to insights into the fishery and will help us develop strategies to maximize opportunities for muskellunge and improved quality of pike.
The equipment is also pricey, and any additional financial support is welcome! If you or your family want to “sponsor” a tagged fish please reach out to max.wolter@wisconsin.gov. Project donors will receive periodic updates about what their fish is up to. All research and survey results will be shared with the Spider Chain of Lakes Association over time as the project progresses. We expect the project to last 2-4 years.
SPIDER LAKE PIKE PROJECT
Thank you for your support in keeping our waters and fishery healthy and pristine.