Lake Denoon Lake District
Quarterly Newsletter
Vol 4 2023
The holidays are over and the new year has begun. Some LDLD activities continued well into the fall. Here are the 4th quarter updates from 2023 and a look forward into 2024 from the LDLD Board.
August 2023 Plant Survey Results
Plant growth during 2023 experienced a slight decline in terms of number of species present (19), as compared to 2022 (22), but was much higher than the number of species found in 2020 (13). There are many factors which can impact the diversity of a native plant population over time, including changes in water clarity, fluctuations in water levels and/or abundance of invasive species present.
In 2023 Lake Denoon experienced a great increase in the amount of Eurasian/Hybrid water-milfoil (EWM/HWM) that may have had a significant negative impact upon the native plant population. Secondly, at the time of the survey, water elevation had declined considerably, relative to the water level present during the August, 2022, survey. While this may, or may not have had a direct impact upon the number of native species found, it did result in fewer sampling points being accessible by boat. Thus, the plants present at these inaccessible sites could not be inventoried as in earlier surveys. Many of these sites contained White water lily (Nymphae odorata) and or Spatterdock (Nuphar variegata).
Starry Stonewort (Nitella obtuse) was found at a single location (waypoint 397) in 2022. Two additional locations (waypoints 265 & 416) were found during the 2023 survey. Waypoint 416 is in the same area as waypoint 397. Waypoint 265 is in the southwest bay area, north of the inlet and along the wetlands. The GPS coordinates for waypoint 265 are 42.845709, -88.173778. The water depth is 3 feet.
Finally, while not sampled directly, Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) was observed growing at numerous shoreline locations. These observations were recorded at the nearest point-intercept point during the survey. The board is looking into options to address Purple Loosestrife.
A copy of the full final report is available on the LDLD website following the pathway: “Archives > Projects > Plant Surveys > 2023”
Chemical Weed Treatment in 2024
The board is looking into options for chemical weed treatments. Application would be in the May/June time frame. The board has discussed weed treatment options with the DNR. The DNR has expressed a preference for using PorcellaCOR over Sonar or 2-4-D to treat for EWM. We have requested a quote from Solitude Lake Management for an application of ProcellaCOR to treat 26.3 acres. We have budgeted $60,000 for 2024 for weed treatment which should be sufficient to cover this expense. A DNR permit is required. Estimated timeframe for weed treatment is June.
Lake Denoon Fish Stocking
On Tuesday, October 17, Gollon Bait and Fish Farm, from Dodgeville Wisconsin, stocked Lake Denoon with 5,000 Black Crappie small fingerlings averaging 3 inches in length. The fish stocking was made possible through a generous donation from Bob Kargl and Ken & Cindy Jensen. The board intends to coordinate another stocking of Black Crappies in 2024.
2023 DNR Electro-Fish Survey Results
The DNR conducted an “electro-fish” survey event in July of 2023 to gather information on the composition of fish species and size in Lake Denoon. While we do not have the full final report, we did receive preliminary results from Ben Heussner, DNR Fisheries Biologist. Ben expects to do another “electro-fish” event in 2024. Here’s a summary of the 2023 event:
149 Largemouth Bass, 11-16.8 inches
1 Northern Pike, 11.3 inches
59 Walley, 13-16.7 inches
Walley are doing well due to the stocking program.
Walley will be stocked in 2024 by the DNR
No panfish data was provided.
Clean Boats Clean Water (CBCW)
The LDLD CBCW watercraft inspection program for 2023 has ended. During the year, 7 boat inspectors spent over 400 hours performing boat and trailer checks and educating boaters on how to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species at the Denoon Park and Hart Drive boat launches. During the summer, our boat inspectors talked with 238 people. There were 115 boats launched and of those boats, 10 boats had been on other lakes in less than 5 days prior. This program is made possible by a 75% matching grant from the WDNR.
The board unanimously approved and submitted a CBCW grant application for 2024 and will be soliciting for paid inspectors this spring.
Mechanical Harvesting Project
We will continue the mechanical harvesting program of Curly-Leaf Pondweed in early spring to improve lake health. The WI DNR has approved our permit which is valid for 5 years. The board has selected a vendor and an appropriate location to deposit the harvested CLP. This year, we will include in the contract provisions to address “floaters” that gather along the shoreline. The board will be working with the vendor to schedule harvesting dates in spring 2024.
Free Fishing Weekends
The WDNR has designated January 20 & 21 and June 1 & 2 as “Free Fishing Weekends” in 2024. For more information, visit the Wisconsin DNR website.
2024 LDLD Annual Membership Meeting
Mark your calendars for Monday, August 26 at 6PM. The official announcement, location and agenda will be sent via USPS to all LDLD members in August.
Have a question, comment or are interested in volunteering?
Contact the LDLD Board of Commissioners at commissioners@ldld.org