Lake Winnebago: Can it be pristine?

Derek Mathison

               As a child I grew up around Lake Winnebago in the heartland of Wisconsin. I lived for 20 years on the water’s edge of that lake and watched it change as I grew. Progressively the lake every year would become filled with more algal blooms until it reached points on eastern windy days we would not want to go swimming in the lake. Our precious playground of the summer slowly became a dream of our childhood. Although today the fishing is still good, it is not that body of water that is to be remembered as pristine. One thing comes to my mind about the lake, what is going on in and around the lake to cause this.

               Now that I am in college and have taken an interest in Wildlife Ecology, I have picked up on things that I never imagined I would. I have learned about water quality, management and effects of outside causes that affect our waters. Applying my knowledge that I have learned over the years, I have applied it to my childhood love of Lake Winnebago.

               Living in Neenah, WI looking off the back patio out into the vast waters of the lake, I looked around to take in the sight of the massive lake to see one thing different about this lake versus smaller clear water lakes. The vast majority of Lake Winnebago is surrounded by houses with lawns straight up to the lake front itself. There is no boundary or buffer zone to pick up any lake pollutants like fertilizers. In fact it is the exact opposite because everyone wants that picture perfect lawn. Then look to the south end of the lake and you see a field, a wind field farm full up on turbines. There isn’t a tree insight to be seen around those turbines so they can catch the wind off the lake but it catches my attention as a potential quality problem for the lake.

               Next I have set sail on the lake countless times for fishing adventures for walleye, perch and everything in between. The lake is full of dream fish to be caught. Surprisingly to me this hasn’t changed since I was a kid. It has fluctuations in catch numbers every so many years but what lake doesn’t.  But what has changed is pulling up anchor only to find an anchor covered with silt and mud. In the silt and mud lay some rocks but at further inspection are rocks covered in zebra mussels, an invasive.

               The lake may not be what I remember as a child, but I believe with the right strategies like creating mandatory natural buffer zones, managing invasive species populations and informing people of the risks of lake quality in regards to lake pollutants, Lake Winnebago could have those clear water days yet again.