MI Corps Individual Lake Reports released

By Vicki Browne
Iron County Lakes and Streams Partnership

The MI Corps Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program has released reports for individual lakes that submitted data in 2023. Because 300 Michigan lakes were monitored by trained volunteers, there was a lot of data to process. Individual lake reports reveal trends in water quality over time. The overall report on all monitored lakes is not yet available, but will show statewide trends and provide comparisons that can help stakeholders make educated choices about lake management strategies.

The goals of the CLMP, as stated on its website, are to:

• Provide baseline information and document trends in water quality for individual lakes.  
• Educate lake residents, users, and interested citizens in the collection of water quality data, lake ecology and lake management practices.  
• Build a constituency of citizens to practice sound lake management at the local level and to build public support for lake quality protection.  
• Provide a cost-effective process to increase baseline data for lakes statewide. 

Although not everyone gravitates toward charts and graphs, for those who love data and patterns, a CLMP lake report is a feast for the mind! Looking at snapshots from the 2023 report for Lake Mary, a lake that has been monitored consistently since 2006, as well as information from other lakes where additional protocols are used, the value of regular monitoring becomes apparent.
Every lake that is monitored must take a water clarity measurement at the deepest location on the lake at least eight times over the summer season using a tool called a Secchi disk. The Secchi disk is lowered until its black-and-white pattern can no longer be seen. 

Lake Mary’s report shows 2023 data, past data in five-year clusters and a comparison to all monitored lakes. The data shows that although readings from a single summer may vary widely, the average clarity clusters around 21 feet.

All monitored lakes also gather total phosphorus data. Volunteers get the best information when they are able to get a water sample within two weeks of ice out and another in late August (for U.P. counties). The amount of phosphorus is a limiting factor for plant growth. Too much phosphorus leads to excessive plant and algae growth. Lake Mary appears to have spring levels that have been increasing slightly; however, summer levels are decreasing slightly.

One of the more advanced protocols gathers data about lake stratification and dissolved oxygen. Fishermen might be interested in this information because stratification impacts where different fish can thrive and where dissolved substances like oxygen can build up or become depleted. 

Lake Ellen (Mansfield Township) and Long Lake (Gogebic County) show similar temperature patterns, but their dissolved oxygen readings are quite different.

Although less than one-quarter of the 300 monitored lakes participate in the exotic aquatic plant watch protocol, the statistics for invasive species are vitally important for everyone who loves healthy lakes. Preventing invasives from establishing themselves is a primary objective because remediation is costly.

To dive into the data for all monitored lakes, visit the MI Corp CLMP site where readers can explore these and other protocols: micorps.net/lake-monitoring/individual-lake-reports/.

To become a volunteer lake monitor, or just find out more about the CLMP, register for the training session which will be held Saturday, May 18 at Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp by sending an email with your name and favorite lake to Iron County Lakes and Streams Partnership: iclakesandstreamspartnership@gmail.com The day begins promptly at 9 a.m. and all participants must pre-register by Thursday, May 10.