DNR Projects
Study find Lake Julia wetlands healthy, critical to overall lake ecosystem
Healthy wetlands contribute to a healthy lake. And a recent study of the wetlands around Lake Julia just south of Rhinelander show that the wetlands there are in pretty good shape.
"In fact, we found the overall health of the wetlands to be quite high," says environmental scientist Dean Premo, Ph.D., president of White Water Associates, which conducted the study. "Because the lake is so close to an urban area, one might have anticipated that there would be more negative impact. But we didn't 
find that. We were pleasantly surprised to find the wetlands in very good shape."
The study, conducted over this past summer and fall, was initiated by the Lake Julia Lake Association and Nicolet College, which sits on the east shore of the lake. It was paid for with a $7,125 grant the lake association received from the Department of Natural Resources. The study was the first phase of the association's Lake Julia Stewardship Project, a long-range plan designed to study numerous ecological components in and around the lake.
"We're just absolutely delighted the results of the study came out so positive," says Harry Helwig, lake association president. "I think that says a lot not just about lake residents but about others from the community who use the lake as well. Lake Julia is a beautiful Northwoods resource and this tells us that people are working to keep it that way."
From a practical standpoint, "it's a lot easier to maintain wetlands in good health rather than to try to bring ones back that have been damaged," Premo says. "It's also a lot cheaper. Where it gets expensive is when you try to repair one that has been degraded."
Ways to Protect Wetlands
One of the best ways individuals can protect wetlands is to start by learning about the value and functions 
they provide to a lake, Premo adds. Healthy wetlands:
- collect and filter water that seeps down to recharge groundwater aquifers. This clean groundwater then enters the lake through springs in the lake bed.
- significantly reduce the amount of sediment entering a lake through surface water run-off. If too much sediment enters a lake, the gritty deposit can quickly blanket prime fish spawning areas on a lake bed, leading to significant reductions in fish populations. Lake sedimentation can also cover other lakeshore habitats used by insects, amphibians and other wildlife, which play an important role in a lake's food chain and add to the overall biotic diversity of a lake ecosystem;
- trap excess nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen - the main culprits that cause algae blooms. Along with being unsightly, algae blooms can consume large amounts of dissolved oxygen in the water column - a condition that causes respiratory stress to fish and in the worst cases can cause significant fish die-offs.
In all, the study looked at 20 wetlands around the lake, ranging from those right at the lake's edge to some farther inland. At each site White Water research scientists Beth Rogers and Dave Tiller, working with Nicolet College science students, identified the soil type and plant life at each site. They also assessed each wetland's ability to supply the lake with clean water and provide valuable wildlife habitat. All of the wetlands studied were functioning as they should. However, the study found that roads have impacted a few wetlands by altering the natural flow of water in to and out of wetlands, and that run-off from Nicolet College parking lots have caused small portions of two wetlands on campus to become wetter than what they were in the past. These wetter conditions are slowly changing the plant mix to one where there are less trees and more shrubs. Another wetland off-campus was impacted by yard waste and other debris from surrounding residences.
The report noted that these wetlands are still functioning as they should, effectively filtering the water, and protecting the lake.
Creating a Baseline Guide
Along with assessing the condition of the wetlands, the study also created a baseline which can be used over time to determine if any changes take place would have a negative impact on the lake, Premo says.
The money for the study came from the DNR's Lake Management Planning Grant Program, which is funded entirely from a portion of the state excise tax on motorboat gasoline.
The proposed next phase of the Lake Julia Stewardship Project, pending DNR grant approval, will include an aquatic vegetation survey to identify the plants in the lake, assess their overall health, and determine if they are threatened in any way. A second portion would implement an invasive species education program to inform lake users about Eurasian milfoil, purple loosestrife, and zebra mussels, all of
which are not native to the lake and can quickly drive out valuable native species.
For more information about grant program, including how to apply
for a grant, contact Jennifer Wudi, DNR lake management coordinator, at (715) 365-8937.