MILWAUKEE, WI – Volunteers with the River Alliance of Wisconsin say they’ve found two new instances of starry stonewort – an invasive algae that has been known to clog waterways. If confirmed, their findings would bring the number of total locations from 17 to 19 in the state.
On Aug. 17, 170 volunteers from the River Alliance of Wisconsin waded in or trekked along the shorelines of more than 100 bodies of water across the state—embarking on a search for aquatic invasive species. Volunteers met at their Training Sites, received a brief training on species identification and monitoring protocols, were equipped with the tools needed to find them, and traveled to their assigned sites for their”scavenger hunt.”
Data is still rolling in and potential finds are being confirmed, organizers say. Organizers say a volunteer found an unusual specimen on Pewaukee Lake. This turned out to be Starry Stonewort, a submerged macro alga that has recently made its way into several southeast Wisconsin lakes.
A few days later the same volunteer found a specimen in Lower Nemahbin Lake — a 239-acre lake in Waukesha County. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and partners are working to determine the full impacts of this prohibited species with concerns over its potential to reduce the diversity of native plants and impair fish spawning, as it forms dense mats in affected waterways.
“This is a different kind of success and one which shows how important our volunteers are. While finding a prohibited species may seem like bad news, this early detection will allow for management and prevention efforts, before a population further establishes,” Natalie Dutack, River Alliance of Wisconsin’s Aquatic Invasive Species and Watershed Groups Manager, said.
Starry Stonewort Confirmed Sites in Wisconsin
2014
Little Muskego Lake
2015
Big Muskego Lake
Long Lake
Pike Lake
Silver Lake
2016
Channel around High Cliff Park (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
Ellison Bay/Lake Michigan
Fish Creek (Green Bay)
Green Lake
Lake Michigan – Rowleys Bay Access
Little Sturgeon Bay
Sister Bay/Green Bay Access
Sturgeon Bay
2017
Wind Lake
2018
Geneva Lake
Little Cedar Lake
2019
Okauchee Lake
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