Abstract

The Northern Highlands Lake District (NHLD) is one of the few regions in the world with periodic comprehensive water chemistry data from hundreds of lakes spanning almost a century. Birge and Juday directed the first comprehensive assessment of water chemistry in the NHLD, sampling more than 600 lakes in the 1920s and 30s. These surveys have been repeated by various agencies and we now have data from the 1920s (UW), 1960s (WDNR), 1970s (EPA), 1980s (EPA), 1990s (EPA), and 2000s (NTL). The 28 lakes sampled as part of the Regional Lake Survey have been sampled by at least four of these regional surveys including the 1920s Birge and Juday sampling efforts. These 28 lakes were selected to represent a gradient of landscape position and shoreline development, both of which are important factors influencing social and ecological dynamics of lakes in the NHLD. This long-term regional dataset will lead to a greater understanding of whether and how large-scale drivers such as climate change and variability, lakeshore residential development, introductions of invasive species, or forest management have altered regional water chemistry.
Water temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles were taken on sampling days.

Abstract

The Northern Highlands Lake District (NHLD) is one of the few regions in the world with periodic comprehensive water chemistry data from hundreds of lakes spanning almost a century. Birge and Juday directed the first comprehensive assessment of water chemistry in the NHLD, sampling more than 600 lakes in the 1920s and 30s. These surveys have been repeated by various agencies and we now have data from the 1920s (UW), 1960s (WDNR), 1970s (EPA), 1980s (EPA), 1990s (EPA), and 2000s (NTL). The 28 lakes sampled as part of the Regional Lake Survey have been sampled by at least four of these regional surveys including the 1920s Birge and Juday sampling efforts. These 28 lakes were selected to represent a gradient of landscape position and shoreline development, both of which are important factors influencing social and ecological dynamics of lakes in the NHLD. This long-term regional dataset will lead to a greater understanding of whether and how large-scale drivers such as climate change and variability, lakeshore residential development, introductions of invasive species, or forest management have altered regional water chemistry. Zooplankton samples were taken at approximately the deepest part of each lake, via a vertical tow with a Wisconsin net. Count of individuals and presence absence data for all lakes in the study region are provided here.

Abstract

The Northern Highlands Lake District (NHLD) is one of the few regions in the world with periodic comprehensive water chemistry data from hundreds of lakes spanning almost a century. Birge and Juday directed the first comprehensive assessment of water chemistry in the NHLD, sampling more than 600 lakes in the 1920s and 30s. These surveys have been repeated by various agencies and we now have data from the 1920s (UW), 1960s (WDNR), 1970s (EPA), 1980s (EPA), 1990s (EPA), and 2000s (NTL). The 28 lakes sampled as part of the Regional Lake Survey have been sampled by at least four of these regional surveys including the 1920s Birge and Juday sampling efforts. These 28 lakes were selected to represent a gradient of landscape position and shoreline development, both of which are important factors influencing social and ecological dynamics of lakes in the NHLD. This long-term regional dataset will lead to a greater understanding of whether and how large-scale drivers such as climate change and variability, lakeshore residential development, introductions of invasive species, or forest management have altered regional water chemistry. The regional lakes survey in 2015 followed the standard LTER protocol for standard water chemistry and biology. Samples were taken as close to solar noon as possible. Seven lakes had replicates performed, which were chosen at random.

Abstract

Recreational fisheries have high economic worth, valued at $190B globally. An important, but underappreciated, secondary value of recreational catch is its role as a source of food. This contribution is poorly understood due to difficulty in estimating recreational harvest at spatial scales beyond an individual system, as traditionally estimated from angler creel surveys. Here, we address this gap using a 28-year creel survey of ~300 Wisconsin inland lakes. We develop a statistical model of recreational harvest for individual lakes and then scale-up to unsurveyed lakes (3769 lakes; 73% of statewide lake surface area) to generate a statewide estimate of recreational lake harvest of ~4200 t and an estimated annual angler consumption rate of ~3 kg, nearly double estimated United States per capita freshwater fish consumption. Recreational fishing harvest makes significant contributions to human diets, is critical for discussions on food security, and the multiple ecosystem services of freshwater systems.

Abstract

The Northern Highlands Lake District (NHLD) is one of the few regions in the world with periodic comprehensive water chemistry data from hundreds of lakes spanning almost a century. Birge and Juday directed the first comprehensive assessment of water chemistry in the NHLD, sampling more than 600 lakes in the 1920s and 30s. These surveys have been repeated by various agencies and we now have data from the 1920s (UW), 1960s (WDNR), 1970s (EPA), 1980s (EPA), 1990s (EPA), and 2000s (NTL). The 28 lakes sampled as part of the Regional Lake Survey have been sampled by at least four of these regional surveys including the 1920s Birge and Juday sampling efforts. These 28 lakes were selected to represent a gradient of landscape position and shoreline development, both of which are important factors influencing social and ecological dynamics of lakes in the NHLD. This long-term regional dataset will lead to a greater understanding of whether and how large-scale drivers such as climate change and variability, lakeshore residential development, introductions of invasive species, or forest management have altered regional water chemistry. Color is measured in water samples that are filtered in the field through 0.45 um nucleopore membrane filters. A spectrophotometer is used to quantify color in the lab as absorbance (unitless) at 1 nm intervals between the wavelengths of 200 and 800 nm. Absorbance data are considered suspect for values greater than 2.

Abstract

This dataset contains the daily groundwater level observations and other monitoring well attributes in Wisconsin. It covers 964 groundwater level monitoring wells and has 400,812 observations. The time span of this dataset is between February 2nd, 1929 and December 31st, 2015. The data sources include United States Geological Survey (USGS), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), University of Wisconsin Extension, counties in Central Sands area, and North Temperate Lakes - Long-Term Ecological Research (NTL-LTER).
The data compilation consists of three major steps. First, the data were retrieved from different data sources. Then the data from different sources were pooled together. No well was monitored by more than one entity so none of the wells’ records were merged. Third, two rounds of quality assurance and quality control (QAQC) were conducted.
Wells in confined aquifers were not included in this dataset. The values of the USGS and Central Sands data are the depth to the water whereas LTER values are mean sea level elevations of the groundwater levels. These data could not be directly compared with each other.
This data compilation was funded by the Wisconsin Groundwater Joint Solicitation.

Abstract

This dataset contains the daily lake level observations and other lake attributes in Wisconsin. It covers 1036 lakes including 461 seepage lakes and 575 drainage lakes. It has 342,319 observations. The time span of this dataset is between January 1st, 1900 and December 31st, 2015. The data sources include USGS, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, North Temperate Lakes-Long Term Ecological Research (NTL-LTER), North Lakeland Discovery Center, Waushara County, and City of Shell Lake. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has two data sources: historical lake levels recorded in paper files and a recently-initiated citizen monitoring program. The latter are stored in Wisconsin DNR’s Surface Water Integrated Monitoring System (SWIMS).
The data compilation consists of four major steps. First, data were retrieved from different data sources. Then data from different sources but for the same lakes were tied together using the datum information if possible. The WISCID is used to denote unique data sets by lake and data source. If two data sources could be tied to the same datum, they share a WISCID. Third, three rounds of quality assurance and quality control (QAQC) were conducted. Finally, more attributes such as lake area, lake depth, and lake type were added to the lakes. This data compilation was funded by the Wisconsin Groundwater Joint Solicitation.

Abstract

This dataset describes long-term (1944-2012) variations in individual fish total lengths from Wisconsin lakes. The dataset includes information on 1.9 million individual fish, representing 19 species. Data were collected by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource fisheries biologists as part of routine lake fisheries assessments. Individual survey methodologies varied over space and time and are described in more detail by Rypel, A. et al., 2016. Seventy-Year Retrospective on Size-Structure Changes in the Recreational Fisheries of Wisconsin. Fisheries, 41, pp.230-243. Available at: http://afs.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03632415.2016.1160894

Abstract

This dataset describes long-term (1944-2012) variations in the relative abundance of fish populations representing nine species in Wisconsin lakes. Data were collected by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource fisheries biologists as part of routine lake fisheries assessments. Individual survey methodologies varied over space and time and are described in more detail by Rypel, A. et al., 2016. Seventy-Year Retrospective on Size-Structure Changes in the Recreational Fisheries of Wisconsin. Fisheries, 41, pp.230-243. Available at: http://afs.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03632415.2016.1160894

Abstract

The Northern Highlands Lake District (NHLD) is one of the few regions in the world with periodic comprehensive water chemistry data from hundreds of lakes spanning almost a century. Birge and Juday directed the first comprehensive assessment of water chemistry in the NHLD, sampling more than 600 lakes in the 1920s and 30s. These surveys have been repeated by various agencies and we now have data from the 1920s (UW), 1960s (WDNR), 1970s (EPA), 1980s (EPA), 1990s (EPA), and 2000s (NTL). The 28 lakes sampled as part of the Regional Lake Survey have been sampled by at least four of these regional surveys including the 1920s Birge and Juday sampling efforts. These 28 lakes were selected to represent a gradient of landscape position and shoreline development, both of which are important factors influencing social and ecological dynamics of lakes in the NHLD. This long-term regional dataset will lead to a greater understanding of whether and how large-scale drivers such as climate change and variability, lakeshore residential development, introductions of invasive species, or forest management have altered regional water chemistry. The purpose of the macrophyte survey is to identify, and quantify the types of aquatic plants within the various 28 regional survey lakes. The macrophyte survey consists of sampling macrophyte plants using a metal rake attached to a 15ft pole at approximately 140 spatially resolved points on a lake that are spread out in a grid like fashion, equally spaced from each other. Sampling locations were chosen such that the maximum depth at which macrophytes were surveyed was equal to or less than 15ft of water. Macrophyte sampling occurs in the latter part of the summer (after July 10) to ensure that macrophytes have had adequate time to grow and our sampling efforts capture the typical summer macrophyte community in each lake. Macrophyte sampling in these 28 lakes is ongoing and will be repeated approximately once every six years.