Project Update — Post-Drawdown Study of Forestville Pond in Progress
The Door County Soil and Water Conservation Department (SWCD) is conducting a study to evaluate post-drawdown conditions of the Forestville Millpond. Results will be used to assess changes in water quality, clarity, depth, aquatic plant community, and the overall health of the waterbody. Project deliverables will include a final report on the collected data and an analytical comparison to historic results.
The Door County SWCD also conducted a study of the Forestville Millpond in 2017-2018, via funding through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Comprehensive Lake Management Planning Grant Project. Follow up activities included a drawdown of the millpond from November 2019 - October 2021. The drawdown involved opening the dam to remove water from the pond.
The overarching goal of this project is to assess the physical parameters of the Forestville Millpond and quantify key water quality parameters to compare current conditions to pre-drawdown conditions. Assessment of current water conditions are vital to future management decisions, as well as determining the effectiveness of efforts made in the millpond and throughout the watershed.
Four main objectives will be used to address this goal:
Determination of current water quality conditions through analysis of water chemistry and analysis of physical parameters.
Survey of bathymetric features to develop an understanding of water depth and accumulated sediment on the lake bed. A bathymetric survey is a type of hydrographic (water-based) survey that maps the depths and shapes of underwater terrain to illustrate the land that lies below.
Survey and inventory of aquatic plants to establish species present and size of populations.
Compilation of data into a final report and dissemination of the data through outreach.
At this point in the current study, water samples have been collected and are being analyzed at the state lab, and a vegetation study has been completed. Weather conditions have prevented a bathymetric survey, but that is planned for the spring.
LNRP will assist in the outreach efforts especially downstream on the Ahnapee River with the restoration efforts at Olson Park and Crescent Beach in the City of Algoma. This project is currently in progress, so stay tuned for additional updates!