Thousands of lakes and miles of rivers and stream span across northern Wisconsin.
They’re a major part of life in the Northwoods from the recreation opportunities to the food they provide to the serene atmosphere that draws people to live and vacation in the region.
For 100 years now, researchers based at Trout Lake Station in Boulder Junction have been studying these lakes. The research station is part of the UW Madison Center for Limnology.
The Long Term Ecological Research Program
One of the critical things Trout Lake Station does is run the Long Term Ecological Research Program which was started in the 1980s. Its one of more than two dozen LTER sites across the country. It’s also one of the largest and most comprehensive lake data sets in the world.
“The research we do in thinking about these systems across multiple generations of both the organisms that are in the lakes, but also the people that interact with them, is really a fundamental benefit that the Long Term Ecological Research Program provides to this region,” said Gretchen Gerrish, UW Trout Lake Station Director.
As part of this program, lakes in the area are sampled every two weeks for everything from water quality to the zooplankton.
That data is shared publicly across multiple organizations to help researchers answer important questions about the lakes on both long and short term scales.
It’s been used to study things acid rain, walleye fish population changes, and changing ice dynamics.
This summer, researchers are focused on things like developing high frequency, temperature dissolved oxygen sensors that can be deployed at reasonable rates for lake groups so they can collect their own data.
One researcher is looking at how Eurasian water milfoil removal influences fish ecosystems. Another is testing new forward facing sonar technology that is controversial among the fishing community.
“When you think about the Northwoods, people here identify with the water bodies that they interact with,” said Gerrish. “It's why people live here. The water makes up almost 50% of our landscape in this area.”
Research like this is a risk due to federal funding cuts and policy changes.
Federal changes, local impact
Federal funding makes up about half of the operation at Trout Lake Station. Gerrish says because of reprioritization at the National Science Foundation, the LTER program could be in jeopardy.
“Usually by this time in the year, we have received what's called a request for proposals, and that hasn't come out yet. We did find out that we'll receive only 80% of our next year's funding, and beyond that, end to our grant, we're not sure if this program will continue,” said Gerrish.
Gerrish says given federal funding changes she’s celebrating getting 80% while also acknowledging its going to mean some cuts for the station.
“That 20% reduction will include probably a couple of technician and early career student positions we won't be able to support in this coming year,” said Gerrish. “We should be able to maintain the core bulk of the program, but we'll definitely have to be strategic in how we think about budgeting for this coming year.”
Earlier this year, the National Science Foundation announced new priorities including artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, and translational science.
Gerrish says it’s unknown if there will still be funding for environmental programs like the LTER program.
“We're kind of at a standstill until we understand the priorities that National Science Foundation is moving to, and also if there will even be an opportunity,” said Gerrish.
Lake health & the economy
Cuts to funding mean less research on the lakes and a direct economic impact to the Northwoods.
Gerrish says National Science Foundation funding received by Trout Lake Station transitions directly into the community.
“We use local contractors and pay all of our propane and garbage providers, all of our builders for new projects are all here within the area and within the community,” said Gerrish. “Our crew here leads a number of outreach programs, both for adults and senior learners, including Science on Tap. We also are in the schools many times every year, running youth programming, getting students out on the ice to sample lakes in the winter, and hosting our large open house event.”
Vilas County Economic Development Corporation highlighted Trout Lake Station’s economic impact in 2022 when it named the station its Business of the Year.
“What some people may not know is that Trout Lake Station is not only a freshwater research hub, but they're actually a local employer, and so the potential funding cuts would have a negative impact on their staffing, as well as our economy,” said VCEDC Executive Director Kathy Schmitz.
During the summer, Trout Lake Station has anywhere from 40 to 50 staff and students with about a staff of 10 year round.
The lakes themselves, which the research aims to preserve, are also an economic driver for the tourism industry.
“Our lakes attract visitors who spend millions of dollars here each year. They support over 2,000 local jobs. Our lakes boost property values, which make up a large percentage of the county's tax base,” said Schmitz.
Gerrish says, as a UW Madison field station, one of Trout Lake’s biggest jobs is training the next generation. Each summer they host 34 to 40 graduate students, early career technicians, and undergraduate students.
“These folks, as they grow into their professional positions, work in the DNR, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife, and other agencies throughout the Midwest, as well as go into private industry,” said Gerrish. “Water is an economic driver of the state of Wisconsin, and especially felt here in the Northwoods region. We feel that our work is essential to Wisconsin's economies as well as Wisconsin's waters.”
There are still unknowns to how federal changes and funding will impact Trout Lake Station.
Gerrish says as they look to navigate the funding insecurity, they’re trying to get the word out.
“If we believe in Wisconsin's waters, it's worth looking at the program and really understanding how our support could be advocated for at the federal level,” said Gerrish.
