A report this week indicated it could cost up to $163 million to control an invasive species in one well-known Wisconsin body of water: Lake Mendota in Madison.
A Northwoods specialist says a few northern lakes have been infested with the spiny water-flea as well. The critter is a small crustacean that feeds on the native zooplankton, especially daphnia, which keep the water clarity high. When the daphnia diminish, the water clarity tends to get poorer.
Oneida County Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Michelle Sadauskas says Lake Mendota is an example of what can happen to a lake that's infested with spiny water -fleas in a farming area...
"....there is no management. We can't manage spiny water-flea. There is no treatment. We don't have a control method, so we can't manage for spiny water-flea, so how do we work on water clarity and then we look at the phosphorus loading...."
Phosphorus tends to feed algae, and without the native zooplankton, allows the lake water clarity to diminish.
Sadauskas says once the invasives get into a lake, it might be forever....
".....once there, they're typically going to be there. Some we can manage like Eurasian Water Milfoil, whether it's a chemical treatment or a hand-pulling. Spiny Water-Flea, there is no control. Like Zebra Mussels, up to this time when zebra mussels come into a lake ecosystem,we don't have a way to control that....."
In the Northwoods, Gile Flowage in Iron county, Butternut Lake in Forest county, Escanaba, Ike Walton, Star, Stormy, and Trout Lakes in Vilas county all either have had confirmations of the fleas or observed sightings. Sadauskas says to date, no lakes in Oneida county have been found with it.
She says cleaning boats and not moving water from live wells are very important to stop the spread.
