WATER QUALITY
Tabor Lake is part of the Wisconsin Citizen Lake Monitoring Network. Volunteers have been trained to observe and take water samples from our lake three times each summer. These observations and samples are taken on dates when a satellite is flying overhead and recording pictures of the lake. A Secchi disc is used to see how many feet we can clearly see down. In recent years the range has been from 13-17 feet clear! Water temperature is taken and recorded from 3 - 21 feet. The temperature is warmer at the surface and in the 60s at the lower depths. Water samples are taken from the lake and sent to a lab in Madison to be tested for phosphorus and chlorophyll. The purpose of this data is to document water quality changes over time. Tabor Lake volunteers have been collecting data since the Association was formed in 1995.
We have an AIS (Aquatic Invasive Species) problem! After the DNR originally discovered a small sampling of Curly-leaf Pondweed (CLP) in the northwest part of the lake, we’ve discovered a whole lot more in the North Bay. On June 5th, 2022, Greg Bauer, TLA president and Keith Mason, AIS task force chair, pulled about 3000 plants out of the water, using thatch rakes and how-to information from the DNR. But plants remain.
If we can be aggressive over next two weeks to remove more plants, we can greatly increase our chances in lowering next year’s growth. After two weeks, “turions” begin to form on the plant stems that make eradication more difficult. Can we get an army out to get rid of this nasty plant!!??
Please contact Greg or Keith to join the team! They will assist you in identifying and removing CLP. This will be an ongoing effort until we get rid of this stuff.
Keith – 651-276-4876
Greg – 612-910-5970
Here are tips on how to remove this stuff from Keith:
Are you interested in what you can do to maintain our water quality? Our resident aquatic biologist shared some tips if you’d like to up your stewardship game.
- Maintain your septic system
It is important to regularly pump your system. To be blunt, this keeps crap from spilling in to your drainfield. Also, never dispose of anything poisonous down the drain or in the toilet — it can leach into the soil and get into the lake. - Keep a buffer between lawn and lake
A buffer of just 35 feet will do the trick.
If using any grass food/fertilizer, choose one with minimal phosphorous to prevent algae growth in our lake. - Leave natural lake habitat
Leaving natural habitat in the water helps to prevent aquatic invastive species (AIS) from taking root and keeps our fishery healthy. - Time for a new outboard motor?
If you will be purchasing an outboard motor, consider buying a 4-stroke rather than a 2-stroke which dumps its exhaust with gas and oil directly into the water. - New dock or boat lift?
If you purchase a used dock or boat lift, letting it sit over a winter will kill any potentially bad hitchhikers.
This is a screen shot of a summary of information reported, click here for full report.
Secchi depths (how far down can you see), taken three times over the summer were 12, 12 and 12 feet (last year was 16, 14 and 14 feet).
This is a screen shot of a summary of information reported, click here for full report.
Secchi depths (how far down can you see?), taken three times over the summer were 16, 14 and 14 feet.
This is a screen shot of a summary of information reported, click here for full report.
Secchi depths, taken three times over the summer were 10, 13 and 12 feet.
This is a screen shot of a summary of information reported, click here for full report.
Secchi depth in July was 13. Chlorophyll was up. Water temp in June was 78 degrees, 67 in August.
This is a screen shot of a summary of information reported, click here for full report.
Here’s a chart from our Water Quality 2015 Annual Report. Secchi Depths are about 17′.
