Welcome to the Aquatic Invasive Species Program at
Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department.
Oneida County Land & Water Conservation Department.
AIS Events & Trainings
AIS Fact Sheets
AIS Species Locations
Lakes & Rivers with AIS
Outreach Programs & Services
Photos from the Field
Resources
AIS Fact Sheets
AIS Species Locations
Lakes & Rivers with AIS
Outreach Programs & Services
Photos from the Field
Resources
What are Aquatic Invasive Species? Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) are non-native species (e.g. plants, animals, pathogens) that cause or are likely to cause economic, environmental, or human harm.
Oneida County currently has 170 waterbodies that contain at least one of Wisconsin’s NR 40 Regulated invasive species. As a water-rich county, the impact of AIS would be detrimental to our waters ecosystems, recreational opportunities, fisheries, human health, economy, and waterfront property values. For this reason, Oneida County developed an AIS program in 2007 to protect our valuable water resources from AIS.
Our AIS Team works closely with waterfront property owners, lake groups, lake managers, organizations, water-related service providers, businesses, schools, and many partners across the state to prevent and manage AIS invasions. By working together, we will have a greater chance at protecting our valuable water resources for generations to come.
The core of our work and outreach programs consist of:
Economic: Provide education, outreach, tools and skills to empower citizen.
Prevention: Take action to prevent new invasions through new and existing pathways. Prevention measures are far less expensive than reactive measures!
Detection: Conduct AIS monitoring and water quality monitoring to detect the presence and absence of AIS and to provide a snapshot of the health of our lakes.
Rapid Response: Provide rapid response efforts to verify and contain new AIS populations.
Control: Contain, manage, and control established AIS populations
Do You Need Assistance with an AIS?
We offer a variety of AIS programs and services at no cost to you your lake group or organization. Please do not hesitate to contact us for AIS verification, guidance, help, site visits, technical assistance, coordination of efforts, etc. These programs and services include, but are not limited to:
Oneida County currently has 170 waterbodies that contain at least one of Wisconsin’s NR 40 Regulated invasive species. As a water-rich county, the impact of AIS would be detrimental to our waters ecosystems, recreational opportunities, fisheries, human health, economy, and waterfront property values. For this reason, Oneida County developed an AIS program in 2007 to protect our valuable water resources from AIS.
Our AIS Team works closely with waterfront property owners, lake groups, lake managers, organizations, water-related service providers, businesses, schools, and many partners across the state to prevent and manage AIS invasions. By working together, we will have a greater chance at protecting our valuable water resources for generations to come.
The core of our work and outreach programs consist of:
Economic: Provide education, outreach, tools and skills to empower citizen.
Prevention: Take action to prevent new invasions through new and existing pathways. Prevention measures are far less expensive than reactive measures!
Detection: Conduct AIS monitoring and water quality monitoring to detect the presence and absence of AIS and to provide a snapshot of the health of our lakes.
Rapid Response: Provide rapid response efforts to verify and contain new AIS populations.
Control: Contain, manage, and control established AIS populations
Do You Need Assistance with an AIS?
We offer a variety of AIS programs and services at no cost to you your lake group or organization. Please do not hesitate to contact us for AIS verification, guidance, help, site visits, technical assistance, coordination of efforts, etc. These programs and services include, but are not limited to:
- Provide education, support, training, program development and implementation, and technical assistance to individuals and over 45 lake associations and 7 lake districts in Oneida County.
- Conduct site visits to identify potentially new AIS populations and provide to education and guidance as needed.
- Work with land owners and lake groups to control, manage, and remove AIS populations. Some of the species we work with include yellow iris, purple loosestrife, flowering rush, Eurasian water milfoil, non-native phragmites, curly-leaf pondweed, aquatic forget-me-not, and rusty crayfish.
- Provide purple loosestrife biocontrol
- Rehabilitate and restores habitats after AIS removal.
- Monitor and maps existing AIS populations.
- Report data to SWIMS.
- Conduct over 1,200 hours of Clean Boats Clean Waters watercraft inspections each year. Our Team conducts inspections at the busy, underserved boat landings located on popular waterbodies, and have either an established high priority AIS or are invaded waters.
- Conduct AIS early detection monitoring & water quality monitoring on a minimum of 15 waterbodies each year. From 2014 through 2023, the AIS Team has monitored 150 lakes.
- Conduct AIS early detection monitoring at a minimum if 15 boat landings per year.
- Install and manage AIS signage at the boat landings.
- Assist the DNR with aquatic plant point intercept surveys
- Provide fun, hands-on youth education and field events, and we host an annual invasive species poster contest that is open to all 4-8th grade students throughout WI.
- Attend lake group meetings.
- Provide AIS education, training, outreach and technical support to empower lake groups, individuals, water-related businesses, lake managers, partners, and other stakeholders with knowledge and tools to prevent the spread of AIS.
- Share data with lake groups, lake management planners, DNR, partners and other stakeholders.
- Work closely with our partners at the UWSP Extension Lakes program, WI Lakes & Rivers Partnership, stakeholders, and the WI DNR to ensure our efforts are consistent and coordinated with the states AIS protocols.
- Secure DNR grant funding to support our programs and staff.
What are AIS Pathways?
Pathways are the means and routes by which invasive species are introduced into new environments. Pathways are classified as either natural or man-made. Examples of pathways includes: boating, fishing (both open water and ice), fishing tournaments, waterfowl hunters, fish and bait production and sales, bait shops, marinas, dock and lift service providers, pet stores, maritime commerce, canals and dams, landscapers, and utilities. We provide outreach programs to several groups of pathways to help them learn to identify AIS and take precautions to prevent their spread.
Pathways are the means and routes by which invasive species are introduced into new environments. Pathways are classified as either natural or man-made. Examples of pathways includes: boating, fishing (both open water and ice), fishing tournaments, waterfowl hunters, fish and bait production and sales, bait shops, marinas, dock and lift service providers, pet stores, maritime commerce, canals and dams, landscapers, and utilities. We provide outreach programs to several groups of pathways to help them learn to identify AIS and take precautions to prevent their spread.
Check out the AIS Teams 2022 Summer Newsletters
Oneida County AIS Teams
Lake Wide AIS Monitoring and Water Clarity Monitoring Reports
Lake Wide AIS Monitoring and Water Clarity Monitoring Reports
Below is a list of the lakes that the AIS Team has monitored and gathered data from in recent years. Click the name of the lake to view the latest report, including aquatic invasive species monitoring and water clarity data. If you have questions about a lake report, please contact Stephanie Boismenue at sboismenue@oneidacountywi.gov or at 715-369-7835.
2022 Lake Monitoring Reports
Bear Lake
Big Carr Lake
Crescent Lake
Eagle River
Emma Lake
Hemlock Lake
Hilderbrand Lake
Hodstradt Lake
George Lake
Little Carr Lake
Maple Lake
Moen Lake
Oscar-Jenny Lake
Perch Lake
Prairie Lake
Sureshot Lake
Thunder Lake
Townline Lake (Rhinelander)
Townline Lake (Three Lakes)
2022 - Additional AIS Monitoring and Management Project Summaries:
Blue Lake EWM Monitoring and Removal
Buffalo Lake Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Summary
Holmboe State Natural Area - AIS Management Summary
Indian Mounds Yellow Iris Management Summary
Lake Tomahawk Yellow Iris Management Summary
Lower Kaubashine EWM Rapid Response Survey Map
Planting Ground Lake Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol
Virgin Lake EWM Hand Harvest Summary
2022 Event Summaries
Lake Nokomis Concerned Citizens Membership Appreciation Picnic
Six-County Lakes and Rivers Meeting
2021 Lake Monitoring Reports
Buffalo Lake
Gilmore Lake
Perch Lake
Sureshot Lake
Townline Lake (Rhinelander)
Native Mussel Monitoring Reports
2020 Lake Monitoring Reports
Alva Lake
Bass Lake
Bolger Lake
Dorothy Lake
Hanson Lake
Hawk Lake
Indian Lake
Pelican Lake
Rice Lake
Sevenmile Lake
Two Sisters Lake
2022 Lake Monitoring Reports
Bear Lake
Big Carr Lake
Crescent Lake
Eagle River
Emma Lake
Hemlock Lake
Hilderbrand Lake
Hodstradt Lake
George Lake
Little Carr Lake
Maple Lake
Moen Lake
Oscar-Jenny Lake
Perch Lake
Prairie Lake
Sureshot Lake
Thunder Lake
Townline Lake (Rhinelander)
Townline Lake (Three Lakes)
2022 - Additional AIS Monitoring and Management Project Summaries:
Blue Lake EWM Monitoring and Removal
Buffalo Lake Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol Summary
Holmboe State Natural Area - AIS Management Summary
Indian Mounds Yellow Iris Management Summary
Lake Tomahawk Yellow Iris Management Summary
Lower Kaubashine EWM Rapid Response Survey Map
Planting Ground Lake Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol
Virgin Lake EWM Hand Harvest Summary
2022 Event Summaries
Lake Nokomis Concerned Citizens Membership Appreciation Picnic
Six-County Lakes and Rivers Meeting
2021 Lake Monitoring Reports
Buffalo Lake
Gilmore Lake
Perch Lake
Sureshot Lake
Townline Lake (Rhinelander)
Native Mussel Monitoring Reports
2020 Lake Monitoring Reports
Alva Lake
Bass Lake
Bolger Lake
Dorothy Lake
Hanson Lake
Hawk Lake
Indian Lake
Pelican Lake
Rice Lake
Sevenmile Lake
Two Sisters Lake