[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]















                                      1994-1995 Bad River Wetlands Protection
                                     Wisconsin Coastal Management Program

                                  Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians

                                                    Final Report
                                                     1994-1995


                                              Contract No. 85042-601.8




















         y








                                                     Wz::












            This report is a summary of the 1994-1995 programmatic accomplishments related to wetlands
            protection on the Bad River Reservation funded by the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program.

             GB       information regarding the Bad River Wetlands Protection Program, please contact the
             625      qatural Resources Department at (715) 682-7123.
             V6
             B33
             1995









              Project Background

              This project provided the Bad River Band with a GIS specialist, Mark Miller, and a wetland
              scientist, Jim Meeker, to coordinate the entry and analysis of several important data sets in the
              Band's existing geographic information system (GIS). These data sets are crucial in the
              development of the Band's Integrated Resources Management Plan (IRMP) and will benefit all
              Kakagon/Bad River Watershed Project cooperators. These data sets have increased the Band's
              understanding of the size and quantity of their wetlands, and will enable the Band to identify
              detrimental changes. This baseline data and knowledge will, in turn, improve land use and
              resource management decisions. The ultimate goal is to ensure the continued protection of the
              Kakagon and Bad River Sloughs. These sloughs are the ancestral home and cultural base of the
              Bad River Band. They are also designated as a National Natural Landmark, and comprise the
              largest and healthiest estuarine system in the Upper Great Lakes Basin. The sloughs sustain many
              rare species, regionally significant natural communities, important fisheries and wild rice beds,
              and other resources.


              The Bad River Band would like to express its sincere appreciation to the Wisconsin Coastal
              Management Program (WCMP) for funding the 1994 - 1995 wetlands protection project. Support
              from programs such as WCMP enable the Band to build the expertise and resources needed to
              expand its capacity for self-management. Reaching this goal continues to be a demanding but
              rewarding challenge. We believe the Bad River Band has excelled in developing effective
              strategies for managing its resources, but we still have a long way to go. We hope WCMP
              recognizes the progress we have made and will continue to support the Band's research and
              monitoring efforts into the future so that they may become a model for other regional projects.

              The following is a description of the projects accomplished under the 1994-1995 WCMP grant.

              Completed Project Tasks
              Wetland Community Inventory of the Kakagon. Band River and Honest John Lake Com121 x
              This project resulted in a detailed cover type map and GIS layer depicting wetland vegetation in
              the Kakagon/Bad River Sloughs Conservation Area (Figure 1). The conservation area, which
              includes all reservation lands north of U.S. Highway 2, was defined several years ago to focus
              special management attention on the 10,000 acre wetland complex that is the heart of the cultural,
              spiritual, and economic values of the Bad River Band. While past research activities attempted to
              describe the wetland vegetation in a qualitative sense, this project was the first to provide a
              comprehensive inventory of all wetland communities.

              We began the wetland delineation project by reviewing the Wisconsin Wetland Inventory (WWI).
              While this data provides a reasonable description of the general wetland categories present, it
              lacks the detailed categorization needed to monitor vegetation at the community level. We did,
              however, attempt to preserve much of the character of the WWI to facilitate comparisons with
              other projects (Table 1).









                                Table 1: Compa          on of Wetland Plant Community Classifications
                 Kakagon Complex                       ACE Manual*              Wisconsin Wetland Inventory"

                 1) Forested Communities

                 Upland Deciduous                      NA                       NA

                 Upland Mixed                          NA                       NA

                 Upland Conifer                        NA                       NA

                 Lowland Conifer (Tamarack)            Conifer Bog              Forested, Needle-Leaf

                 Lowland Deciduous                     Flood Plain Forsest?     Forested, Broad-leaf Decidous



                 2) Shrub Communities

                 Alder                                 Alder                    Scrub-Shrub, Broad Leaf Decid

                 Low Shrubs (eg Leather Leaf)          Open Bog                 Scrub-Shrub, Broad Leaf Conf

                 Riverine                              Shrub Carr?              Scrub-Shrub, Broad Leaf Decid



                 3)Sedge and Grass Communities

                 Sedge Meadow                          Sedge Meadow             Emergent/Wet Meadow, Narrow-leaf Persistent,
                                                                                Wet Soil

                 Wiregrass;                            Open Bog                 Emergent/Wet Meadow, Narrow-leaf Persistent,
                                                                                Standing Water

                 with Sphagnum. Moss                   Open Bog                 Emergent/Wet Meadow, Narrow-leaf Persistent,
                                                                                Standing Water

                 without Sphagnum Moss                 Open Bog                 Emergent/Wet Meadow, Narrow-leaf Persistent,
                                                                                Standing Water



                 4)Aquatic Plant Communities

                 Aquatics                              Shallow/Deep Marsh       Emergent/Wet Meadow Broad-Leaf persistent
                                                      I                        , and non-persistent
                                   Weiland Plants and P&wt Comnuinifies of Minnesota and Wisconsin, Eggers and Reed
                                 "Wisconsin Wetlands Inventory, DNR Bureau of Water Regulation and Zoning

               Wetland communities were mapped from 1:9,000 scale color infrared photographs taken in Spring
               1992. Vegetation boundaries were delineated on' a mylar sheet placed over each photograph. The
               delineations were field checked by the wetland scientist and Natural Resources Department staff.
               Homogeneous areas were labeled with the appropriate classification code.



                                                                        2









             The delineations on each mylar sheet were transferred to.a geometrically-registered base map
             using a zoom transfer scope to correct for distortions in the aerial imagery. The base map
             included WWI boundaries as a reference. Where boundaries coincided, the WWI delineation was
             retained; all other areas were updated from the mylar sheets.

             The registered base map was digitized using PC ARCANFO GIS software. The resulting digital
             data layer was carefully checked for accuracy and completeness. Each unique wetland area was
             assigned an attribute code corresponding to the new wetland community classification developed
             by the wetland scientist.

             A report was written as an addition to the Bad River GIS User's Guide which describes the
             technical specifications of the data layer and the wetland classification system used (Appendix A).
             A final map (Figure 1) was created from this data layer which can be used for tribal resource
             planning.

             Bad River Reservation-Wide Wetlands Inventay
             At the beginning of our project year we received a digital version of the Wisconsin Wetland
             Inventory for areas covering the entire reservation (Figure 2). Our tribal Wetland Specialist has
             been using the data to assist with identifying jurisdictional wetland boundaries, and provide
             crucial information for identifying areas which are beneficial to the continued ecological
             functioning of the reservation's water resources. The data will also be used for invasive wetland
             plant modeling.

             Wastewater Monitoring and Analysis
             A major point source of pollution affecting the Bad River Slough and Honest John Lake is the
             New Odanah waste-water treatment lagoon. In addition to serving New Odanah, the largest
             community on the reservation, the lagoon also receives the wastewater of the casino. Twice a year
             and occasionally on an emergency basis, the lagoon is discharged directly into Denomie Creek,
             which feeds into both the slough and Honest John Lake. It is not clear how the stream and
             wetland system are assimilating the wastewater discharge.

             With the help of the Natural Resources Department staff, the wetland scientist placed 16
             periphyton samplers in strategic locations within the Bad River Slough and Honest John Lake.
             Periphyton samplers provide an effective and low-cost method to examine the effects of
             wastewater by measuring the amount of associated algae which develops throughout the year. At
             one month intervals, the samplers were removed and the dried weight of accumulated periphyton
             algae was recorded. An analysis of these measurements show a definite pulse of nutrient material
             entering the system early in the year, with higher concentrations found at the lake outlet in the
             latter part of the season (Figure 3). A complete copy of the report associated with this analysis
             can be found in Appendix B.

             The locations of each periphyton sampler were recorded with the Band's Global Positioning
             System (GPS) to within I meter accuracy. These locations can be revisited in future years to
             provide an ongoing systematic method of monitoring wastewater discharge.

                                                           3










             GIS System DevelQpment
             The GIS Specialist provided technical support, field assistance, and training for each of the main
             and additional projects accomplished under this grant. All data layers were developed using
             rigorous cartographic techniques to ensure the highest quality data for the Band. To ensure proper
             use of the GIS system, all new datasets and specialized processing techniques were included in a
             Natural Resources Department GIS User Guide. An example of the Wetland Community data
             description is included in this report as Appendix A.

             The GIS Specialist instructed the Natural Resources Department staff and wetland scientist in
             proper mapping techniques and GIS data entry and analysis. In addition to frequent hands-on
             assistance in the office, the GIS Specialist initiated a GIS training program at Northland College
             in Ashland, Wisconsin which is being attended by the Wetland Technician, the Forestry Aide, and
             the Tribe's newly hired Watershed Coordinator.

             Staff members were also provided with individual instruction in the use of the Global Positioning
             System (GPS) receiver. The GIS Specialist wrote a guide to the GPS receiver for the Natural
             Resources Department.

             Additional Project Accomplishments

             Bad River Cadastral Overla
             The Bad River GIS program has continued work on producing a reservation-wide GIS parcel
             coverage which will be linked to county and tribal land records. To date, all parcel lines
             excluding government lots have been digitized. The next step will be to digitize government lots
             and tribally leased lands and link all records to county tax assessment role databases. The realty
             program has acquired new computers and a network which will facilitate intradepartmental use of
             the GIS system.

             Corridor Land Cover Mappin
             Three field assistants continued to map land cover across the reservation. The vegetation
             community types are based on those described in Minnesota's Native Vegetation: A Key to
             Natural Communities. Cover types are mapped from 1993 WDNR Forestry photos (B&W IR,
             nominal scale 1: 15,840) and field checked for accuracy. Approximately one-third of the
             reservation was mapped in previous years, with an additional 28,000 acres mapped this summer.
             The Band's goal is to complete the project in the next year. This data is an important compliment
             to the forestry data provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. While the forestry data shows
             timber-related information on tribally-owned land, the new land cover data shows forest
             communities across the entire reservation, providing a crucial input to holistic resource
             management decisions.

             Bad River 1930's Land Cover ()Misconsin LaIld Inventory)
             The Band completed a GIS coverage based on the Wisconsin Land Inventory, a statewide land
             cover mapping project done in the late 1930's.. This coverage provides information regarding the
             extent and type of forest, wetland, and agricultural lands existing at that time. Continuing analysis

                                                             4









             will show how these lands have changed compared to present day conditions. This information
             will be helpful to identify areas which are failing to regenerate, and areas which may have suffered
             long-term impacts from logging activity.

             Surface and Groundwater Monitoring Program
             With the assistance of the Water Resources Management Workshop from the University of
             Wisconsin-Madison, the Band determined site locations for both surface and groundwater
             monitoring. Water quality tests were made at each locations. Resulting parameters were recorded
             in a database and linked spatially to coordinates in the Band's GIS.

             Wastewater Monitoring and Analysis
             With the assistance of the Environmental Engineering graduate students from the University of
             Wisconsin-Madison, a review of wastewater treatment on the reservation was completed. The
             group provided a report to the Band detailing concerns over present wastewater management
             practices, methods for monitoring water quality, and recommendations for future improvements or
             additions.


             Avian Diversity Censu
             A monitoring survey of avian diversity in the Bad River wetland corridor was completed. An
             avian census was also completed along the Bad River which is a part of a long-term monitoring
             program. An example of the results from this project is shown in Figure 4. Data from these
             projects were compiled and added to the GIS.

             Loosestrife Surve
             The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, in cooperation with the Bad River Natural
             Resources Department, completed a survey over the summer field season of loosestrife
             populations in the Bad River watershed using GPS. The results of this project were compiled into
             a database and incorporated into the GIS.

             Global Positioning System (GPS)/Digitizing Tabk
             The Band purchased a Trimble ProXL GPS which is capable of mapping features to within one-
             meter of their true ground position. The Natural Resources Department has initiated a project to
             map all forest roads within the reservation using the GPS. Staff members use trucks, ATV's, or
             mountain bikes depending on the terrain. The GPS has also been used experimentally to map
             wetland vegetation. The Bad River Wildlife Biologist has been using the GPS to record animal
             tracks which will provide the background information needed for a reservation-wide animal
             census.


             The Band purchased an Altek 36" x 48" high precision digitizing table to assist with developing
             new GIS data sets. The table was used to digitize data for several projects this year, including the
             wetland community layer.




                                                             5











                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Figure
                                                                                                                 Wetland Communities of the Kakagon,
                                                                                                             Bad River and Honest John Lake Complex

                                                                                                                                                                                Wetland Plant Communities
                                                                                                                                                                                     Forested - Upland Conifer
                                                                                                                                                                                       Upland Deciduous
                                                                                                                                                                                       Upland Mixed
                                                                                                                                                                                       Lowland Deciduous
                                                                                                                                                                                       Lowland Deciduous and Alder
                                                                                                                                                                                       Tamarack > 50%
                                                                                                                                                                                       Tamarack 25-50% wl Alder
                                                                                                                                                                                     Shrubs  Alder
                                                . ......                                                                                                                               Alder, Leatherleaf, Sweetgale
                                                                                                                                                                                       2
                                                                                                                                                                                         -50% Alder wl Grasses and Sedges
                                                                                                                                                                                         5
                                                                                                                                                                                       Leatherleaf, Sweetgale, Bog Birch
                                                                                                                                                                                       25-50 % Leatherleaf w/ Wiregrass Sedges
                                                                                                                                                                                       > 50% mixed Shrubs wit scattered Tamarack
                                                                                                                                                                                       Willow, Dogwood, Alder
                                                                                                                                                                                            Wiregrass Sedges w/ and W/out Sphagnum
                                                                                                                                                                                     Open
                                           Ali                                                                                                                                         Wiregrass Sedges w/ scattered Leatherleaf, Sweetgale
                                                                                                                                                                                       Coarse leaf Sedges and Grasses
                                                                                                                                                                                 M     Sedges w/ scattered Alder, Sweetgale
                                                                                                                                                                                       Sedges w/ Aquatics in pools
                                                                                                                                                                                       Cattail > 50%
                                                                                                                                                                                              -50% w/ Sedges
                                                                                                                            lik
                                                                                                                                                                                       Cattail 25
                                                                                                                                                                                     Aquatics - Emergents (e.g. Wild-rice), Floating and Submergents
                              Y                                                                                                                                                      Impounded Water
                                                                                                                                                                                     Open Water, few macrophytes
                                                                                                                                                                                     Road
                                                                                                                                                                                     Sand



                                                                                                                                                     TIv.



                                                                                                                                                                                ...... .. .


















                                                                                               Elm
                                                                                                                                                       F     P






                                     0      490      980     1470    1960    2450 Meters







                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Figure 2
                                                                                                                                            Wisconsin Wetland Invento
                                                                                                                                             Generalized Classes                                                                                                                                     7mergent-persistent
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   M                    Emergent-narrow Iv persistent
                                                                                                                                             Bad                      River Reservation                                                                                                                 Emergent-broad Iv persistent
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Scrub-decid
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Scrub-needle Iv decid
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   M                    Scrub-broad Iv decid
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Scrub-broad Iv conif
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Scrub-dead
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   0"I"'M I                                   -broad Iv
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Scrub
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Forested-decid
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Forested-needle Iv decid
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Forested-broad Iv decid
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       TIN".                                                                                             -dead
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   M                    Forested
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         -needle Iv
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Forested
























                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         .. ............












                                                                                                                                                                                                     .................. . . .


                                                                                                     ...... ..... .

















                                                                  INN W41,01









                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Figure 3
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    PIR @Mli
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       22  Ic
                                                                                fk
                                                                                                                                                                   it               i                         tt.
                                                                                                                        51M                                                                           . . . . . . . .
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           R            F               'IT
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          TH,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Periphyton Sampling
                                                                                                                                                                      11, H!


                                                                                                                       I i                               I l: g!                  ;1;4;;                                it           i 31
                                                                                                                                                                                                 IM                                          Dry weight values over three
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       X i
                                                                                                                                                                                                                              1,     i
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            30 day periods

                                                                                                                                  it;                  i                                                    it
                                                                                                   i t T          f              it        i
                                                                                                                           it 11                                                                            M
                                                                                                                  ; I       !I                                                                                                                                        Red               Time 1
                                                                                                      1%
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Green - Time 2
                                                                                                                              t             i                                                               it i


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       It
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Blue - Time 3
                                                                                                                                                                                 Gr                                                t
                                                                                                             i      it                                                                                                     10
                                                                                                                 T  it   i .                                                                           t    i       i      TYX     i   t
                                                                                                                 it it   i


                                                                                                                        i    It     X                                                                                 it i     !;it i t


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              -t          It t it
                                                                                                                              RN i
                                                                                                                      1;      it it    i                                                                                   I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   it i
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          It t
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          @ i i I                t i
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   1     H 1 1 it M.
                                                                                                                                                                                         Vh                                  1"; A
                                                         Group 5                                                     12          `@x
                                                                                                                                                                                                  'I N11n.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              i   it






                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     t          i    it

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           N
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 it
                                                                                                                                         Group 4                                                                                                                                                                                                           X
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   it      j;












                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  t  it
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  t  @1 .;I          I  It
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      I    X            i i
                                                                                                                                                                           12
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ni.;!1I I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              it
                                                                                                                                                                           -4
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Nil
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Grou


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 !!,!I
                                                                                                                                                                                      Group 1
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             HT            91




                                                                    j






                                                        Neo-Tropical Bird Survey Results                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Figure 4
                                                        Bad River R                                                                                     servation

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Total number of birds
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Average number of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        at each site
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              species at each site
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Number of Birds
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Richness Index
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     6
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1-1.75                                                                                                                                                        . .....
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        -13
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     12
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1.75-2.5
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        -16
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     14
                                                                                                                                                                                                                               jii
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              M
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      2.5-3.25
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ........ . .
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        -20
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     17
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ii:l: :17.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      3.25-4
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     .. ........ . .. ...
                                                                                                                        .... ... . ............                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      21                 -37
                                                                                                                        .. . .. ........ .... ....
                                                                                                                        . . .. . . ........ ....                                        V-1                                                                                                                                                                           4-5
                                                                                                                                   . .. .... ....
                                                                                                                                                              J:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ... . . . ... .... ...                                                                                                                                                                                                    . . ....
                                                                                           .. . .. . .....                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ... ..    . . ....... ... ....... ..... .       ......        . .....
                                                                                                                    .. ....    . ...... ...... . ..                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             . .... .. .............. .....  ..........
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   . ....       .......
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   . .... . ... .......





                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       .. . .......
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            .. ...... . .. ... .. ...    . ... .....                                                                                                 . .. ...
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    .. . ....        .. ....
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          . . . . . ........ .... .
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   . ... .......
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ....... . ... ..... ...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        . .. ... .....
                                                                                                                                                                                                      w                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          L



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              .. . . ... .. ...
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              . . . ........ .. . .            .                                                             .... ............ ... . .. . ........... .
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  .. . . . . ........                                                                                                                                                                                  ... . ..                          .... .                                                                               .. . . . . .. ... .... ...                    .
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ... ... ....                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          . . ..... .
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ... . ....            .. ...
                                                                                                    iqll;
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           b,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ... ... .... ...                                                                                                                                            ... ... . .....  .
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             .... . .       .... . .

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ... . .... ..
                                                                                                                                                                                                             7)
                                                                                                                 . ... ............ .

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  ..... .. . ... .....

                                                                                                                                                                                                          . ... ..    . .. ...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               ..........
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    i%                          i@@
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               . .......       Yi                                                   F.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        . . . .. .. .. ......



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         .. .... .                        .. . ...
                                                                                                            . . . . . .. ....... .... .                                                                                                                                                       .. .... . . ......
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   . . ........ .                                                                                                                                 .... . . . ... . . .....
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        .. . . ......                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     . .. ....... .....
                                                                                                                                                                                                          4liki;
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           .. . .... .. . ... ... .. ..
                                                                                                                        . ... ....... .. ..                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               . . .....
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       . .......  ........
                                                                                                                                       . . ........ ... . .
                                                                                                                                                                                   :J@ii@@1111:



                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          ... .. .....
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              .. . .......

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         . . ........


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    .... .                    . .... .



                                                                                                                                         . ... ..... . . . ..









              Appen
                                                                                                            coastwe


                     newcode                latest class code              8,c
                     digup                  lateset date digitized         8,c
                     upreason               reason for update              2,c
                     minunit                min mapping unit               2,n,O
                     basedate               basemap date                   14,c
                     photodate              aerial photo date              Kc
                     maptype                basemap type                   l'C
                     wet-id                 USFWS wetland code             11^0
                     jimcode                coastal wetland code           8,c


              Codes
                     The first four attributes are maintained by ARC/INFO. For more complete descriptions of
                     attributes pls through wet-id, please refer to the WWI data dictionary included in this
                     manual.


                     Coastal wetland codes Uhncode):
                     Forested - Upland Conifer                             UC
                     Upland Deciduous                                      U
                     Upland Mixed                                          UM
                     Lowland Deciduous                                     LD
                     Lowland Deciduous and Alder                           LD/AL
                     Tamarack > 50 %                                       TM
                     Tamarack 25-50 % w/ Alder                             TM/SH
                     Shrubs - Alder                                        AL
                     Alder, Leatherleaf, Sweetgale                         AL/MY
                     25-50% Alder w/ Grasses and Sedges                    AL/SM
                     Leatherleaf, Sweetgale, Bog Birch                     MY
                     25-50 % Leatherleaf w/ Wiregrass Sedges               MY/LA
                     > 50% mixed Shrubs w/ scattered Tamarack              SH/TM
                     Willow, Dogwood, Alder                                RS
                     Open - Wiregrass Sedges w/ and W/out Sphagnuin LA
                     Wiregrass Sedges w/scatt. Leatherleaf, Sweetgale      LA/MY
                     Coarse leaf Sedges and Grasses                        SM
                     Sedges w/ scattered Alder , Sweetgale                 SM/SH
                     Sedges w/ Aquatics in pools                           SM/EM
                     Cattail > 50 %                                        TY
                     Cattail 25-50% w/ Sedges                              TY/SM
                     Aquatics                                              AQ
                     Impounded Water                                       OWAN
                     Open Water, few macrophytes                           W
                     Road                                                  ROAD
                     Sand                                                  SAND









           Appendix B






                 An initial study of the aquatic productivity of Honest
                      John Lake and Bad River Sloughs using time
                                  integrating sampling devices




                                                Submitted by


                                              James E. Meeker


                                                    and


                                                Dale G. Soltis





















                                               November 1995




            Appendix-B,!
                AQUATIC PRODUCTIVITY SAMPLING                      Meeker and Soltis





                Study     overview


                      The Bad River Sloughs and Honest John Lake are a unique and
                important aquatic resource within the Bad River Reservation.            These
                waters are characterized by a rich and diverse assemblage of aquatic-
                macrophytes surrounded by a        mosaic of wetland communities and
                very little shoreline development.       Within this picture of timeless
                beauty are indications of the pressures of modern society. At the
                mouth of Denomie Creek are large floating mats of filamentous algae,
                one  sign of nutrient enrichment.          Given enough time and an
                expanding human      population, the nutrient contributions from the
                Denomie watershed, if not curtailed, could adversely affect the
                overall quality of the receiving waters.
                      The determination of the effects and extent of nutrient
                enrichment of an aquatic system over time can be accomplished by
                various means.     Measurements of water chemistry, such as dissolved
                oxygen, nutrient concentrations, dissolved solids, etc. is often
                prohibitively costly and labor intensive as many measurements over
                a long time period are necessary to characterize the problems.          It is
                particularly   difficult   to   assess    the   affects   of    intermittent
                perturbations by this means.     One needs to be present at the. time of
                a discharge in order to measure the parameters of interest.         A more
                cost effective way to assess nutrient enrichment over time, is to
               .monitor algal productivity.    The object of this study was to develop
                and test the efficacy of a monitoring system which could be
                employed over many years to determine changes in periphytic algal
                concentrations, an indirect measure of nutrient availability.


                Methods


                     The primary goals in the design of a sampling device were that
                it be inexpensive to produce, be easy to use, allow for modifications,
                and accommodate the testing of several substrate types on which





           Appendix B
              AQUATIC PRODUCTIVITY SAMPLING                       Meeker and Soltis


              algae can grow.     Figure 1. illustrates the device. It is basically a "T"
              shaped assembly of CPVC pipe that holds a .1 square meter (total
              surface area) piece of plexiglass on one side and a like-sized piece of
              fiberglass screening (pre-weighed to 0.001 g.) on the other side.          The
              substrate types were chosen to test the extent of algal colonization on
              the different surfaces.
                     Sixteen sites were chosen, nine in Honest John Lake and seven
              in the Bad River Sloughs.        These sites were then combined into six
              groups for data analysis (fig. 2).    Each group was chosen to illustrate
              the productivity levels of general representative geographical
              locations within the two lake systems including suspected enriched
              areas and more isolated locations.       Three replicate sampling devices
              were placed at each site and were submerged to a depth of
              approximately 25-35 cm. from the top cross bar and left in place for
              three time periods of approximately four weeks each.           These periods
              are listed below:


                                  Bad River Slou2hs         Honest John Lake
                                  1) 6/16-7/13                1) 6/14-7/14
                                  2)   7/13-8/11              2) 7/14-8/8
                                  3)   8/11-9/15              3) 8/8-9/13


                   At the end of    each time   period the   devices were lifted and the
              substrates removed     and picked clean of     invertebrates, if any.     The
              colonized plexiglass was placed in one        gallon sized "ziploc" plastic
              bags, and the screens were rolled and covered with aluminum foil.
              The samples were then placed in a cooler chilled with ice packs.
              Clean substrates were       then added to the device and submerged
              again.    After the day's   field.work was completed, the samples were
              taken to the lab where      the. screens were removed from the foil and
              placed in _a plant drier    for desiccation.   The algae colonized on the
              plexiglass were scraped with a straight-edge plastic scraper and
              rinsed with tap water into a vacuum funnel onto pre weighed llcm
              fiber filter paper.   The filtered samples were then folded and placed
              into the desiccator with the screens and dried for at least 24 hours in




                                                   2





              *ppendix B
                 AQUATIC PRODUCTIVITY SAMPLING                          Meeker and Soltis


                 an airflow at     43 degrees centigrade.       At this time the samples were
                 weighed     on an AND FX-200 electronic scale to the milligram
                     0                                                                  t@
                 .003 9.).


                 Results and Discussion


                        The following is a synthesis of the raw data summarized in
                 Appendix 1.      As the sampling periods are of unequal duration, daily
                 averages for each period were calculated and then used to
                 standardize each period length to thirty days.            Overall there was a
                 good correlation with the trends of algal biomass weight between the
                 two different substrate types (fig. 3).         Although the biomass on the
                 screens was greater than that of the plexiglass, the change over time
                 was very similar.      This relationship indicates that the extent of algal
                 colonization on the two dissimilar substrate types reflects a response
                 of algal growth to environmental conditions and is not an artifact of
                 the substrates themselves.
                         Figure four represents a summary of the changes in periphytic
                 biomass over time within each of the six geographic groups as
                 measured from the plexiglass substrate.           Figure -five summarizes the
                 biomass as found on the screens.            The numbers within the graphs
                 (figs. 4 and 5) indicate those              geographic groups which are
                    111)                                                    r-7
                 statistically different from the others     within a time period.       Since the
                 screen samplers were not employed at the beginning of the season.
                 the following discussion will refer to the plexiglass results for period

                 one.
                        It was surprising to find that the channel area between the two
                 lakes exhibited the greatest amount and the             largest increases     over"
                 time of a   Igal biomass as compared with the other groups.                It was
                 noted in the field that submersed plants such          as  Myriophyllum        just
                 outside the channel were covered- with periphytic algal growth.                The
                 apparently      high    nutrient     availability     within     this   area     is
                 understandable from the standpoint that this channel area is                    the
                 direct outflow for all of the Honest John Lake system, as well as
                 receiving nutrient inputs from the Sloughs, particularly during seiche



                                                        3




           Appendix B
              AQUATIC PRODUCTIVITY SAMPLING                      Meeker and Soltis



              events.   In addition, the shallow water depth at the channel mouth
              may allow a mixing of the sediments into the water column due to
              wave activity.
                    Honest John Lake at Denomie had the next highest amount of
              algal growth while the remaining groups exhibited relatively low
              weights which were not significantly dissimilar. Denomie Creek at
              Honest John Lake is the suspected primary point source of nutrients
              into the two lake systems.          This possibility is evident      by the
              occurrence of large floating mats of filamentous algae there.
              Sampling devices at this location during the first sampling           period,
              contained approximately twice as much algal biomass                  as the
              remaining areas.     As the season progressed the periphytic growth
              remained relatively constant (slight decrease) on the samplers at
              Denomie Creek while increases occurred at the other sites until the
              systems became more or less homogenous by mid summer (with the
              exception of the channel area).         A probable explanation is that
              nutrient inputs from the Denomie watershed enter at Honest John
              and are then dispersed throughout the system over the course of the

              summer.
                      It is interesting to note th at the Honest John east group had
              some of   the lowest biomass weights when compared within the other
              groups.   This area is geographically isolated from the effects of the
              Denomie watershed and the nutrient concentrations are influenced
              primarily by groundwater influxes from the surrounding peatlands.
              The low   biomass values in this area supports the contention that the
              remainder of the Honest John system is experiencing nutrient
              concentrations that do not reflect "normal" background levels.


              Recommendations and critique of the devices


                    The biomass values from each of the three devices within a site
              .showed good similarity.       It was noted in the field that when a
              particular device had significantly less growth than the other two at
              a site, that device was usually located in an area with more
              surrounding macrophytes (fig. 6).      This reduction of colonization was



                                                  4




          Appendix B
              AQUATIC PRODUCTIVITY SAMPLING                     Meeker and Soltis


              probably due to shading of light by the macrophytes and/or
              competition for nutrients in the water column.           Another problem
              encountered was the presence of invertebrates on the substrates,
              particularly snails.      While the numbers of         invertebrates was
              relatively small, their presence indicated that they had been grazing.
              The amount of material lost to predation was           probably relatively
              little . and would become even less significant with a sufficient
              number of replicate samplers.
                     Overall we feel that the devices are viable tools for assessing
              the extent and differences of periphytic algal biomass within aquat       ic
              systems.     As the devices are inexpensive to use they would be
              particularly useful as indicators of changing trends in aquatic
              productivity over the course of many years.       The present experiment
              showed relatively good replicability within sites and an ability to
              show trends between sites over the course of the growing season.
                                                                        C)     t@l
              The technique could be refined for future use with the following
              recommendations:


                     1)    "Fine tune" the devices by comparison with standard
              measures of productivity for one season.       It would 'be instructive to
              compare biomass values on the devices with estimates based on
              planktonic chlorophyll assessments.       In- addition, the collection of
              nutrient data for a season would further illustrate the viability of the
              present technique.
                     2)    Keep the devices clear of macrophytes.
                     3)    Begin sampling earlier in the season.      It is possible that
              the devices at Denomie Creek in Honest John Lake would have had
              greater algal colonization if sampling had commenced in late April or
              early May during spring runoff.
                     4)    Monitor yearly weather fluctuations.     If this technique is
              to be refined and used over the course of years, then annual
              variations such as percent sunlight, heating degree days and water
              temperature measurements should be accounted for when making
              annual comparisons of algal biomass.




                                                 5




       Appendix B
              AQUATIC PRODUCTIVITY SAMPLING                    Meeker and Soltis


                    5)    Establish more sites within the Bad River Sloughs and
              perhaps extend to the Kakagon system. Monitoring devices located
              near the center and northwest shore would help characterize this
              lake.
                    6)    Utilize one substrate type.   As there was good correlation
              in biomass between the two substrates, the use of either by itself
              should give similar results.    Processing the screens for desiccation
              was much less time consuming and required less equipment than the
              plexiglass samples.    Therefore, using only screens would speed the
              process up. In addition, the three devices at a site could hold six
              screens, giving a greater number of replicates of one substrate type
              for each site.
                    7)    Monitor periphytic algal species composition. While not
              directly related to the goals of this experiment, the monitoring of any
              changes within the major taxa of periphytic growth over the course
              of years would be a valuable tool for assessing, environmental
              changes in conjunction with the biomass.


























                                                6





         4ppendix B







                                                                 Yi


                                           View of














                                                           (D









                    Rit                   CFVC-                          CC-)






                                     St-,
                    q7cm Scl- evt S. r@
                                              31Y

                                     Port

                    Zqcm
                 0                  ?(Lx@i
                    @a. q x        Fi4e,@@5   sc-reav"





          Appendix B
                                                       Geographic Location               Device        Site Location

                                                       Honest John Denomie               1-9           Denomie Outlet

                                                       Honest John West                  10-15         NW Bay
                                                                                         16-18         Island


                                                       Honest John East                  19-24         Narrows
                                                                    .16-                 24-27         SE Bay
                                                       Bad River Sloughs Denon-Lie       28-36         Denomie Outlet

                                                       Bad River Sloughs West            37-42         West Bay

                                                       Connecting Channel                43-48         Channel




      37-42..
                          Bad River Sloughs                    4i48

                                                                                                Lake Superio,-


                                                                       10-13

                                                                                     16-18




                                                                                                           A
                                                                                                       19-21t

                                                     1-9






                                                                                  Honest John Lake




                             Denomie Creek






                                                                                      North



                                                          Figure 2





         A, ppendix B



                        Figure 3




                                   Correlation between screen and
                                   plexiglass sampling (compared
                                   in time periods 2 and 3 only - screens
                                   were not employed in time period 1)




                                 2.50-


                                 2.00-


                                 1.50
                                                           R   .927

                                 1.00-


                                 0.50-


                                 0.00-1                      7-
                                    0.00    0.50    1-00    1.50   2.00

                                       Dry Weight Plexiglaiss
                                                 (g/30 Days)
                                      /
                                                      13 13
                                                   ; 0 ,   -
                                            13  13
                                                           R


                                                    13
                                                   13
                                                C3



                                       13





          A,ppendix B






                  Figure 4






                                Plexiglass Sampling

                          1.25-



                          1.00-                                                    Channel

                                                                                   I-U-Denornie
                          0.75-
                                                                                   HJ-West

                          0.50-                   2 (all below)          ---- A---- HJ-East
                                  2
                                                    -----   --'@ \ ;               BRS-Denomie
                    I ol                          @    -       'w
                          0.25-                       .0.000.'..'"11-92            BRS-West
                                                               -A
                                3 .. ...............
                          0.00-
                                     1            2            3

                                          Time    Period
                                      eoooo@z




         Appendix B








                  Figure 5





                                    Screen Sampling
                           2.50-



                           2.00-                                                 Channel

                                                                          0      HJ-Denornie
                           1.50-
                                                                          E3     HJ-West

                                                                         ---- A... HJ-East
                           1.00-

                                                                                 BRS-Denomie
                           0.50-        M ------              2                  BRS-West

                                      %-.,A ................
                           0.00-         1                 1        1
                                         2                 3

                                            Time Period





           A,ppendix B







                          Figure 6





                                               Plexiglass Sampling


                                 .0.6-




                                 0.5-


                                                     (n=23)
                                 0.4-


                                                                                                In Open Water
                                 0.3-
                                                                                                In Macrophytes
                                 0.2-           T                                      Error bars       2 SE

                                 0.1-                    (n=10)


                                   0
                                                                       3
                                                         Time
                                                     (
                                                         22 33))
                                                      n
                                                T
                                                 0..O@









                                                              I - .



                                                                        3 6668 14104 3077