Clean Lakes 101: Monitoring a Century of Warming Lakes in Wisconsin
August 19 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Clean Lakes 101
Join Clean Lakes Alliance for Clean Lakes 101 On Tap on Wednesday, August 19, from 4:00–5:00 p.m. at The East Side Club for a presentation exploring how more than a century of water temperature records reveals the impacts of lake warming on Wisconsin’s lakes, ecosystems, and future management.
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About this talk
How have seasonal upper water column (epilimnetic) and summer bottom water (hypolimnetic) temperatures changed over more than a century in Lake Mendota in southern Wisconsin and Trout Lake in northern Wisconsin? And why should we care if our lakes are warming? This talk presents analyses of what might be the longest limnological (water column profile) record of seasonal water temperatures ever recorded – with only a few gaps since 1894 in Lake Mendota. For remote northern Wisconsin, Trout Lake’s temperature profile records date back to the early 1900s with extensive summer sampling during 1925-41 followed by renewed year-round sampling since 1981. Because of their long-term water temperature records, the two lakes are Wisconsin’s “sentinels” of lake warming.
About our speaker
Richard “Dick” Lathrop has been studying the Madison lakes for more than 50 years, starting with a 2-year EPA-funded water quality project that segued to a 33-year career as a WDNR research limnologist. Mid-career, while still working at the DNR, Dick went back to school to earn his PhD in Oceanography and Limnology at the UW-Madison Center for Limnology. Since graduating in 1998, Dick has held an Honorary Fellowship position at the CFL where he continues to work on their North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research Project. He also has been a volunteer science advisor to Clean Lakes Alliance on their Yahara lakes water quality initiatives, plans, and reports since Clean Lakes Alliance’s inception in 2010.
About our moderator
Dana Fulton joined the 27 Storm Track Weather Team in September 2023. Fulton was promoted from Wake Up Meteorologist to 27 News Wake Up Wisconsin News Anchor and Executive Producer and now anchors the weekday morning news from 4:30 – 7 a.m. on WKOW-TV 27 Wake Up Wisconsin. Previously Fulton worked at WISC-TV in Madison, WI and WACH in Columbia, SC. During her time at WACH she also worked as a Weekend Manager, News Anchor, Multimedia Journalist, and Meteorologist. Fulton is originally from Bartonville, IL and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Western Illinois University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Atmospheric Science from Mississippi State University.
Event details
This event will be held at The East Side Club (3735 Monona Dr, Madison, WI 53714). Doors open at 3:30 p.m. The program runs from 4 – 5 p.m. A Q/A session will follow the presentation as time allows. Complimentary event parking will be available at The East Side Club. Parking spots fill up quickly and may be limited depending on capacity. **Friends of Clean Lakes ($35 and above) receive ONE FREE BEER at each Clean Lakes 101 On Tap event.
Clean Lakes 101 lecture series
Clean Lakes 101 is a series of educational events open to the public and a great chance to learn more about the science behind the issues that affect our lakes. Each month we feature a different expert to make the science accessible and interesting to non-technical audiences. The series is produced in partnership with the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and Extension Lakes, with presenting sponsor National Guardian Life Insurance Company, hosting sponsor The East Side Club, supporting sponsor Johnson Financial Group, and media sponsor WKOW. Additional support is provided by Alliant Energy Foundation, Hovde Properties, and Perkins Coie LLP.
