2026 VCLRA Winter Newsletter Published
Articles on climate impacts, connecting youth to clean water, reaching out to new shoreline owners, Blue Heron award winners, a new bill on wake enhanced boating and more…
2025 Vilas County Lakes Conservation Partners Meeting
Get the inside scoop on what lake organizations are doing in Vilas County with lake conservation.
Video Coverage: 2025 Six-County Lakes & Rivers Meeting
Did you miss our 2025 Northwoods Six-County Lakes and Rivers Meeting? No problem — view the full event video, speaker presentations plus event photos.
2025 six-county meeting presentations & photos
View photos and presentations from our recent six-county lakes & rivers meeting held on July 11th at Nicolet College.
Vilas County Northern Wisconsin ToolBox Workshop
Attend a free workshop and learn how to use a Toolbox to help you protect your lake – without the cost of a consultant and lake management plan!
VCLRA’s Summer 2025 newsletter has taken flight!
Read about our six-county lakes and rivers meeting on Friday, July 11th, an update on enhanced wakesurfing, VCLRA's Northwoods Businesses for Clean Water (NBCW) initiative, celebrating our night skies and more…
VCLRA’s Winter 24-25 newsletter is out!
Read about our revised membership process, a new state-wide coalition on wake boats, climate change, Blue Heron award recipients and more…
North Lakeland Woods and Water Conference
Our registration is now open for the 2nd annual North Lakeland Woods and Water Conference to be held on Friday, April 25, 2025.
Northern Lights dazzle Vilas night skies
My first northern lights sighting happened on September 18 of 2023; they danced so vividly overhead and I was awestruck! After seeing the first image on my camera display I was hooked! You could see all the true colors, and it was so beautiful and amazing ...
Video and photos from 2024 six-county meeting
Missed our 2024 Northwoods Six-County Lakes and Rivers Meeting in July? No problem — view the video plus event photos online.
North Lakeland Woods & Waters Conference Held May 3rd
The North Lakeland Woods & Waters Conference to be held at the North Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters, WI on Friday May 3rd, 2024.
Grade 4-6, Brynn Schillinger 1st place and Rose Redman 2nd place. Photo credit Beth Schillinger
Vilas Youth Conservation Poster & Speaking Competitions
Students from Vilas County schools took part in the Vilas County Youth Conservation Poster & Speaking Competitions, hosted by Vilas County Land & Water. Overall 84 students submitted material, and an awards ceremony was held at the Olson Memorial Library in January.
Fishing on Conover Lakes – a WDNR Fisheries Program
The Conover Lakes Committee is sponsoring a DNR Fisheries program: "Fishing on Conover Lakes" on July 12, 2023, 5:30 pm at the Conover Recreation Center. Please join us -- it's free!
2023 VCLRA Summer Newsletter
News about the the July 14th six-county lakes and rivers conference featuring a panel on law-enforcement challenges affecting the health and enjoyment of our lakes; update on wake boat resolutions and more!
2023 6-county lakes & rivers workshop
REVISED: This year's 6-county lakes & rivers meeting will take place on July 14th and include updates on Wisconsin legislation, invasives and other issues of interest to our lake community, plus highlight the role of law enforcement on maintaining the health and enjoyment of our Northwoods lakes and rivers.
Winter 2022-23 newsletter available
Our Winter 2022-2023 newsletter is available. Read about Hazardous Wake Issues, Blue Heron Stewardship awards, AIS prevention and much more…
Changing climate impacts our lakes
by Dea Larsen Converse, larsenconver@wisc.edu A recently released report on climate impacts to water resources in Wisconsin from the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) shows that warming temperatures…
2022 Six-County Lakes & Rivers Conference Presentations
View the presentations from our most recent multi-county lakes & Rivers Conference
Managing your lake shoreline buffers for healthy waters
06/28/2022 12:30 PM - 04:30 PM CT at the North Lakeland Discovery Center Our Northwoods lakes have a protective shield – healthy shoreline buffers! Join Mariquita Sheehan, Conservation Specialist for…
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com
Spring 2022 newsletter available
Check out our latest newsletter. Learn about our upcoming, 2022 Northwoods Six-County Lakes & Rivers Conference (which incorporates our VCLRA annual meeting) on July 15th at Nicolet College, which returns…
Northern lights reflecting in Plum Lake
Capturing Vilas County’s beautiful starry-night skies
My love for the night sky started when I was just a kid, as early as I can remember. I grew up on the south shore of Plum Lake in Sayner, which was the perfect spot to see the night sky. Growing up one of my favorite things to do (and my familys) was to take our boat out on the lake at night, we called it a midnight boat-ride. Once out on the lake you can see so many stars since there isn’t any light pollution near Sayner. That is where it all began.
Youth Conservation Poster Contest
Daryn Smolinksi, Mollie Waltz, and Clark Higley are the winners of the 2022 Vilas County Land & Water Youth Conservation Poster Contest.
The Vilas County Youth Conservation Poster Contest is held annually to promote youth awareness of local land and water conservation issues. Vilas County Land & Water staff partner with teachers, home schoolers, and other educators to offer lessons that meet academics standards. This year Land & Water staff were able to go into classrooms with soil samples and vegetables to teach the theme of “Healthy Soil: Healthy Life”.
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Attitudes toward aquatic invasive species
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison recently produced a report about lakeshore property owners' attitudes toward aquatic invasive species management strategies. The report, which summarizes the results of a survey taken by over 700 individuals identified as owning property on a lake in Wisconsin, includes numerous insights that can help lakeshore property owners and lake association leaders make management decisions consistent with their goals.
Living with Loons
In Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota, loons typically begin to arrive on their nest lakes around mid-to-late April. The first order of business is to establish a territory then attract a mate. This is done during the last weeks of April and early in May – then nesting begins.
Izabella Mitchell of AV-W Wins Vilas County Poster Contest
The Vilas County Youth Conservation Poster Contest is held annually to promote youth awareness of local land and water conservation issues. This year’s theme was “Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities,” and the winning poster was created by Izabella Mitchell. Her entry will next compete with nine other county winners in WI.
Debbie Millar (Ballard Lake) receives Blue Heron Award
The Vilas County Lakes and Rivers Association (VCLRA) awarded our Blue Heron Shoreland Stewardship Award to Debbie Millar of Ballard Lake for restoration completed on her lakefront property. This award was presented at our “Celebrate the Lakes Day” on July 10, 2020 via Zoom Conference Call. Congratulations to Debbie Millar!
Center for Lakes and Research / Flickr - http://j.mp/1SPGCl0
Beware of the New Zealand Mud Snails
New Zealand Mud Snails are an invasive species of snails originating from fresh water lakes in New Zealand and have made their way to U.S. freshwater streams and lakes. Although these invasive snails have yet to invade Manitowish Waters, they have made a successful living nearby in the Great Lakes. (more…)
Dissolved Oxygen in Lakes
Similar to the stratifying temperature gradient of any given lake, dissolved oxygen also exhibits a stratified nature that is directly influenced by the lake thermocline, and thus season. Dissolved oxygen refers to the individual molecules of oxygen taken up from the atmosphere and in some areas where groundwater discharge occurs. (more…)
Lake Turnover: Seasonal Nutrient Cycling in Lakes
Turnover is a phenomenon that occurs in terrestrial bodies of water, such as lakes and ponds, in which the water near the surface of the lake (epilimnion) is replaced with the water near the bottom of the lake (hypolimnion) to establish a homogenous mixture. Lake turnover occurs during both the fall and spring when the thermocline (temperature gradient relative to lake depth) is nearly uniform throughout the lake. (more…)
Shoreland gardening webinar
Shoreline Gardening for Healthy Lakes and Rivers CLMN webinar series May 5, 2020
Noah Miller awarded 2019 VCLRA Scholarship
This year, we are pleased to recognize Northland Pines High School senior Noah Miller as our 2019 VCLRA scholarship award recipient.
Ten Great Things to Know About Your Favorite Lake
A lake is a fascinating living system, full of mysteries and things to discover, if you look closely. Here are ten things you may not know about the world beneath the waves.
(C) Steve Kohls/ Brainerd Dispatch
Brainerd High School students Gavin Metz (left) and Abby Wohl-Kovatovich search for aquatic specimens in Boom Lake Wednesday as part of their biology field trip.
VCLRA Scholarship awarded to local student
The Vilas County Lakes and Rivers Association (VCLRA) was pleased to award its inaugural scholarship to Lakeland Union student, Joseph Boyle.