CLEAN LAKES 101: The Mystery of Spring’s Clear-Water Phase in Wisconsin Lakes

Join us for Clean Lakes 101 on Wednesday, April 8, at The East Side Club from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. UW-Madison Limnologist Hilary Dugan will explain how booming spring zooplankton populations trigger Wisconsin lakes’ brief but dramatic “clear-water phase,” and explore the powerful mix of temperature, light, nutrients, and predator–prey dynamics that make it all happen.

Each spring, many lakes in Wisconsin undergo a remarkable transformation. They suddenly turn strikingly clear. This “clear-water phase” happens when booming populations of tiny zooplankton rapidly graze down spring algae, briefly reshaping the entire food web. In this talk, Dugan will explore how temperature, light, nutrients, and predator–prey interactions combine to create one of the most dramatic and short-lived events in our lakes.

Event Website