A Day on the Water with the BAISS Boat Crew
The Town of Barnes BAISS boat crew harvested curly-leaf pondweed (CLP) on June 23 as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the spread of this aquatic invasive. Two divers joined the boat operator for six hours on Upper Eau Claire Lake. In addition to “bagging” a lot of CLP, the crew noted the presence […]
White Hummingbird Visits Sweet Lake
White Hummingbird 8/26/20 (Credit: Thom Storm) A white hummingbird was seen on Sweet Lake on August 26. While it moved too quickly to get a good look at it, it’s more likely it was a leucistic hummingbird than a true albino. True albinos have pink eyes, while leucistic hummingbirds have black eyes, bills and feet. […]
Northwest Cleansweep – Protect Our Lakes and Groundwater
Septic tanks can’t treat everything, so don’t pour hazardous waste such as paints, solvents, pesticides, antifreeze, and hazardous cleaners down the drain or flush old medications down the toilet. Wastewater eventually makes its way to your drainfield and joins groundwater traveling towards surface waters. Protect our precious lakes and rivers by properly disposing of hazardous […]
Playful River Otters in Upper Eau Claire Lake
A friend sent in this photo from a video he made of 4 river otters playing in Upper Eau Claire Lake one recent morning. He said he hadn’t seen river otters for a long time and it was fun to see them swimming past his pier. In Wisconsin, river otters are generally found in the […]
Prevent the Spread of Oak Wilt
Recent brushing operations on the River Road right-of-way damaged oak trees, creating the possibility of an oak wilt outbreak. Paul Cigan, WDNR Forest Health Specialist in the Hayward office, shared a flyer about oak wilt in our area and how to prevent its spread (click here). He also wrote the following: “Oak wilt disease was […]
FOECLA Awards First Student Scholarship May 15, 2019
Iris Wichman and board member Martin Olson. Friends of the Eau Claire Lakes Area is pleased to announce Iris Wichman is the recipient of its first annual student scholarship. Ms. Wichman, a 2019 graduate of Drummond Area High School, will pursue a degree in environmental studies at UW-Barron County this fall. FOECLA board member Martin […]
July 17, 2020 – Free Webinar on Wisconsin Frogs
Wisconsin Wetlands Association is hosting “Wetland Coffee Breaks” this summer. These brief webinars can be watched live and are recorded and posted for later viewing as well. On July 17, Rori Paloski (DNR) will discuss the mid-summer habits and habitats of Wisconsin frogs, as well as how to identify them if you see or hear […]
FOECLA Awards 2nd Annual Student Scholarship
Bode Rasmussen, a graduating senior at Drummond High School, has been selected to receive this year’s Friends of the Eau Claire Lakes Area $1,000 Scholarship. Bode will enroll in UW-Stevens Point’s College of Natural Resources in the fall. Bode’s chosen course of study strongly aligns with our mission to help protect, preserve and improve the […]
Happy Earth Day!
Today we celebrate this big blue marble we call home. By Michael Engleson, Executive Director, Wisconsin Lakes Today, April 22, 2020, is the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, a worldwide day of celebration and call to action to protect and preserve our planet that has its roots right here in the Badger state. In this […]