Lake Superior North Watershed Restoration and Protection (WRAPS) Lakes Paleolimnological Investigation

Concern for Deer Yard and Poplar lakes centers on their current trends of decreasing water transparencies often associated with phosphorus or sediment increases. Although both lakes still meet nutrient goals, trends in Secchi depth may presage emerging issues with the state of the lakes. This has further led to questions whether the productivity of the lakes have changed over time, what the natural or historical condition of the lakes were, what the current trajectory of each lake is, and how to best set management goals. Paleolimnological techniques reconstruct the nutrient and algal history and trends in sedimentation of these two lakes.

The data collected in this project is the foundation for an accurate protection implementation strategy design for the future management of these lakes and timely completion of the Lake Superior North Watershed Restoration And Protection Strategy (WRAPS) to be completed in 2017/2018.