Lake Redstone Protection District
Geese Roundup Recap
Photo courtesy of Maureen Harrel
On Thursday, June 26th, the USDA, with assistance from Lake Redstone volunteers, did a geese roundup. The roundup, and a public information meeting, was announced via various U.S mail, email, and social media methods starting in April. The public meeting was held by the USDA on a Saturday in May to present the process, answer questions, and address any concerns. No concerns were voiced.
The Lake Redstone Protection District funded the roundup, due to the negative impacts that geese have on water quality. E.g. each goose produces 1-2 pounds of feces per day which is loaded with "natural fertilizers" (phosphorus, nitrogren, and potassium), as well as bacteria and parasites. The fecal matter goes directly in to the water, or is washed into the water during rains from properties lacking adequate runoff prevention methods.
Here was the process and results, by the numbers.
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215 property owners submitted a permission slip for their property to be used as a collection point.
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Seven boats were used to find groups of birds and help the USDA boat guide them to shore.
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Eight shore volunteers helped identify groups of birds and the appropriate collection properties.
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The birds were collected in six different locations where the largest number of birds were located. The total time was about 2 hours and 45 minutes.
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188 birds were captured by the eight person USDA crew. 88 adults and 100 juveniles.
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Ten percent of the adults have been/will be tested and if they pass for human consumption, all adults will be donated to food pantries.
A second roundup is budgeted for next year. Per the USDA, who has been doing geese roundups in the area since 1999, this will not need to be a regular activity. If you are interested in adding your property to the permission list as a possible collection point before next year’s round up, Pease complete the Permission Form and return it to the LRPD.
The form can be mailed to:
Lake Redstone Protection District
PO Box 313
La Valle, WI 53941
Or emailed to: lrpd.board@gmail.com
For more information, please see page 7 of the Spring 2025 Newsletter
Update on brown color in Lake Redstone water
A few weeks ago, the LRPD board provided information about possible reasons for the poor water clarity and the brown color in lake water this spring. At that time, we suggested the cause was a springtime bloom of diatoms, a type of algae. We also mentioned that water samples were sent to the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene to confirm or refute this idea. The results of this analysis were recently obtained, and we are writing to provide an update.
While algal identification analyses showed that a few diatom cells were present in lake water, the most abundant organism was Limnothrix, which constituted more than 98 % of the cells present in samples taken at two different lake locations. Because none of us had heard of Limnothrix, we consulted folks at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and other resources available to us.
Limnothrix is a relatively common grouping of cyanobacteria that has some unusual features. Some strains have auxiliary photosynthetic pigments, which probably accounts for the brown color. Many strains can grow in cool water, which likely accounts for its extreme abundance that reduced water clarity and increased chlorophyll levels in May.
The good news is that the Limnothrix bloom has passed. Water sampling was performed again on June 16. The results showed that the brown color has disappeared, water clarity was greatly improved, and chlorophyll levels returned to those normally seen at this time of year. We are still waiting for results of the algal identification studies, but the improved water clarity and reduced chlorophyll levels indicates the Limnothrix bloom is over.
Meanwhile the LRPD board members continue to consult with experts to answer important questions. For example, why did Lake Redstone experience a Limnothrix bloom in 2025? Is it likely to happen again in future years? Does this springtime bloom make it more or less likely that we will have green algal blooms in summer, like we experienced in 2024? As we learn more, we will share it with the Lake Redstone community.
Enhanced Wake Ordinance
A special meeting was held on April 12 between the LRPD, Lake Redstone Watersports Club and the Town of LaValle. A presentation was made by the LRPD and the Friends of Lake Redstone:
After some discussion a compromise Enhanced Wake Ordinance was proposed
The full Lake Redstone Protection District board has not seen or approved this proposal. A special board meeting will be held on April 17 at 6PM to discuss the proposed compromise and determine a response to the proposal.
Review Previous Articles
You can review previous articles at the Article Archive
Zebra Mussels
With the large number of outside visitors coming to the lake this summer, we would encourage residents to be diligent in looking for invasive species as you remove your boats and docks this year. A number of nearby lakes have zebra mussels. So far, we have avoided getting these in our lake.
If you suspect that you have found these or other invasives, please contact the board at lrpd.board@gmail.com.
