Lake Eau Claire Management Plan

Ongoing concern developed among the Lake Eau Claire (LEC) community that valued environmental characteristics of the lake had declined. In general, concerns were raised about worsened water quality, dramatic sedimentation increases in some areas of the lake and river system, and declining fisheries habitat. These concerns led the Friends of Lake Eau Claire to seek guidance from Eau Claire County Government and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Interactions between these organizations led to a series of scientific and engineering studies in the watershed that have provided valuable insight on details of existing problems, and potential solutions. The watershed problems were further validated by public survey results in the Spring of 2009. This helped establish priorities for developing a strategic management plan for Lake Eau Claire. A steering committee convened to assess information from the results of the public survey and the preceding scientific and engineering studies in order to develop a list of goals and objectives for the management plan. The steering committee was made up of the Lake Eau Claire board members, officials from Eau Claire County government and Wisconsin DNR, and representatives from local government, sportsman's clubs, local businesses, and other near-by lake associations. This board met five times between July 2009 and January 2010 and at each meeting addressed different management plan subject areas (i.e. water quality, fisheries, habitat, erosion and sedimentation, invasive species control, and recreation). The culmination of this overall effort led to The Lake Claire Management Plan, which lays out a long-term plan for addressing the identified and prioritized problems. Since inception, the Lake Eau Claire Management Plan has been continually reviewed and was updated and officially readopted in 2020.

The following documents provide information on the various studies and the reports that have resulted in the course of developing this comprehensive management plan for LEC:

LEC Management Plan Permits

ACOE 1998 Report on LEC Water Quality Study.
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Freihoefer, A. and P. McGinley. 2009. Phosphorus Loading Model for Lake Eau Claire and Lake Altoona. Center for Watershed Science and Education Report.
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1997 Ayres Sediment Reduction Plan, Ayres Associates, Eau Claire, WI.
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2009 ACOE Water Quality Siphoning Model Final Report.
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Results of the 2009 Community Survey of local residents and users of the LEC resources.
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List of goals and objectives arising from 2009/10 community Steering Committee meetings.
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Lake Eau Claire Management Plan Final 2020. Click here to Download

LEC Sociological 2009 Survey Report. Click here to Download

Dr. Rod Zika Professional Resume. Click here to Download