Wetlands of Calcareous Lakes in Central and Northern Minnesota

Series Description

As lakes are abundant in Minnesota, these are some of the most familiar types of wetlands to many people. These wetlands originally developed on lake edges after the glaciers receded from this area. Littoral wetlands support a rich array of Minnesota's biodiversity. Many plants make their home in this band of habitat around our lakes. Some of the more familiar inhabitants include Ceratophyllum demersum (coontail), Nymphaea odorata (water lily), Sagittaria latifolia (arrowhead), Typha sp. (cattails), and Zizania aquatica (wild rice). Invertebrates such as Decapoda (crayfish), Odonata (dragonflies), and Ephemeroptera (mayflies) also inhabit these areas as do several species of reptiles and amphibians. Many species of birds also utilize lakeshore wetlands for breeding and foraging, making the sight of Gavia immer (loon), Ardea herodias (great blue heron) or Ceryle alcyon (belted kingfisher) a common one in these wetland habitats. Fish, of course, are also found in the lakes of Minnesota. Common species include Perca flavescens (yellow perch), Stizostedion vitreum (walleye) and Lepomis macrochirus (bluegill). Many fish, in fact, spawn in these lakeshore wetland areas in the spring or summer, making these areas critical to many species.

Land use in the watersheds of these lakes varies greatly. Some of the northern lakes have almost entirely forested watersheds. Others contain significant amounts of agriculture and other rural developments in their watersheds. Lakes in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan region have watersheds that are largely urbanized. Lakes in Minnesota also differ in their recreational useage. Some lakes see many thousand visitors every year, enjoying activities such as boating and fishing.

Wetlands in 39 lakes were evaluated in 1995 for possible inclusion in the study. These lakes were identified with the help of private landowners, local government staff, County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and personnel from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lakes were rejected from the study if they did not meet the size and water chemistry criteria and if they were part of a flowing water system or managed as reservoirs. Problematic access also caused a few sites to be dropped from this series. The fourteen sites included in the study were chosen to reflect a land use gradient from least impacted to most impacted. The sites assumed to be least impacted, Greenwater Lake (GR) and Elk Lake (EL), are located in predominantly forested watersheds. Lakes presumed to be intermediate in their impairment, Nelson Lake (NE) and Goose Lake (GO), were found in watersheds substantially altered by urban or agricultural development but which still retain a sizable portion of their native vegetation. Sites assumed to be most impacted, Lake Henry (HE) and Lake Reshanau (RE), were lakes in highly urbanized or cultivated watersheds with little native vegetation remaining.

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