The National Fish Habitat Action Plan has unveiled the 2010 10 “Waters to Watch” list, a collection of rivers, streams, lakes and watershed systems that will benefit from strategic conservation efforts to protect, restore or enhance their current condition.

The 10 “Waters to Watch” are representative of freshwater to marine waters across the country including lakes and reservoirs that are improving through the conservation efforts of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan-a bold initiative to reverse persistent declines in aquatic habitat.

The Action Plan’s 10 “Waters to Watch” Initiative was first unveiled in 2007 through its Fish Habitat Partnerships. Since 2006, the Fish and Wildlife Service has provided $8.5 million to support 188 on-the-ground projects in 36 states, leveraging $20 million in partner match, to address the priorities of the Fish Habitat Partnerships, along with funding from several other State and Federal Agencies and NGO’s.

Diamond Lake, Iowa -(National Fish Habitat Partnership – Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership)

This project focuses on improving water quality by shifting the lake to a clear water state using water-level management to consolidate bottom sediments, re-establish aquatic plants, and control common carp populations. The restoration of Diamond Lake is Iowa’s inaugural shallow lake restoration project providing resource management professionals with experience and expertise for managing shallow lakes. The project also provides stakeholders a demonstration of the restoration potential for other shallow lakes.

The only other nearby lake named on the list was Lake Vermilion, in MN.

This restoration project, under the Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership, through the National Fish Habitat Action Plan involves Diamond Lake, a 166-acre shallow natural lake in northwest Iowa. Historical records indicate this lake once had a thriving and diverse aquatic plant community, clear water, and a healthy aquatic ecosystem. For the past 80-100 years, however, the lake has exhibited poor water quality, excessive blue-green algal growth, and extremely limited fisheries and wildlife habitat.

This project focuses on improving water quality by shifting the lake to a clear water state using water-level management to consolidate bottom sediments, re-establish aquatic plants, and control common carp populations. The restoration of Diamond Lake is Iowa’s inaugural shallow lake restoration project providing resource management professionals with experience and expertise for managing shallow lakes. The project also provides stakeholders a demonstration of the restoration potential for other shallow lakes.

During winter 2006-07, the initial efforts to enhance this 166-acre basin were completed with the installation of a drawdown tile designed to allow the lake to be periodically dewatered to eliminate rough fish and to allow for the germination of aquatic plants and consolidation of bottom sediments. A winter rotenone project in January 2008 eliminated the few remaining rough fish in the lake. Excessive rain in late summer 2007 prevented a successful drawdown. However, a successful drawdown was realized in summer 2008 through the continuous use of the drawdown tile and the temporary use of an auxiliary diesel pump, which was purchased with Lake Restoration funds. The outlet of the lake was also lowered about one-half of a foot to a more natural elevation, which will prevent excessive shoreline erosion, tree toppling and should provide for water levels more conducive to aquatic plant growth. Despite a cool spring, re-growth of vegetation did well over the summer.

A “reef” fish barrier was installed during winter 2008-09 to prevent the re-infestation of rough fish into Diamond Lake. The barrier is best described as a flow-through rock weir. At present, the lake contains exceptionally clear water and has diversified stands of emergent vegetation on the lake’s perimeter and sub-mergent vegetation within the lake. Migratory bird use has been excellent with several thousand shore birds and waterfowl observed on the lake during early fall 2009. Fingerling yellow perch were stocked spring 2009 and northern pike will be stocked in 2010.

This is the Diamond Lake in Northern Iowa, off Hwy 86 , not the Diamond Lake near Montezuma, off HWY 63 near Lake Ponderosa.

The Rockwell City Community Center was filled to standing room only during the public meeting. More than 100 people came to voice their concerns and hear what the DNR has in store. At the meeting, DNR officials informed residents of the Rockwell City and Twin Lakes area of the process involved in lake restoration, while clarifying rumors of South Twin’s future.

“We have no definite plans at this time,” said Jim Wahl, regional fishery supervisor with the DNR. “The idea now is just to share information. The DNR feels that South Twin Lake is not living up to its full potential.”

Mike McGhee, Iowa lakes program manager for the DNR, said there are currently 131 lakes within the state that are considered prioritized lakes. These lakes are observed for their water quality, public benefit and feasibility of restoration.

“With this project, we would like to see water clarity of 4 to 5 feet during the months of April through September, keep beaches to recreational standards and create and maintain a healthy aquatic environment,” said McGhee when explaining what the potential outcomes of the shallow lake improvement project would be.

Doug Janke, DNR shallow lakes project manager, said South Twin Lake would benefit from the improvement project because recent tests indicate that its water clarity is only about 6 inches.

“The goal is to improve water quality in the lakes,” he said. “But first you must improve the clarity.”

Janke also informed those in attendance that another project goal is to improve the plant population within the lake. More plant growth would likely require the lake to be drained and dried to rid the lake of unfavorable fish, such as carp. This would allow sediment to settle to the bottom and create a mud flat in which new plants can grow.

Currently, there are only five known species of plant life in South Twin Lake. An improvement project to Diamond Lake in northwest Iowa, similar to that proposed for South Twin, resulted in an increase from three known plant species to 24.

“Vegetation is an important part of this project,” said Lannie Miller, a DNR fishery biologist.

One rumor Janke and Mike Mahn, a DNR wildlife biologist clarified is that the project doesn’t mean the lake would not be permanently lowered.

“This is an issue that has been met with a lot of controversy,” said Mahn. “We will need to drain the lake, but it’s still too early to discuss any specifics on how it would be done.”

While DNR officials feel Twin Lakes would benefit from the project, some Twin Lakes residents, such as Dave and Mary Gidel, feel the lake should simply be dredged and be given more access points. They believe the lake is good as it is for sailing, wakeboarding and fishing, but its boat ramp, which lacks a dock, keeps it underutilized.

The future of South Twin Lake will be up for discussion this evening in Rockwell City.

However, a decision on what alterations will be made to the rural Calhoun County lake is more than a year away, according to Doug Janke, a wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

A public meeting will be held tonight in Rockwell City. The gathering will allow people to voice their opinions and hear what the DNR has to say about the 600-acre body of water, Janke said.

According to Janke, the ultimate goal of any project will be to restore water quality and aquatic health to South Twin Lake – a shallower, more rustic counterpart to the adjacent North Twin Lake, a popular site for boating and fishing.

The first step of the improvement program is to collect data on the lake’s water quality and quantity of fish, wildlife. aquatic plant and invertebrates in the lake. Monitoring of South Twin Lake began in 2006, with results indicating the renovation project would significantly improve the quality of its water.

Currently, funding is available for a feasibility study to help determine what is possible for the lake, Janke said.

That study is scheduled to begin in 2010 and to take between six to eight months, he said.

In the future, South Twin could fall under the auspices of the DNR’s Shallow Lakes program, which would involve draining the lake to establish new mud flats and reduce the presence of unfavorable species like carp, which stir up sediment that prevents sunlight from permeating the lake and promoting plant growth.

Other Iowa lakes included in the Shallow Lakes program are Diamond Lake near Lake Okoboji and Big Wall Lake in Wright County. However, if such a course of action is pursued, it would not be for several years. As of now there have been no decisions made to go ahead with anything in particular.

Some owners of property adjacent to the lake oppose the shallow option. Mary Gidel, who, along with her husband Dave Gidel, resides year-round at South Twin Lake, said she would sooner see the lake dredged to make it more appropriate for boating and fishing.

Gidel said that South Twin is used for sailboating, wakeboarding and fishing, but inadequate facilities leave the lake underutilized. There is only a primitive boat ramp without a dock. South Twin Lake was historically deeper than its current depth of approximately seven feet. They dredged the north lake in 1939 and put the sludge into the south lake.

The Twin Lakes are not controlled by the Army Corp of Engineers and there are homes on the lake. Recently the lake has added a recreation trail and has a 9 hole golf course on the lake.

MAP (PDF)