Wawasee Inlets
 Nutrient Study (WINS)

What has Wawasee Inlets Nutrient Study done to help our lakes?

WINS helps guide us, like a map, defining where to go next. It explains breakdowns of external nutrient and sediment loads from the upper watershed and gives us data on where to focus limited resources.

 This year, we focus on Dillon Creek Branch and thank our partners who are helping to make it happen: Dillon Creek Branch land owners and the IDNR Lake and River Enhancement (LARE). Working together on this project (as defined by the Hot Spot Study), we can save 180 pounds of phosphorus and 58 tons of sediment from entering the lake annually.

 The WACF mission has a major goal: to protect the water quality of our lakes and streams by working in the watershed on erosion control and stabilization projects and protecting important pristine wetlands. Sediment plumes into Wawasee indicate the volume of sediment moving downstream, especially from Dillon Creek. The most severe bank erosion and soil loss areas have been identified and are targeted for protection.

 

WINS data has also brought our attention to the accumulation of nutrients in Wawasee. Total phosphorous loads exceeded target values significantly in all three years of the study (WINS Study, ECI, 2022). Phosphorus in the lake can be resuspended by deep-draft boats or boats not planned out in shallow water. Be aware of shallow areas!

 Don’t stir the bottom of the lake. Wawasee is a shallow lake. Most boating, including wakeboarding, skiing, and cruising, occurs in our shallower areas and just outside the buoy line.

Residency Time and Flushing Rate

When more water enters the lake, much nutrients and sediment flush through. Conversely, less water comes in, and more nutrients and sediment stay in the lake. Over time, they accumulate and can gradually reduce water quality. The difference in rainfall in the three years drove big swings in annual nutrient and sediment loads. 2020 was a dry year with an increased residency time (the amount of time that a drop of water stays in the lake) and reduced flushing rate (how much water in the lake flushes out annually) compared to 2019 and 2021. This drove a significant accumulation of phosphorus and sediment in 2020 compared to 2019 and 2021.

Turkey Creek and Dillon Creek had similar average annual inflow volumes and accounted for 53% of the total inflow to the lake. Over the three years, Turkey Creek and Dillon Creek accounted for 65% of the sediment and 59% of the phosphorous. In 2021, Turkey Creek accounted for 57% of the sediment and 43% of the phosphorous.

The data prompted us to look deeper at Dillon Creek and Turkey Creek to address important questions. Which Turkey Creek branch is contributing the most nutrients and sediment? Are the WACF-owned wetlands functioning properly as filters? To answer these questions and pinpoint areas of opportunity for remediation efforts, WACF is excited to continue WINS for a fourth year. In 2022, the gauges were moved further upstream in Turkey Creek to gather data designed to answer those questions. Additionally, we want to tease out the contributions of the branches of Dillon Creek.

In all three years, the amount of phosphorous, the biggest driver of excess algae and weed growth, entering and staying in the lake was higher than desired for maintaining a healthy lake. Taking action to change this trajectory is at the heart of WACF’s mission and is a significant focus for the next phase of WINS.

 

Three Years of WINS

Leveraging WINS Data to Drive Action in Our Watershed

We must use the WINS data and reports as living documents to drive action. Dr. Sweeten and his colleagues at EcoSystems Connections Institute have helped us understand how our WINS data can be used to build bridges and create conservation partnerships with the local agricultural community. With their guidance, we applied to the Indiana Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), a division of the Dept. of Agriculture, for a National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) designation. The Wawasee Area Watershed is the first lake watershed in Indiana to receive this designation. It is one of 283 small watersheds selected nationally out of roughly 100,000 to participate in this program. The selection of the Wawasee area watershed was driven by the WINS data, which showed how much nutrients and soil are being lost from farmland and end up in local streams and lakes.

The NWQI Readiness Report is nearing completion and has leveraged the WINS data and expertise of local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and NRCS staff to develop an assessment that identifies the opportunities for conservation practices, resource needs, develop goals, and establishes metrics to track progress. It also includes the development of outreach and education strategies within the watershed. The NWQI designation for the Wawasee Area Watershed will make it a priority watershed for significant federal cost-share funds for local farmers. This premier USDA program focuses on partnerships between federal, state, regional, and private resources to accelerate voluntary on-farm conservation investments that benefit soil health and water quality by reducing erosion and nutrient runoff. The funding will support projects solely within our watershed, such as:

  • Cover crops and no-till farming
  • Restoring and protecting wetlands adjacent to lakes, rivers, or streams
  • Other practices that help reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and reduce pollution

In this way, our WINS data is being used to create a win-win situation for our local farmers and the lake community. We all want the same things: healthy soil that supports profitable farming and clean water. NWQI funding can help create new relationships for all of us in the watershed.

We believe that partnerships with all stakeholders in our watershed—landowners on our channels, lakes, and upstream tributaries and our partners at NRCS, SWCD, the Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, and others—are the key to keeping our water clean and healthy for the future. This is the “long game,” and it will take time to build relationships and influence the need for changes.

    At WACF, we are dedicated to preserving the water quality in our lakes by taking action within our watershed. We are the only local organization doing this kind of work within the watershed, having completed 39 projects over the last 27 years.

     

    What You Can Do

    In addition to what comes in from the streams, there is run-off into the lake from our roofs, yards, patios, and decks. You can help:

    • Make sure any lawn chemicals used on your property do NOT contain phosphorus
    • Planting native plants as a buffer between your property and the lake to soak up run-off before it gets to the lake
    • Don’t stir up the lake bottom. If you see a sediment plume behind your boat, alter your speed to plane it out and move into deeper water.