North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research Program (NTL-LTER)

The North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research Program (NTL-LTER) studies lakes and watersheds of the Yahara River Lake District near Madison and the Northern Highland Lake District of Vilas County from a research base at Trout Lake Station in Boulder Junction. Studies focus on fisheries, habitat, species invasions, water levels, climate change and many other questions. NTL-LTER is funded by the National Science Foundation to conduct basic research on long-term change in Wisconsin's lakes and watersheds, and to disseminate the findings to the general public and the scientific community. The organization is part of a national network of 26 sites. NTL-LTER provides scientific information to lake and watershed managers, and works closely with citizen groups concerned with lakes.

Outcomes

NTL-LTER conducted the biogeochemical, hydrological and modeling studies to design the current water quality management program for Lake Mendota implemented by Dane County and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Researchers have developed state-of-the-art models used to estimate risk of harmful species invasion for northern Wisconsin lakes, and pioneered methods for managing invasive species. NTL-LTER scientists, including UW-Madison faculty, postdocs, graduate students and undergraduates, make many presentations each year to citizen's groups such as Vilas County Lake Association, hold various meetings around the state organized by Wisconsin Association of Lakes, and participate in Governor's Lake Day. In addition, the organization operates a Schoolyard LTER program which provides hands-on lake science experience to children and teachers each year, with focus on third grade, seventh grade and high school. NTL-LTER scientists serve advisory roles at several levels of government, including Dane County Lake and Watershed Commission, various committees of the National Research Council, and international assessments such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.

Focus Areas

  • Environment

Counties

  • Dane
  • Forest
  • Iron
  • Oneida
  • Price
  • Vilas

Website

http://lter.limnology.wisc.edu

Partners

  • Friends of Lake Wingra, Vilas County Lake Association
  • Dane County Lakes and Watershed Commission, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, USGS
  • Public schools in Dane and Vilas Counties

Leader

Steve Carpenter, S.A. Forbes Professor of Limnology

Department or Other Unit

Center for Limnology

School or College

College of Letters & Science

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Project last updated on 5/30/2009