Tracking Eurasian Watermilfoil in the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage
The Turtle-Flambeau Flowage (TFF) is a protected Scenic Waters Area and the seventh largest inland water body by surface area in Wisconsin, with an impressive 14,300 acres of water.
In 2023, the highly invasive Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) was found in the flowage’s quiet zone near Bonies Mound. The following year, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources asked the Burke Center to conduct an aquatic plant survey of the quiet zone to plot the full extent of milfoil invasion. The Burke Center partnered with the DNR, Iron County Land and Water Conservation Department, and North Lakeland Discovery Center to conduct this survey.
In 2025, thanks to funding from the DNR, the Boreal Waters Community Foundation, and the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, the Burke Center is conducting a survey of the entire flowage. The last time this was done was in 2019 by the DNR. The results of the survey can aid the DNR in determining a management plan for the flowage.
This project is led by Burke Center affiliated scientists Dr. Sarah Johnson and Dr. Erik Olson.
Why is Eurasian Watermilfoil a problem?
EWM is a notoriously invasive plant that has disrupted aquatic plant communities in many Wisconsin lakes. Each piece of plant that breaks off can take root and grow elsewhere, leading to high rates of spreading, which are known to cause:
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Large mats that block sunlight for native plants and get caught in boat propellers.
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Poor habitat for fish.
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A monoculture of EWM if not managed.