Mirroring an alarming trend taking place across the state, various non-native and potentially harmful plants have invaded the area’s lakes, including Lake Altoona, raising concerns about their possible ecological and economic impacts.

   For now, the situation in the region appears optimistic, said Jo Heuschele, aquatic invasive species coordinator at Fall Creek’s Beaver Creek Reserve (BCR) Citizen Science Center. But how long the area’s lakes will stay clear of invasive species, which are known to disturb local ecosystems and economies, might be anybody’s guess.
   “The amount of lakes in our area that have invasive species are relatively small,” Heuschele said, but added that the number of lakes at risk of introducing species is “very large.”
   Altoona resident and Eau Claire County Conservation Warden Scott Thiede said that a 2003 report by DNR official Deborah Konkel indicated that curly-leaf pondweed, a potentially harmful invasive species, had been spotted in Lake Altoona. No official research has been done on Lake Altoona since 2003, though a fish population survey done recently found no new invasive species in the lake.
   Curly-leaf pondweed was deemed “particularly problematic” in a 2003 state report compiled in part by the DNR. However, both Thiede and Konkel said the species has integrated healthily into the lake’s ecosystem and has not been a nuisance here.
   “Lake Altoona’s in good condition,” Thiede said, explaining that for now, the situation here is positive. “We’re not experiencing much with invasive species.”
   Pondweed is commonly associated with summer algae blooms, which are not an invasive species but have become a problem recently in Lake Altoona. However, Konkel said the lake’s pondweed population is too small to cause blooms – instead, she said nutrients coming into the lake from the river are probably responsible.
   “At this point, Lake Altoona’s (pondweed) population is not that big,” said Konkel, a water resource specialist for the DNR who often works with aquatic plant species.
   The BCR is scheduled to begin monitoring Lake Altoona next summer as part of a three-year project to check 130 regional lakes for six invasive species, all of which Heuschele said can cause economic and ecological harm. Curly-leaf pondweed is among the six species the center will monitor for.
   Laws are now aimed at preventing the spread of invasive species to new bodies of water here. Among other things, boat owners are now required to remove plants and weeds from their boats before placing it in a lake; failing to do so can result in penalties of more than $150. Boaters are also asked not to take live fish from a lake (to prevent putting a potentially diseased fish in a new lake) and to drain their boats of water.
   Altoona resident and fisherman Chuck Rauscher acknowledged that he is confused with some of the laws and believes following them may be difficult, but said he is happy nevertheless to see they are in place.
   “I’m glad to see the laws are there,” he said. “Right now I don’t have any problem with it.”
   Thiede hopes more fishermen agree with Rauscher.
   “Lake Altoona is in such good condition and absent of aquatic invasive species,” said Thiede. “Boaters have to be careful not to take it for granted.”