Restoring Lakeshore Habitat on Little St. Germain Lake, Vilas County Developing Best Management Practices and Evaluating the Ecological and Water Quality Benefits. A Final Report Prepared by: Dan Haskell School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI Michael W. Meyer Bureau of Science Services Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Rhinelander, WI Prepared For: Little St. Germain Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District Lake Protection Grant LPT344-10 January 23, 2014 Restoring Lakeshore Habitat on Little St. Germain Lake, Vilas County Developing Best Management Practices and Evaluating the Ecological and Water Quality Benefits Contents Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................................... 1 Recommendations to the Little St. Germain Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District .............................................. 12 Comments from Project Participants ............................................................................................................................ 14 Comments from Project Contractors ............................................................................................................................ 15 Chapter 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 17 Project Concept ........................................................................................................................................................ 17 Project Location and Regional Description ............................................................................................................... 18 Little St. Germain Lake Characteristics .................................................................................................................... 19 Appendix 1-A ............................................................................................................................................................ 23 Appendix 1-B ............................................................................................................................................................ 25 Chapter 2. Measuring the Ecological Benefits of Lakeshore Habitat Restoration on Little St. Germain Lake ............. 27 Background .............................................................................................................................................................. 27 Objectives ................................................................................................................................................................. 28 Methods .................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Landowner Enrollment .......................................................................................................................................... 29 Experimental Design ............................................................................................................................................. 31 Habitat and Wildlife ............................................................................................................................................... 31 Vegetation Sampling ............................................................................................................................................. 31 Habitat Structure ................................................................................................................................................... 33 Downed Woody Material ....................................................................................................................................... 33 Avian Surveys ....................................................................................................................................................... 34 Small Mammal Surveys ........................................................................................................................................ 34 Pollinator Surveys ................................................................................................................................................. 35 Results ..................................................................................................................................................................... 41 ii Restoring Lakeshore Habitat on Little St. Germain Lake, Vilas County Developing Best Management Practices and Evaluating the Ecological and Water Quality Benefits Landowner Participation and Restoration Effort .................................................................................................... 41 Habitat Structure ................................................................................................................................................... 46 Avian Surveys ....................................................................................................................................................... 48 Small Mammal Surveys ........................................................................................................................................ 50 Pollinator Surveys ................................................................................................................................................. 52 Local Economic Impact ......................................................................................................................................... 58 Appendix 2-A ............................................................................................................................................................ 61 Appendix 2-B ............................................................................................................................................................ 64 Chapter 3. Feasibility Assessment – Testing Methods to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Lakeshore Habitat Restoration to Reduce Overland Runoff and Nutrient Loads from Developed Lakes in Northern Wisconsin ............... 70 Background .............................................................................................................................................................. 70 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 70 Methods .................................................................................................................................................................... 74 Results and Discussion ............................................................................................................................................ 79 Chapter 4 Developing Best Management Practices for Lakeshore Habitat Restoration on Little St. Germain Lake and the Northern Highlands Ecological Landscape ...................................................................................................... 86 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 86 Restoration Methods ................................................................................................................................................ 86 Restoration Planning, Planting Density, Species Selection, and Planting Methods .............................................. 86 Testing Survival and Growth Rates of “Gravel Culture” and “Spring Bare Root” vs. “Nursery Container” Trees and Shrubs ........................................................................................................................................................... 90 Testing the Benefits of Down Woody Material Augmentation ............................................................................... 92 Erosion Control Methods ...................................................................................................................................... 93 Testing the Effectiveness of Deer Repellents vs. Deer Fencing ........................................................................... 94 iii Restoring Lakeshore Habitat on Little St. Germain Lake, Vilas County Developing Best Management Practices and Evaluating the Ecological and Water Quality Benefits LSG Restoration Results 2011-2013 ........................................................................................................................ 95 Plant Material Installed at Little St. Germain Projects ........................................................................................... 95 Performance of Gravel Culture & Spring Bare Root Trees & Shrubs .................................................................... 95 Performance of Downed Woody Material (DWM) Augmentation ........................................................................ 101 Performance of Erosion Control Devices ............................................................................................................ 102 Irrigation .............................................................................................................................................................. 107 Performance