Current News
ULERCLC Meeting on Wednesday, November 19th, 7:00 pm at Washington Town Hall
The Unified Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes Commission (ULERCLC) is meeting on Wednesday, November 19th at 7:00 pm at the Washington Town Hall. Eddie Heath, Aquatic Ecologist – Onterra LLC will present results of the 2025 Eurasian Water Milfoil management program. Preliminary plans for the 2026 Eurasian Water Milfoil treatment program will be reviewed. For additional information contact Dave Mueller at 715-297-6636.
ULERCLC Meeting to Take Place on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 11:00 am at Eagle River City Hall
The Unified Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes Commission will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 at 11:00 am at Eagle River City Hall (525 East Maple Street). Click the links below to view the agenda and previous meeting minutes.
Eagle River Chain of Lakes Bat Monitoring Update
NPS photo by Neal Herbert
A group of volunteers continue to monitor the native bat population with an acoustic monitoring device for the WDNR on a handful of lakes on the Eagle River Chain. The lakes that were monitored this Summer included Duck (5), Otter (1), Cranberry (8 parts of the lake), and the Wisconsin River just off of Watersmeet (3).
As mentioned in the 2023 Fall Newsletter, starting in 2006 and confirmed in Wisconsin in 2014, an invasive fungus from Europe called White Nose Syndrome (WNS) has negatively affected our local hibernating bat populations, especially Little Brown Bats.
However, all news on our endemic bat populations is not negative. Bat numbers have been slowly creeping up. The Summer monitored sites have started to increase slightly. For example, individuals who have been monitoring bat houses may have seen populations go from 200 bats to 30 bats in one year and now it is slowly approaching 100 bats.
Bats are long-lived, up to 30 years of age. They generally only have one pup a year, that makes a disease like WNS able to almost wipe out colonies. It is very difficult and long process for them to rebound.
WNS is now considered endemic in Wisconsin. With bat numbers greatly reduced or non-existent at most underground hibernation sites. The site visits are being put on rotation of two, five or ten-year schedules, depending on their original population size, level of disturbance and species.
There are important ways landowners can help bats on their property. Some species of bats roost in dead trees that have peeling bark or cavities in them. Keeping those dead trees (snags) that are not a human safety hazard will provide habitat. Another way is to keep areas around creeks and rivers clear. These are both important migratory corridors and foraging areas. For folks who don’t have woods but are close to water, consider putting up one or more bat houses. Little brown and big brown bats in particular are known to use artificial structures.
Bats also have high site fidelity, returning to the same locations every year. Once you have an established colony of little brown bats in a bat house, for example, the same bats will return repeatedly. Females give birth to pups in early to mid-June. The pups are flightless for the first few weeks until they learn how to fly. In mid-July they begin to disperse, but the females will return to the maternal roost and share the same bat house with several generations. Information courtesy of H. Kaarakka, WDNR.
Vilas County is fortunate to have one of the most active bat monitoring programs in the country, thanks to many volunteers, including local ERCLA members. Currently, Cranberry Lake (Steve Skora), Duck Lake (Marc Groth), Watersmeet Lake (Ed Bonack) and Otter Lake (Jody Voight) have been active monitor participants joining hundreds of volunteers across the state.
If you have questions or would like to get involved as a volunteer, please feel free to contact Mariquita (Quita) Sheehan, Conservation Specialist, Vilas County Land and Water at 715-479-3721. It is Quita’s dedication to these activities that have made the Vilas County Program so successful and impactful.
Successful 2025 Annual Membership Meeting
Thank you to our members and presenters for making the 2025 Annual Membership Meeting a success!
The July 27th gathering featured the election of new directors, a comprehensive review of the past year’s accomplishments, and three engaging keynote speakers. A Vilas County Conservationist spoke on the health and ecology of the Chain’s lakes, a WI DNR Fisheries Biologist presented the latest fisheries population assessment for our Chain, and a Vilas County Sheriff’s Deputy spoke about boating safety.
Additional presentations included the U.S. Power Squadron with Dennis Schultz, Vilas County Land and Water Association with Tom Ewing, Trees for Tomorrow with Kim Feller, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission with Riley Brooks, and several other valued contributors.
Annual Membership Meeting
Our Meeting for Members of ERCLA will take place on July 27th at 11:00 am, hosted by Braywood. The first half of the event will include a business meeting with keynote speakers, followed by an educational session with food and beverages. RSVP to 920-428-6743 or [email protected].
Northwoods Pulse: Entities Team Up to Keep Buoys on Chain in Good Working Order
By Michelle Drew
There are 102 buoys on the Eagle River Chain of Lakes, from Cranberry Lake to the Highway 70 bridge on Watersmeet Lake that help boaters navigate their way and remain safe while recreating on the busy water body. But these buoys come with a price tag, along with manpower to keep them properly positioned and in working order.
The towns of Washington and Lincoln, in partnership with the City of Eagle River, team up to financially support the program as well as place and remove the buoys each year. Officials in the Town of Washington coordinate the program, and the buoys are placed under permitting from the Wisconsin DNR using GPS coordinates.
Dave Mueller Receives the Invasive Species Action Award
Dave Mueller, the Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator for the Eagle River Chain of Lakes Association (ERCLA), recently received the Invasive Species Action Award in the Individual Volunteer category. The Wisconsin DNR Invasive Species Council recognized Dave and presented the award to him on June 4th at the DNR Cranberry Station in Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Dave has been leading the effort to control Eurasion Watermilfoil for ERCLA since 2007.ULERCLC Meeting to Take Place on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 11:00 am at Eagle River City Hall
The Unified Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes Commission will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 11:00 am at Eagle River City Hall (525 East Maple Street). Click the links below to view the agenda, previous meeting minutes and 2025 Budget Project Cost.
The May 28, 2025 Meeting Agenda
ULERCLC Meeting to Take Place on Wednesday, April 30 2025 at 9:00 am at the Eagle River City Hall
A meeting of the Unified Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes Commission will take place on Wednesday, April 30 2025 at 9:00 am at the Eagle River City Hall (525 East Maple Street). Click the below links to view the agenda and previous meeting minutes.
Unified Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes Commission April 30, 2025 Agenda
Final Draft Commission Meeting Minutes March 20, 2025
ULERCLC Meeting to Take Place on Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 1:00pm at the Eagle River City Hall
A meeting of the Unified Lower Eagle River Chain of Lakes Commission will take place on Thursday, March 20th at 1:00 pm, at the Eagle River City Hall (525 East Maple Street). Click the below links to view the agenda, previous meeting minutes and signed Resolution.
Meeting Agenda – March 20, 2025