Little Rock Lake Paddle with John Bates and Susan Knight

Registration for this event has closed.  If you are interested in attending please contact Licia - licia@discoverycenter.net.  Thank you!

Little Rock Lake, just 1/8 mile off Hwy. 51, and all of 39 acres, seems an unlikely waterbody to be internationally significant. But it was, and still is. Rock Lake was the site of a 1983 study on acid rain that tested the vulnerability of our Midwest lakes to acid rain. The study continued for more than a decade as part of the U.S. EPA’s National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program.

Susan Knight, now a retired research biologist at the Trout Lake Limnology Station, summarized the importance of the research: “The study at Little Rock Late resulted in more than 100 papers, encouraged an international dialog, and ultimately led to congressional action and a decrease in acid rain. The results showed that Wisconsin lakes are susceptible to acid rain and established clear connections between lake chemistry, acid rain, fish reproduction, and mercury contamination. Several of the scientists testified in front of Congress, supporting both the Clean Water Act of 1987 and the Clean Air Act in 1990. Since these congressional actions, the acidity of the rain has decreased, and the threat of acid rain has lessened, quite a legacy for a quiet little Northwoods lake!”

Currently, Little Rock Lake is also part of the Global Lakes Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON), an international effort of scientists from 46 countries that has placed observation buoys at more than 100 lakes worldwide to provide data on a host of scientific criteria. Sensors on the buoys send data via satellite 24/7 to publicly accessible databases allowing scientists to compare lakes of various sizes, settings, and climates, all with the intention of understanding the history and future of long-term impacts of climate change.

Come join Naturalist John Bates and Susan Knight to learn more about the scientific research that has and still is taking place there, along with John Bates who will add observations of the flora and fauna living on, in, and around the lake on this 1.5 mile paddle.

An email will be sent to registered participants with what to bring and the option to meet us at the landing or ride with NLDC staff from the Discovery Center.  No bathroom at the landing. Registration is required by 8/2/24.  $45/Member and $55/Non-Member.  Tuesday 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM.

Please read our program and event registration and cancellation policy here.