Introduction to LAKES REU

 As a UW-Madison student, you would think I would be used to the numerous lakes of Wisconsin, but my arrival to Menomonie reminded me that I am still surprised by how many Wisconsin has. My home state of Kansas has significantly less surface water, so lakes are a lot more exciting to me than your typical Wisconsinite. As an environmental science and GIS major, I am particularly interested in water quality, so I am excited about the opportunity to study Lake Menomin and work on research that could improve its nutrient pollution. The dynamics of nitrogen and phosphorus are complex, particularly with excess anthropogenic inputs, so remediation of the lake is no easy task. The frequent cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs), a result of excess nutrients, disturb the ecosystem and recreation within and around the lake. As part of the biology team, my project will focus on analyzing the areas of the watershed with the greatest impact on nutrient pollution. I will use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools to index land use by its contribution to pollution and compare sub-watersheds within the whole watershed. By identifying the areas that contribute the most to nutrient pollution, I hope to find the potential areas conservation practices would be most effective. In addition, I may look at how changing cropland to grassland across the watershed can impact pollution. Moreover, I hope to further utilize my background in GIS and cartography as well by creating maps relating to my project, such as the spatial distribution of high impact areas or changes in land use.

My primary interest in environmental science stems from the way it integrates so many sciences and other disciplines to create a fuller picture of how we interact with the environment. Similarly, the LAKES REU aims to connect social, economic, and environmental factors to study the overarching problem of nutrient problem. During our introduction to the program, it was exciting to learn how we will be working with various mentors and the rest of the students on their different projects. Beyond expanding our perspectives on environmental issues, the diverse backgrounds of the other students have already provided me with the opportunity to learn about the environmental issues faced across the country. And it has been incredibly enjoyable getting to know my fellow researchers through dinners, trips, and movie nights. Outside of research, I am looking forward to further adventures with the other students such as a trip to Lake Superior, which most of us have never seen before. Overall, I am grateful for this opportunity to explore scientific areas of interest and potentially further efforts to restore Lake Menomin.