Management of lakes is somewhat diffuse with authority organized around various levels including federal, state, water conservation districts, lake associations, and local land owners. While management approaches and goals vary among these different levels, there is a shared desire to sufficiently manage lakes and to predict the response of lake attributes to changing internal and external drivers. The goal of our research efforts is to improve the ability of managers and stakeholders to anticipate how potential management decisions and natural dynamics interactively influence physical, chemical and biological characteristics of lakes. We hope to develop understanding and specific tools which will ultimately facilitate improved management of not only Indiana’s glacial lakes, but also lakes and reservoirs in other regions. Key aspects of our research approach are 1) development of methodologies and understanding with a focus on relevant endpoints for resource managers, 2) integration of information and quantitative model syntheses across a hierarchy of spatial and temporal scales, and 3) explicit consideration across the cause-and-effect chain: from drivers (land-use and climate) to management relevant endpoints (water quality effects and fisheries production).
Resources
Workshop November 20, 2009
Inland Lakes Catchment Delineation Files
Contacts
Chaubey, Indrajeet (Solute and Sediment Transport)
Cherkauer, Keith (Hydrology and Climate)
Sponsors