Dispatches from Trout Lake Station

More than 80 years ago, two UW–Madison biologists opened a rustic research outpost on Trout Lake, deep in the heart of Wisconsin’s pristine northern lake region. Their goal was to unlock some basic mysteries of freshwater lakes, from their chemical makeup to their elaborate circle of life.

Today, research at Trout Lake is thriving more than ever, but a great deal of the focus has shifted to the developmental pressures that threaten what people cherish most about recreational lakes. An online news package by University Communications science writer Paroma Basu, based on a summer visit to the station, takes a fresh look at Trout Lake research projects that monitor species diversity, land use practices and other lake health issues.

Reporters interested in Trout Lake projects and their policy implications may contact station Director Timothy Kratz at (715) 356-9494, tkkratz@facstaff.wisc.edu. While the most active projects are in the summer, the station is open throughout the year.

In coming months, University Communications will continue to post periodic Web news reports that explore some of the university’s most compelling stories.