LISMA October 2025 Newsletter
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| LISMA distributes a quarterly newsletter that features our upcoming events, partner news, and important invasive species topics and resources for stakeholders in the LISMA region.
If you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter, or would like to contribute an article to our newsletter, please contact the LISMA coordinator. |
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| Glacierland RC&D serves as host for the LISMA Facebook Page and posts all relevant LISMA events, updates, posts and newsletters from the Glacierland Facebook Page.
To stay updated on LISMA partner events and news between these quarterly newsletters, please like and follow Glacierland RC&D on Facebook. |
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AIS Snapshot Day
On Saturday, August 9th, Glacierland RC&D hosted Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Snapshot Day in Manitowoc County. Snapshot Day is a statewide, one-day event connecting volunteers, water lovers, and local conservation groups in a search for AIS. On this day, volunteers will learn how to identify target AIS and follow search protocols. They then visit multiple waterbodies throughout the county to monitor and potentially observe new AIS to be reported to the DNR for future management plans. This year, 5 locations were monitored in Manitowoc County including: Weyers Lake, Hartlaub Lake, Gass Lake, Silver Lake and Little Manitowoc River. Fortunately, many native species were found however, 1 potential suspect species was found in Weyers Lake verified by Invasive Species Coordinator,
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| Valerie O’Connor and DNR AIS Biologist, Patrick Siwula. In the picture above, snail A is the species found in Weyers Lake, snail B is a verified New Zealand Mudsnail and snail C is a verified Faucet snail. After examination, we concluded that snail A is not a New Zealand Mudsnail but may be a small Faucet snail. Due to finding only 1 specimen, further monitoring will need to take place at Weyers Lake to confirm at a higher confidence level.
If you spend any recreational time at Weyers Lake and happen to find a snail similar to examples A or C, please contact Valerie O’Connor at valerie@glacierlandrcd.org or 920-465-3006. |
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| Soar on the Shore Kite & Beach Festival
On Saturday, August 16th, Glacierland RC&D was invited to attend the 11th annual Soar on the Shore Kite & Beach Festival organized by the Friends of Crescent Beach and the Algoma Chamber of Commerce. Despite the gloomy weather, there were approximately 4,000 people in attendance strolling down Lake Street along Crescent Beach eating good food from vendors such as Steel Belly BBQ, Rose’s Mexican Food Truck and sweet boiled corn on the cobs from Algoma School District Destination Imagination. |
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| Along Lake Street, there were activities for all ages and educational booths celebrating conservation and Crescent Beach. Among the booths, there were balloon creations and face painting with Mischief and Magic sponsored by Fox Communities Credit Union, butterfly crafts with ArtBeet, Inc., mazes of spinning kites, plein air easels, and even a chance to handle reptiles with the Peninsula Reptile House. Crescent Beach believes in a strong vision to promote environmental education and had guests such as Glacierland RC&D, Door County Maritime Museum and Discover Green Bay in attendance to bring awareness to Aquatic Invasive Species, promote outdoor exploration around the region, showcasing a hand built wooden boat and even a hands-on science station. |
| Although the event was cut short due to a thunderstorm, there was plenty of time to have fun walking through the booths, eating good food and enjoying Crescent Beach. Many attendees sat at the beach, ran around and flew kites all while enjoying the beautiful view of Lake Michigan.
If you were not able to make it this year, no problem, you can save the date for next year! This is an event you do not want to miss out on. Glacierland RC&D sure won’t! The date for next year has been set for Saturday, August 22nd, 2026 from 11:00AM-3:00PM. If you would like to learn more about the event please visit: https://visitalgomawi.com/events/soar-on-the-shore-kite-beach-festival/ |
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| On Saturday, September 13th, Glacierland RC&D attended the 2nd Annual Paddle Palooza event held at Veteran’s Park in Two Rivers. The event was sponsored by Lakeshore Natural Resources Partnerships, Friends of the Twin
Rivers, Two Rivers Parks and Recreation, and Northeast Wisconsin Paddlers. This free event lasted all day with over 120 attendees to enjoy paddling in the Twin Rivers and opportunities for kids to learn how to fish with the Two Rivers High School Fishing Club, climb the rock wall, explore nature activities, and play kayaking games. At the exhibit station, many organizations including Glacierland RC&D, Manitowoc County Soil and Water, Friends of the Manitowoc River Watershed and Manitowoc County Fish & Game were highlighting environmental topics such as aquatic invasive species, pollinator habitat, and how to use decoy ducks for hunting. |
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| Glacierland RC&D’s Phragmites Restoration Project in partnership with Stantec is nearing the end of treatment season. Our interns worked hard over this past season and made progress in areas throughout Manitowoc and Sheboygan County. We thank every township that contributed funds to allow free treatment for their landowners.
The Manitowoc County townships include:
- Cato
- Centerville
- Kossuth
- Manitowoc
- Manitowoc Rapids
- Maple Grove
- Meeme
- Mishicot
- Rockland
- Schleswig
- Two Creeks
The Sheboygan County townships include:
- Holland
- Lima
- Plymouth
- Wilson
Without your contributions, this project would not be possible. We appreciate your continued support for this program. Treated acreage numbers for each township will be finalized in November 2025. If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please call/email Valerie O’Connor, the Invasive Species Coordinator at 920-465-3006 or valerie@glacierlandrcd.org.
If you would like to learn more about the Phragmites Control Project, please click on the button below. |
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Volunteer Event this month!
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Camp Sinawa Family Fall Day/Trunk or Treat
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| Glacierland RC&D will be attending Camp Sinawa Family Fall Day/Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 11th from 11am-4pm. This event costs $5 per person or $20 per carload. Price includes all activities at the event. The Trunk or Treat in the woods will be from noon until the candy runs out thanks to Glacial Lake 4×4 & Greater MKE 4×4! |
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| Food, beverages, raffle tickets, locally made bird houses and Camp Sinawa merchandise will be for sale as well.
At this event, you will be able to see fire trucks, birds of prey, wool spinners and a medieval encampment. There will be activities including pressing apples, making s’mores, going on a nature hike or scavenger hunt, playing yard games, and even making a nature critter.
There were also be booths where you can learn about invasive species and visit the petting zoo! We hope to see you there! |
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Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility Open House
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| If you are looking for something to do in Kewaunee County this Saturday, October 11th, visit the Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility Open House from 9am – 2pm.
This free annual event will give attendees an opportunity to watch salmon egg collection demonstrations, enjoy educational displays and presentations and take a guided tour of the facility. The Algoma Kewaunee Great Lakes Sport Fisherman will be on-hand to provide wagon rides to the facility from the parking area throughout the event. People of all ages and backgrounds are invited and encouraged to attend.
Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility is the first step in stocking trout and salmon in Lake Michigan. Returning adult trout and salmon are collected during their spawning run up the Kewaunee River to collect eggs to produce fish for stocking in the future year. Eggs from Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility are taken to other hatcheries to be raised and stocked back into Lake Michigan and its tributaries to support the Great Lakes sport fishery for years to come.
If you would like to learn more about the facility, visit the website below. https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/hatcheries/cdbesadny |
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| The faucet snail (Bithynia tentaculata) is a small invasive snail, native to Europe. They have distinguishable features including being dark-brown to black in color, up 12-15mm tall (about 1/2 inch), and 4-6 whorls on their shell. It has a cover referred to as the ‘operculum’ on its shell opening which have concentric circle markings in adults and spiral markings in juveniles. The faucet snail is typically found in shallow lakes, ponds, canals, or sloughs. It prefers shallow, near-shore habitats featuring submerged vegetation or other structures such as rocks, gravel, and other coarse substrates. It was introduced to the Great Lakes via ballast water in the late 1800’s and was found in large populations along the Mississippi River near La Crosse, Wisconsin. |
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| The faucet snail has spread to other lakes and rivers by attaching themselves to aquatic plants that move downstream in high flowing rivers. It also attaches to boats, trailers, anchors, and other recreational gear and equipment that move from one waterbody to another. In Wisconsin, it is suspected that waterfowl hunting equipment and gear may be a potential vector of transport and spread, particularly between the Mississippi River and Lower Wisconsin River sloughs. Faucet snails can live for up to a month in dry mud, which is why proper cleaning of equipment is essential before moving to a new water body. |
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| Faucet snails are intermediate hosts for three trematode parasites that can kill waterfowl. Several massive waterfowl die-offs have occurred in the Upper Midwestern U.S., and have been attributed to the birds’ consumption of faucet snails. These parasites do not pose a risk to humans consuming cooked fish or waterfowl. Faucet snails also compete with native snails for food and other resources, and can clog water intake screens and pipes in municipal water systems. |
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| As a prohibited species in the state of Wisconsin, the environmental impacts are severe. The snail has been linked to the deaths of an estimated 75,000-100,000 waterfowl in the Upper Mississippi Wildlife Refuge since 2002. The Upper Mississippi region is a hot spot for waterfowl hunting, and could be negatively impacted if the faucet snail continues to spread into The Lower Wisconsin region. In 2006, 66,000 Wisconsin waterfowl hunters spent an estimated $19 million on trip expenditures and equipment, and contributed to a total output of approximately $26 million associated with waterfowl hunting, including 444 jobs which means that this snail could cause negative impacts to Wisconsin’s economy. Additionally, it can also outcompete native snails that are a critical food source for fish, birds, and other wildlife decreasing their habitats and populations. |
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Control
At this time, there are no known effective control methods for faucet snails. If found in areas undocumented by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, please contact your local office or aquatic invasive species coordinator. |
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Prevention Steps
- Follow the NR40 law and rules for AIS in Wisconsin waterbodies.
- INSPECT your equipment for invasive species
- REMOVE all attached debris
- DRAIN water from boats & equipment
- NEVER MOVE live fish away from a water body
- BUY MINNOWS from a WI bait dealer. Use leftover minnows only under certain conditions.*
- Spread awareness to other water enthusiasts teach them how to identify this snail.
- Do NOT buy, sell, or possess Faucet Snails in Wisconsin; it is illegal.
Sources: Wisconsin River Alliance, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and UW Extension Lakes
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LISMA is a program of Glacierland RC&D. Glacierland RC&D is a nonprofit, grass-roots organization that is committed to wise use and conservation of our natural resources and human resources. We promote sustainability on all levels – environmental, social and economic. This is accomplished by bringing together various agencies, organizations, and people to work on projects addressing issues of sustainability in eastern Wisconsin.
Glacierland RC&D | P.O. Box 11203 Green Bay, WI 54307
(920) 465-3006 | Email | Website
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