Draining Little Muskego Lake in hopes of killing off an invasive type of algae

The Department of Natural Resources approved a plan to drawdown Little Muskego Lake. The goal is to get rid of a type of algae, called Starry Stonewort, that is destroying plant life. It's a very firm algae that grows upward, much different than the mushy kind that floats. The thought is draining the lake will help control it, or kill it off.

"As you drive through it with a boat, or as fish try to swim in it, they can't and then they go away," said Tom Reck, Chairman of the Little Muskego Lake District. "We're gonna try to freeze out Starry Stonewort."

The Department of Natural Resources, this week, approved drawing down the lake by seven feet to ruin the algae's growth potential and exposing it to the Wisconsin winter cold. It won't be drained all at once. The lake is actually lowered slightly every year, so there's no concern for flooding downstream.

"Usually we go down two, three inches a day, we're gonna do that same thing," Reck said.

Invasive algae is spread by boating. People get it on the boat's prop or trailer that end up in different lakes, so experts suggest cleaning out your boat and trailer after each time. The drawdown will begin September fifth.