Friends Of Lake Mohawksin (FOLM)
is a lake association with the goal of preserving and protecting Mohawksin waters and its surroundings, and to enhance the water quality, fishery, boating safety, and aesthetic values of Lake Mohawksin, as a public recreational resource for today and for future generations.
A multi-year study of aquatic plants on Lake Mohawksin is complete. Thanks to a grant from the WI DNR and a partnership with Onterra, a point-intercept study of aquatic plant life and Eurasian Water Milfoil are now published.
ARCGIS mapping of shoreline and plant colonies on Lake Mohawksin
Thanks to a WDNR grant and our partnership with Onterra (lake management)
Initial Findings of the 2024 EWM and Aquatic Plants Point Intercept study
FOLM 2024 Annual Meeting Minutes
Fall 2024
FOLM joins coalition to support the call for statewide standards on enhanced wake watercraft.
The FOLM Board Members recently voted unanimously to join a broad coalition of organizations calling for statewide standards to limit the impacts of watercraft using ballast tanks and other devices to enhance their wakes. 
Wisconsin Lakes, Lakes at Stake Wisconsin, Wisconsin’s Green Fire, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, and Last Wilderness Alliance all joined forces with other Lake Associations to develop a platform to protect Wisconsin’s lake resources without being overly restrictive of the right to recreate on our lakes. The broad coalition is calling for measures in the next legislative session.
The coalition calls for actions in the following areas:
Local Control – Local municipalities’ existing right to enact or maintain local ordinances
that are more restrictive than these state minimums shall be preserved
700 Feet From Shore – Wake-enhanced boating activities should occur at least 700’ from the shoreline.
30-Foot Depth – Wake-enhanced boating activities must be done in depths of no less
than 30 feet.
Prevent Invasive Species in Ballast Tanks – Boats moving from lake to lake must
have proof of decontaminated ballast tanks before entering lakes.
DID YOU KNOW … THAT WAKE SURFING IS A POTENTIAL THREAT TO OUR LAKES?
Worth a watch as it captures the nature of the potential threats very visually.
Late 2024 Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM) Survey – Initial Observations
During a few days in August, we had crews from Onterra conduct a late-season EWM mapping survey on Lake Mohawksin. The survey crews systematically covered the entire littoral zone (the shallow area of the lake that’s close to the shore, where sunlight reaches the bottom and aquatic plants can grow).
Preliminary results noted an abundance of EWM “look-a-likes” – native species such as northern watermilfoil, water marigold, and common bladderwort that look a lot like EWM from an untrained eye. These are native (not invasive) species and are considered ‘good’ for the lake.
Onterra found a few areas of higher density EWM colonies, but largely in areas not inhibiting recreation, navigation, or other lake uses. Overall their first review of the data suggests that the EWM is well below levels that would be impactful to human use or potentially cause shifts in ecological function. In Jan-Mar 2025, Onterra will be creating (and we will circulate) an official report that will investigate these results closer and additionally include the comprehensive study this year of plant species across the lake over time.
