Abundant spring precipitation has resulted in Lake Mohawk reaching full pool early in the season affecting many biological aspects of the lake. Managing water levels at Lake Mohawk is extremely challenging considering the fact that Lake Mohawk uses a “drawdown” winter method of lake management to prevent damage to docking structures and shoreline retaining walls. Drawdown also is a selective natural method of aquatic plant control. Allowing too much water out in the spring followed by summer drought conditions results in an abundance of nuisance aquatic vegetation and docking issues in shallow portions of the lake. Paul Mickley does an excellent job at managing water depth throughout the season.
Water clarity was good with a healthy balance of spring planktonic algae which benefits the overall aquatic ecology of the lake. Relatively few aquatic plants were observed around the entire perimeter of the lake with the exception of the marina. Watermilfoil fragments were observed accumulating in the marina due to prevailing southwest winds. The origin of the plant fragments have yet to be determined. Watermilfoil while beneficial to the fisheries to some degree can quickly spread to other portions of the lake and become a nuisance. Management of watermilfoil will be ongoing throughout the season.
An electrofishing survey of the fisheries was being conducted by Jones Fish and Lake Management on the day of my lake assessment. While generally not recommended during the spring spawning season of bass and crappie, this survey was initiated due to concerns over the health of the fisheries. Spring crappie “die off” is often alarming to many people even though it is a natural part of the crappie life cycle. Spawning stress, overwintering, natural aging, etc., often results in a relatively minor die off. I will post the results of the electrofishing study here when it is available.
by Jeff Gray M.S. Aquatic Biologist