Exploring threats to our lakes — and the remedies
“This book will forever change how you think about lakes and the Northwoods. And it offers insights into what you can do to protect our beloved lakes…”
Jake Vander Zanden, director of the Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin–Madison
I’m pleased to announce the release of my newest book, Ripple Effects, by The University of Wisconsin Press. In this book I’ve outlined the threats to the inland lakes of northern Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan – and things we can all do to help preserve them for today and the future. These lakes – tens of thousands of them – are among the Upper Midwest’s greatest treasures and most valuable natural resources. They offer peace, joy and recreation to millions. And yet, in large part because of the many of us who enjoy them, the lakes face numerous challenges. Invasive species, pollution, defective septic systems, inadequate shoreland zoning laws, climate change, and more, are present and increasingly existential threats. We are, quite possibly, loving our lakes to death.
I look at these challenges in depth and, within each chapter and in a final chapter, propose achievable solutions and ways forward. I’ve drawn on my personal experiences, along with interviews, academic research, and government reports, to describe the state of the lakes, the stresses they are under, and avenues to responsible lakeside living for a sustainable future. The essential question is summed up by one of the people I interviewed: “We love this lake. What can we do to keep it healthy?” You can learn more about Ripple Effects in the books section of this website. (Photo by Noelle Rulseh)
Ted J. Rulseh, “The Lake Guy”