SUBAQUEOUS INDUSTRAIL WASTE IN WESTERN WISCONSIN LAKES:
REDUCING/ REDIRECTING THE DREDGED MATERIALS FROM LANDFILLS.

By: Pat Dryer

Background

            Half Moon Lake (HML), located in the city of Eau Claire (Figure 1), west central Wisconsin, is presently in a eutrophic state.  The abundance of vegetation growth (plants and algae) is due to the lake’s excess of phosphorus and organic matter that is probably a result of the logging era.  The excess algae in HML causes a water quality issue for residents (WIDNR, 2004).

            HML was used as a holding pond for logs awaiting milling at the numerous sawmills along the lake’s shoreline (Figure 2).  In the winter sawmills would deposit mounds of waste (bark, and sawdust) on the ice.  As the ice melted the waste sank to the bottom of the lake.  These practices of the logging era filled in several meters of sediment (industrial organic waste) in some areas of HML.

Figure 1- Locational Map for HML in the Chippewa River Valley in west central Wisconsin. Eau Claire is located at 44O49.1’ N and 91O 31.1’ W.

            Several ways to restore HML have been proposed and could include the removal of the industrial organic waste (dredging) but the exact volume and composition of this sediment is not known. The first objective of this study is to estimate the volume of the industrial organic waste by locating, identifying, and mapping industrial organic waste in HML.

            To estimate the volume of the industrial organic waste a map of HML was created that identifies the thickness of the industrial organic waste on the lake bottom (subaqueous). The map shows the location and thickness of the industrial organic waste. From this map industrial organic waste volumes were calculated.

Figure 2- Historical photograph of HML taken during the logging era. The photograph was taken from the north western portion of the lake looking south east.

            Once the volume of the sediment in HML is known, the second objective is to reduce/redirect the amount of industrial organic waste that would potentially be land filled if HML were dredged (e.g. evaluate if composting is a viable option). To evaluate if composting is a viable option samples of the industrial organic waste were removed and analyzed for composting viability.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND

PHYSICAL SETTING

METHODS

GPR

GPS

Vibra-Core

Composting

RESULTS

CONCLUSIONS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

REFERENCES

APPENDIXES

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX C

FIGURES

FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2 FIGURE 3

FIGURE 4 FIGURE 5 FIGURE 6

FIGURE 7 FIGURE 8 FIGURE 9

FIGURE 10 FIGURE 11 FIGURE 12

FIGURE 13 FIGURE 14 TABLE 1

HOME