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Lake Carrying Capacity Analysis
Date
2026Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
A lake’s carrying capacity refers to the amount of human use that a lake can support while still meeting expected standards, including ecological and recreational standards. Analyzing a lake’s carrying capacity may include answering questions such as:
• Is the lake ecology negatively affected by excessive lake use?
• Can lake users safely conduct recreational activities?
• Do lake users and/or residents consider the lake too crowded to use?
SEWRPC has helped several lake organizations conduct lake carrying capacity analyses as part of comprehensive lake management plans. These analyses consist of three main pieces: 1) recreational use surveys, 2) determining the useable lake area for active boating, and 3) applying published models to examine whether lake use exceeds the recommended capacity. The proposed presentation would describe commonly used lake carrying capacity models, how lake organizations can conduct these analyses, and how lake organizations can use these analyses to inform lake recreation management.
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/97366Type
Presentation
Description
A lake’s carrying capacity refers to the amount of human use that a lake can support while still meeting expected standards, including ecological and recreational standards. Analyzing a lake’s carrying capacity may include answering questions such as:
• Is the lake ecology negatively affected by excessive lake use?
• Can lake users safely conduct recreational activities?
• Do lake users and/or residents consider the lake too crowded to use?
SEWRPC has helped several lake organizations conduct lake carrying capacity analyses as part of comprehensive lake management plans. These analyses consist of three main pieces: 1) recreational use surveys, 2) determining the useable lake area for active boating, and 3) applying published models to examine whether lake use exceeds the recommended capacity. The proposed presentation would describe commonly used lake carrying capacity models, how lake organizations can conduct these analyses, and how lake organizations can use these analyses to inform lake recreation management.