EWM was found in Kangaroo Lake in 1995 and since has spread to multiple areas in the southern portion of the lake and around the causeway (County E). Recently, The Nature Conservancy and their partner organizations had noticed more EWM popping up on the north side of Kangaroo Lake. This area of the Lake is designated as a Wisconsin Wetland Gem. The smaller north lobe is important for water quality within the entire lake as it filters suspended matter and absorbs nutrients in the incoming water from the surrounding watershed. The north lobe also contains a variety of open water and wetland species of plants and diverse ecological characteristics that are important to several species of fish in the Lake including bluegills, walleye, and smallmouth bass.
Volunteers from the Door Stewardship Alliance and the Kangaroo Lake Association teamed up in late-August and early-September to begin hand-pulling the EWM within the north lobe of the lake. Volunteers removed approximately 250lbs. of EWM from the lake. The workdays included people in the water snorkeling and hand removing plants, while others were in canoes and kayaks helping to collect plant fragments that had broken off, or using rakes to remove plants from the bottom. Efforts will continue in 2015 with planning occurring during winter months and removal will resume in the Spring of 2015.