As a Midwesterner, I understand the importance of a frozen lake. It has brought me some of my fondest memories. From ice fishing with my dad to learning how to skate, ice in the winter is a cornerstone of upper Midwest culture. This connection to frozen lakes is a sentiment that is shared right here on the UW-Madison campus, Lake Mendota is an established hotspot for winter recreation and festivals, something I have observed firsthand changing as a result of decreased ice cover.
My name is Maddie Gaudette and I am currently a rising junior at the University of Minnesota Duluth, studying environmental sustainability and political science. With this background, I have found myself drawn to the intersection between observable climate change and public perception of climate change. I could not be more grateful for the research team I have been a part of this summer. Dr. Andrea Hicks and my graduate student advisor, Monica, allowed me to expand on my interests in freshwater changes and climate perception, leading me to explore the connections between lake freeze-over rates and local climate perception in the Madison area. I have focused on UW Madison’s beloved Lake Mendota and have used state climatology data in addition to local climate perception survey results to research a connection.
Through my research, I have found that changes in lake freezing and disruptions to lake activity such as ice fishing and the cancellation of local festivals have had profound impacts on the Madison area and as a result increased climate perception in the area. The trends I found in the climatology data show a decrease in the annual ice coverage of Lake Mendota, with a strong likelihood of continued decreased ice coverage. In Madison, where so much of the city’s culture is connected to the area’s lakes, changes like this can have long-lasting effects on the city’s and University’s culture.
This research has been incredibly engaging for me, as I feel I have felt the reverberations of the changes on Lake Mendota, even as a non-resident. I visited Madison last winter for two different events that both ended up being canceled due to a lack of ice coverage: the Winter Carnival and Lily’s Classic. Both of these events are university traditions and contribute to the culture of UW Madison and the Madison area. Understanding how the future of Lake Mendota may be changing gives insight into how to get the community involved in climate activism and, at the very least, aware of climate change impacts in their backyard. Understanding the local changing climate is increasingly important in adapting traditions and recreation for the years to come. While Lake Mendota will long be beloved by the University and the community, my research has indicated that its frozen future may look quite different in the years to come.