Rob Karner uses a Hydrolab on Glen Lake.
Rob Karner poses for a photo, ready to survey the watershed.
Karner is the GLA’s watershed biologist. After nearly 50 years of employment with the GLA, Karner is retiring at the end of the 2026 field season.
“Together, with our network of partners, the GLA has had incredible success for the watershed,” Karner said.
Originally from Dundee, Karner earned his MS in field biology from the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. With his sights set on Northern Michigan, he first became a biology teacher at The Leelanau School.
“I gained great appreciation for, and incredible knowledge of, the watershed,” Karner said. “I viewed myself as a student of the watershed, and I really admired its biological diversity and accessibility for everyone.”
Throughout the late 70’s, Karner immersed both himself and his students in knowledge and nature. In 1980, he subcontracted work for the GLA focused on algae and swimmer’s itch. The rest is history.
Milestone Moments
Karner’s total impact on the watershed and the GLA is impossible to quantify, but some key initiatives stand out as milestones for water quality and community engagement:
Becoming the first year-round lake biologist hired by a nonprofit lake association
In 2004, Rob solidified his place at the GLA with year-round, part-time employment as the GLA’s watershed biologist. Besides enhancing programming, this move further elevated the organization as a leader among other lake associations and highlighted water quality as a serious topic for all.
“It’s now uncommon to find a lake association without a watershed biologist,” Karner said.
Creating the GLA’s first-ever Hydrolab Monitoring Program and Inlet Study Program
That same year, the GLA acquired a Hydrolab—a multi-parameter sonde—to measure water quality results in real time. The GLA also uses the Hydrolab to spot-check all the inlets in Glen Lake each year. Using the Hydrolab showed the State that the GLA is on the cutting edge, and earned the association a $43,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to support the development of a Watershed Protection Plan. Other lake associations have taken note and followed this model.
“The Hydrolab upped our game. We didn’t have to send samples to a lab and wait anymore,” Karner said. “Getting the grant was like someone saying, ‘High-five, GLA. Let’s keep this program going. We’re going to support you because you’re showing the way to so many other lake associations.’”
Initiating the first-ever long-term plankton study
Inspired by phycologist Rex Lowe, Karner initiated a plankton study. Today, the GLA has 22 years of data showing which algae are present in Glen Lake. This gave Karner a biodiversity index to help measure water quality.
“It turns out other lake associations heard about my plankton reports, so they followed our lead,” Karner said. “We share images of the plankton that we find to compare biodiversity and learn together. We’re smarter together.”
Founding the GLA’s Discovery Boat Tour Program
Inspired by his time at The Leelanau School and his time at the University of Michigan, Karner crafted a curriculum to educate the community and visitors. Through the Discovery Boat Program, underwritten by the Besio Family, participants spend two hours on a boat with a GLA watershed biologist to learn about how the rivers, lakes, streams, and overall landscape work together to protect water quality.
“I love after I take a group out on the lake and hear people say, ‘I didn’t know what I didn’t know,’” Karner said.
Initiating the GLA’s Shoreline Consultation Program
Karner knew the watershed’s riparians could have incredible impact on water quality, so he initiated free shoreline consultations to encourage best management practices for shorelines.
“There is a property on Little Glen Lake which has up to 900 feet of shoreline. They used to mow a lawn all the way down to the water’s edge, which attracted geese and led to excess algae in the water,” Karner explained. “I worked with the owner to plan a more natural greenbelt along the shoreline. Now, there are no issues with geese or algae, and property values have increased.”
Restoring Little Glen’s shoreline with the National Park Service
Other shorelines along Little Glen were having issues with geese, to the point where they would close due to E. coli levels in water samples. Karner worked with the National Park Service to create a “no mow zone” at the Little Glen Lake Picnic Area so native plants could reemerge. This deterred the geese and restored natural water filtering, eventually creating a greenbelt that would help protect the shoreline from erosion in the future.
“This was truly an educational tool for our community—greenbelts are the way to go for filtering water,” Karner said.
Advocating for the banning of copper sulfate treatments
Swimmer’s itch, an allergic reaction to an aquatic parasite that causes an itchy rash, has been a concern to recreators for decades. In the past, copper sulfate was used in an attempt to kill the parasite’s host snails, but over time, scientific studies observed that this treatment was ineffective. Additionally, its use leaves behind toxic heavy metals in the environment that continue to accumulate indefinitely. Because of Karner’s activism on behalf of the GLA and with the support of other advocates, the State of Michigan banned indiscriminate use of copper sulfate for the purpose of killing snails known to host the swimmer’s itch parasite.
“We now know prevention is the best way to protect against swimmer’s itch,” Karner said.
Karner and GLA partners also discovered a new species of aquatic parasitic worm in Glen Lake that is part of the swimmer’s itch cycle.
“Not just a threatened or endangered species, but a new species to science!” Karner emphasized. “If you’re a biologist, that’s a big deal. That was cool.”
Supporting the first-ever county-wide mandatory septic inspection ordinance
Led by Karner, the GLA partnered with the University of Alberta and Freshwater Solutions, LLC to conduct a study analyzing water samples throughout the watershed on a molecular level, which gave them a DNA-driven analysis of water quality. It showed a map of key places where both old and new septic systems were lowering water quality.
“That study was peer-reviewed and published. It proved that septic systems do pollute the water,” Karner said.
Founding the multi-faceted Shoreline Survey Program
Karner used optical data gathered by boat and later by drones to create a database of the watershed’s shorelines and how they’ve changed over time. Today, the GLA has nearly 10 years of data gathered from observations made every three years. Other lake associations and similar groups have taken note and begun programs of their own.
“We look for erosion, algae on rocks, greenbelting, irrigation, beach sanding, and other shoreline characteristics,” Karner said. “We use this data to see where shorelines, and therein the water quality, can be strengthened.”
Building the first-ever biological map of the watershed
In 2023, the GLA began monitoring the watershed for Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM), an aggressive invasive plant that can have extremely negative impacts on water and recreation quality. Using underwater remotely operated vehicles equipped with 4K video, Karner gathered and reviewed footage. He used Google Earth to record which species of plants he found, as well as when and where he found them.
Leveraging the first-ever chemical-free treatment program for EWM
Rob Karner poses for a photo, ready to survey the watershed.
“Eventually, Glen Lake acquired EWM. The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians liked the idea of non-chemical treatment, so they extended their plan to include burlap barrier treatment for Little Glen Lake,” Karner said. “We’ve been able to target and treat EWM, and we are grateful for their partnership and leadership. Today, we’re continuing to monitor for EWM to ensure it doesn’t return.”
A New—But Still Connected—Chapter
After he retires, Karner, who lives on the Crystal River, plans to spend heaps of time with his family: lots of projects with his sons and lots of playtime with his three grandchildren. But as the adage goes, some things never change.
“I tell people I have the best job in the world. And I still will—I’m not going to be able to turn a blind eye to my watershed,” said Karner. “I can’t ignore the birds or the snail population. I’m going to be watching for all things water quality so I can observe, wonder, and report.”