All Gates are CLOSED

As of 6:30am today, all gates - 2 wicket gates, 6 slide gates - are closed.

As of 11:00am today, water levels are squeaking up to 776.17 - above the summer minimum of 776.10, but still below DNR summer target of 776.20.

Water will continue to drain from the lake however, given the dam's spillway is at 775.27

Low Water Correspondence

Brian, FYI,

One thing I saw being done this weekend was people cleaning up garbage from the low areas of the river (tires, old lawn furniture, old piers & barrels) & piling it along the road but that was the only plus to the low water levels that I could see.

The water levels seemed so low it was as if it were late summer, if it is this bad now (MAY) what will it be like in August, a trickle ?

From what I've seen in the past the area gets little rain in July & Aug, The mouth of the river into Lake Koshkonong was two feet deep out of BlackHawk Island, barely enough water to navigate a boat through.

The DNR are biting the hand that feeds them, why are they so EVIL !!! My son loved Buck Skinners Day & his very first boat ride !!! Thx, rbh

Jerry Richardson Will Retire From Board

Jerry Richardson, a Founding Father, will not seek reelection to the RKLD Board of Commissioners at this year's annual meeting.

Jerry has served on the board and as its treasurer since its creation in 1999.

Jerry also serves as treasurer for the Lake Koshkonong Recreation Association that hosts the annual Bark River Fish Hatchery Fundraiser.

Jerry's knowledge and long family history on the lake will be missed by our Lake District. Please give him a hearty thank you when you stop in to his Harbor Recreation marina.

Frank Micale to Run for Reelection

Frank Micale, a Founding Father of the Lake District, has announced his intentions to run for reelection at the annual meeting.

Frank also serves as president of the Rock River Koshkonong Association; the association that conducts the annual calendar raffle and sponsor of the annual fireworks display.

RKLD Board Elections

Two Board seats are up for election at this year's annual meeting, July 30th.

If you would like to run for the Board of Commissioners, please email your name and a brief bio/statement and it will be posted on the website.

We prefer to have candidate's names pre-printed on the ballots that will be distributed at the annual meeting, but we will also accept nominations from the floor.

All candidates will be given time to speak prior to voting.

Memorial Day Weekend Gate Adjustment

We received our regular report that indicated on Friday, May 27th,Wicket Gate 2 was adjusted to 50% closed (Wicket Gate 1 has been 100% closed).

Because flow into the lake has been minimal, and precipitation has been nonexistent, Wicket Gate #2 was 100% closed early AM Sunday, May 29th. The lake level at that time had dropped to 776.07, below the summer minimum level of 776.10, and below the summer target level of 776.20.

At of 11:00am on Sunday, May 29th, I ordered North American Hydro's Dam operators to close 2 of the 6 slide gates.

We will continue to monitor the USGS site to insure the lake stays at target level, or above, as best we can.

Record Correction

Side note;

I had confirmed with staff at the Janesville Gazette that they had not published a public notice from the DNR at the time I posted about the Madison newspaper publishing the notice.

DNR Asks for Blog Correction

It is a bit flattering to know the DNR is monitoring both water levels on Lake Koshkonong and our website blog as well. The message below is in response to my earlier posting that the DNR buried their public notice in a Madison newspaper that is not widely circulated among the communities surrounding the lake.

Let me assure you we had no intention of hiding our decision or public notice. That's why we sent the revised order to over a hundred and fifty people who had previously expressed interest in the decision. We specifically mentioned in the cover letter that the notice would be coming out shortly.

In addition to publishing the notice in the Wisconsin State Journal, we also publish the notice on April 29th in both the Daily Jefferson County Union and The Janesville Gazette. I know this for a fact since I placed the order, paid the bill and am in receipt of the proof of publication from both papers.

While we may disagree on the merits of your petition we fully agree that the decision ought to be public and subject to appeal. I know these public notices are easy to miss so I thought I'd set the record straight and give you an opportunity to correct the above information on your web site.

More Public Correspondence

Brian, just a note to let you know that I support the RKLD's decision to take the DNR to court over the lake level issue, even if it costs me more in district fee's. An extra $65 or so is worth it. Go get em'

Emails Regarding the Increase

Brian:

My two cents is that any increase seems to be very nominal and ALL property owners would make this up as I would think all property values would go up.

Your efforts are appreciated by the majority. Please keep up the good work!!

###

Public Feedback

Thank You for your comments and please feel free to respond to the special tax assessment, even if you oppose an increase. We will keep all comments anonymous.

This looks fine to me. The most important point to stress in talking with anyone, and at our meetings, is what Brian mentions below, "this is the final push for nominally higher, stable year-round water levels". This is how we can sell the potential increase in assessments.

This will be the last fiscal year this fight will go on. I think the majority of people won't mind an increase IF they feel this water level issue will be resolved one way or the other, this year. Everyone I've ever talked to, either for or against a higher water level, is in agreement on one thing, to get this issue resolved one way or the other, and soon.

The only way to do this is to keep the pressure on, and demand our day(s) in court. Get the facts on the table, and let a judge decide on the facts, and not on opinion. I
think people would much rather pay a little more this year, and have this done, rather than simply continue on with $50/year with no end in sight.

***

Brian -
I am in favor or whatever it takes to get the lake level raised - I will gladly pay any reasonable increase in fees to the land owners of which I own multiple parcels - In the long run this can only help the economy in our area, make the lake more accessible and fun for the owners and in the long run add substantial value to our properties - I support your hard work and frankly commend it - Thanks

If I can help ion any way, please let me know

Gazette Article MAY 24

To All;
Please feel free to email your thoughts and opinions re: raising the special assessment tax as noted here in the Janesville Gazette

The bottom line is, and this will be on the agenda for both the June Monthly meeting and the annual meeting on July 30th, we are still attempting to determine what the total cost will be for the contested case hearing.

Will the hearing last 3 days, or 8 days? Will the Wetlands Club recruit other attorneys who represent Madison environmental groups to stonewall our research? Will the RKLD need to retain more attorneys to address each item the Wetlands Club presents? And will the Lake District need to retain more scientists to reinforce the testimony from our current scientists?

Do we see this fight to the end, or do we stick to a $45 per parcel budget and try our case within those limits?

The one thing we do know, is this is the final push for nominally higher, stable year-round water levels.

Why We Need To Raise the Special Assessment

It was discovered just today that the DNR published a public notice of their new operating orders on April 29th.

Did you see the notice? No? Well, that's because the DNR published the notice in the Wisconsin State Journal. The State Journal does not have much of a circulation among commununites surrounding the lake.

It begs the question, why would the DNR attempt to keep their public notification from the region where their actions have a direct impact? Why not publish the notice in the daily Janesville Gazette, and then, to insure that our region does not overlook the new water level orders, also publish in the weekly newspapers?

I suspect the answer why the DNR placed the public notice in a newspaper outside the circulation area of Lake Koshkonong is related to the 30-day window to file petitions to challenge the new orders.

That's right. The DNR issued their public notice on April 28th, and the RKLD, a local unit of government under state statutes, did not discover the 30-day clock had begun ticking until today, May 23rd.

If not for the lawyers, we would have faced a very real possibility that the 30-day window would have closed on the RKLD with no notice. The DNR would have prevailed with no opposition.

Tax May Increase from $45 to $100 per Parcel

Last week Monday, May 16th, the RKLD Board of Commissioners directed our legal counsel to submit the formal petition requesting DNR for a contested case hearing.

As you have read, or can read in the News Section of our website, the DNR offered a proposed water level order for Lake Koshkonong. The proposed order rejects our request for 7.2" increase in the summer water level, and it slightly reduces the amount of draw down during the winter.

Again, the proposed water level order ignores the ecological damage being done due to the winter draw down, and the instability of summer water levels.

As a result, the cost to mount a full legal challenge will require our special tax assessment to increase from the current $45 per parcel.

More information will be posted on the website and a complete budget explanation will be detailed in the newsletter that every parcel owner will receive prior to the annual meeting.

The increase needs to be ratified by majority vote of those in attendance at the annual meeting, July 30th, at the Fort Atkinson High School.

No Buoys Yet

I have received a fair share of emails regarding why the buoys have not yet been placed.

The individual town boards surrounding the lake and river are responsible for retaining people to install the buoys.

At the most recent Fulton Town Board meeting, I reminded the supervisors that we need to have working lights on the buoys at the railroad bridge. That area of the river needs blinking beacons.

Town of Milton will be installing their buoys, at the mouth of the lake, near the shorelines, on Monday.

In the meantime, please respect your neighbors and use extreme safety when passing through Newville, past the marinas, down river at the railroad bridge, and again as you approach the campground in Indianford near the Showboat.

New Boat Patrol Captain

At the most recent Fulton Town Board Meeting, it was announced that Henry Sautin has returned from Iraq and will return to the Rock River Boat Patrol. Henry will serve as boat patrol captain. Henry is retired from the Rock County Sheriff's Dept, and served a year training Iraqis for local law enforcement.

Give Henry a wave...and practice safe boating.

Absentee Ballots Not Permitted

From the WI State Statutes;

33.30 Annual meeting of district.

(1) Every district shall have an annual meeting. Each annual meeting shall be scheduled during the time period between May 22 and September 8 unless
scheduled outside those dates by majority vote of the previous
annual meeting.

(2) (a) The annual meeting shall be preceded by written notice
mailed at least 14 days in advance of the meeting to all electors
within the district whose address is known or can be ascertained
with reasonable diligence, to all owners of property within the district
at the owner’s address as listed in the tax roll, and to the
department. The district board of commissioners may substitute
a class 2 notice, under ch. 985, in lieu of sending written notice to
electors residing within the district.

(b) No absentee ballots or proxies are permitted at the annual
meeting.

Constituent Correspondence

This email was received on Saturday, May 14th. The water level was 776.26, or, 3/4th of an inch above the DNR summer operating orders. To remain in complaince with DNR orders, all slide gates are open, as is one wicket gate. The other wicket gate is 100% closed.

We all need to help our neighbors understand what the current DNR operating orders do to our water levels and the ecosystem. The 7.2 inch increase the RKLD is asking from the DNR would traslate to closed gates on Saturday.

Good morning Brian..

Is there a time when the gates will be closed at the Indian Ford to raise the water somewhat?? I couldn't float my pontoon on to my lift if I dragged it on with a winch. We need to find a happy medium,or pray to God for a small flood. I can say I never cared for the DNR or It's Lawyers..

UW-Whitewater - Lake Study

Interesting findings on the economic impact of Delavan Lake.

The UW-Whitewater findings corroborate work in other places, including the university of Maine, which show that water clarity can improve property values.

But while clean water is certainly a boon for any lake, other factors might also be coming into play at Delavan Lake.

For one, Delavan Lake home prices are influenced by its location midway between Lake Geneva and Delavan, said Chris DeVincentis, a Lake Geneva real estate agent. It's also a big lake - more than 2,000 acres - attractive to boaters looking for lake property.

Perhaps the most important reason that Delavan Lake has become more popular is that even comparatively affluent buyers,many of them from Illinois, were priced out of the Lake Geneva market.

Lake Geneva homes are selling for an average of $2 million to $3 million. On Delavan Lake, it's $1 million to $2 million, DeVincentis said.

The UW-Whitewater study showed that property values moderated on Delavan Lake after 1995 and those on Lake Beulah and Lauderdale Lakes increased faster.

Part of the reason for the study is to show that the lake affects people beyond those who live there, said Mary Knipper, who has lived on the lake since 1974 and is president of the Delavan Lake Improvement Association.

A Public Lands Commission - Who Knew?

Rep. Scott Jensen's motion to direct the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands to sell its land holdings to the DNR's stewardship program and give the proceeds to schools, libraries and local governments caused lengthy debate in the Joint Finance Committee.

The BCPL's trust fund owns nearly 78,000 acres in 34 counties, with about 69,000 acres concentrated in nine northern counties. (The motion was presented in lieu of Budget Paper 165).

Representatives from the Fiscal Bureau said a valuation has never been done on the land and refused to give an estimate of how much the land would cost.

Jensen said passing the motion, tantamount to a major policy shift, would end the debate between the JFC and the governor over the state's stewardship program. The motion also directs the DNR to explore selling the properties to private interests, with the exception of some environmentally sensitive holdings that would remain in the stewardship program. Jensen said the sale makes good environmental and fiscal sense for the state.Democrats pointed out that under the Constitution, the agency could ignore the directive. But Jensen said if the directive is ignored, the agencies would have to answer to the Legislature and taxpayers for its inaction.

He said the directive "represents property tax relief." The reason: the BCPL doesn't pay local property taxes while the stewardship program would.Rep. Mark Pocan said shifting the land ownership would tie up stewardship funds, limit hunting and fishing money, and merely add red tape.

"For people who say they don't like bureaucracy, they sure seem to like bureaucracy when it comes to raiding the stewardship fund," Pocan said.By way of brokering a deal on the issue, Jensen and Rep. Dean Kaufert said they promise not alter the governor's stewardship funding request."We will leave stewardship alone," Kaufert pledged.The motion passed 10-6, with GOP Sens. Robert Cowles and Joe Liebham voting with the Dems.

Wetlands Deck Built at Koshkonong Park

(The full story appears in the May 10 Jefferson Daily Union.)

Would anyone know with certainity if this was built in a county park, or in DNR-owned land adjacent to Lake Koshkonong? It makes a big difference regarding public use of the wetlands. Public hunting is allowed on state land.

KOSHKONONG —

On Saturday, Town of Koshkonong...built an observation pier and deck in the town’s Mush-Ko-Se-Day Park that will overlook the wetlands and pond area of the newly restored prairie preserve.

The wooden overlook deck measures 6-by-16 feet and the pier is 5 feet wide and 55 feet long. The deck was built by...citizen volunteers...Eventually, a gravel trail will connect the parking lot to the pier.

The construction on Saturday was just the most recent event in the town’s effort to make Mush-Ko-Se-Day Park an attraction for both area residents and visitors alike.

In April, a prescribed burn was conducted to remove invasive species such as honeysuckle and buckthorn...

DNR In the News

Republicans Want Former Sierra Club Member Off DNR Board
Jonathan Ela Was Longtime Official With Sierra Club

MADISON, Wis. -- Republicans in the state Senate asked Gov. Jim Doyle Wednesday to replace environmentalist Jonathan Ela on the Natural Resources Board, saying he's not qualified to serve.

The senators did not take a direct vote on the appointment of Ela, a Madison man who was a longtime official with the Sierra Club, but instead asked the Democratic governor on a 19-14 vote to replace Ela with someone who has a balanced perspective on the important issues facing the board.

A spokeswoman for the governor says Ela will continue serving on the board without Senate confirmation.

Republicans said Ela had little experience with industry or hunting and fishing issues. But they did not criticize any votes he has taken during his more than two years on the board.

Gate Openings

All slide gates are open, and one wicket gate has moved from 50% open to 100% open. The second wicket gate remains closed.

Water lever today is 776.6 -- 1.44 inches under what the RKLD is requesting of the DNR.

May Board Action

The Board approved funds for a diver to examine the condition of the trash gates as part of a routine mantainence program. The June meeting will take action on a proposal to de-water the turbines for bi-annual cleaning and repair/mantainence.

Minutes of the May meeting will be posted within the next few days.

Gates Open

All 6 slide gates are now open, and one wicket gate has been opened to 50% - leaving one wicket gate 100% closed.

2 Slide Gates Closed

As of Friday, May 6th, 2 of the 6 slide gates are closed. The 2 wicket gates remain 100% closed.

Water level is steady at 776.26, or, 3/4ths of an inch above DNR summer target.

Proof once again that the dam cannot control high water, but it does control low water.

NAH Will Offer Dam Update

At the next RKLD monthly board meeting (Tuesday, May 10th @ 6:30pm), Rich Foreman of North American Hydro will update commissioners and the public on the first 6 months of dam operations under RKLD ownership.

Also, Arnie Lund, recently elected to the Fulton Town Board, has also been appointed by the Fulton Town Chairman to our lake district board. Arnie replaces Kerry Hull.

Hope to see you Tuesday.

Wicket Gates Closed

North American Hydro, the Lake District's subcontractor for dam operations, has notified both the WI DNR and myself that the wicket gates are both 100% closed.

The slide gates remain open.

Jefferson closed their gates last weekend (April 23rd).