2007 Board Elections

At the 2007 Annual Meeting, scheduled for Saturday, July 28th at 9:00am, the electors will elect 2 Commissioners to the RKLD Board.

The elected term of Ray Lunder, Treasurer, is up for election, as is the appointed term of Ed Sandner, Secretary.

Both Ray and Ed have indicated they will stand for reelection next month.

If you are interested in running for one of 2 seats on the RKLD, please email me your name, contact info, and any other info you would like to post here, or distribute via our e-newsletter.

We will also permit nominations from the floor.

2006 Board Election Notice

2005 Board Election Notice

Are you eligible to vote?
Click HERE

Life and Death on the Rock River

Fireworks

The fireworks show on Lake Koshkonong will be Saturday night, July 7th - presented by the Lake Koshkonong Recreation Association (LKRA).

Be sure to practice safe boating, particularly before, during and post fireworks. It is a night that customarily brings law enforcement from Jefferson County, Rock County, the DNR and the Rock River Safety Patrol on to the water, and boat traffic is heavy (as are the lake flies).

Know the Rules

Visit the Buckhorn I

Visit the Buckhorn II

Koshkonong holds visioning workshop

From the Daily Jefferson County Union HERE

...The event was moderated by professor and community development educator Steve Grabow from the University of Wisconsin-Extension Jefferson County Office. Also participating was the town’s Smart Growth consultant Margaret Burlingham of LanDesign.

...As Grabow noted during the discussion, a few of the topics could actually be placed under multiple headings, like concerns about Lake Koshkonong could be placed in natural resources or recreation.

...A major part of the sense of place and community was consensus on park/recreation and maintaining the town’s rural character. Hopes included increasing native vegetation on public land; more bike route connections; planned access to Lake Koshkonong; maintaining rustic roads, and hoping the town’s skyline does not become a city or suburban skyline.

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Call me skeptical, having participated myself in similiar "Vision" workshops, but I suspect this group's vision for Lake Koshkonong does not include water levels that promote boating safety, improved fishing or the benefit of dredging and man-made islands.

If it did, then we certainly should have heard from them during last year's Contested Case Hearing.

Operational Info from the Rock River Safety Patrol

Hello Brian,

I agree with the board members that any attempt by the Lake District to openly support the Boat Patrol would not work. It would open the door for the Towns to dump their responsibility on the Lake District, which they would do in a heart beat. I think the only way the Towns are going to increase funding to the RRSP is to be forced by the public for more patrol. In other words the RRSP needs some publicity. The only problem is when we make the news someone is injured or dies. The LKRA and RRKA have been donating to the RRSP and have expressed a willingness to do more, its a help and we are very grateful, but that is not the answer. For my part I am only one man and I can only do so much by myself.

We have made great strides in increasing our budget in the past year but that still falls short of what is actually needed. Getting some additional equipment is great but if I can't afford the patrol time to use it then what have we accomplished.

We operate on about a $13K budget, about $4K from the Towns another $8K from the DNR and about $600 from the State towards training. As far as disbursements go about$3-4K goes to insurance another $2-3K for fuel and miscellaneous equipment, another $1K for Workman's comp and other taxes. If I try and get the boat out for the 34 weekend and Holiday days at 8 hours a day during the summer I need almost $8.2K for payroll. If I put the PWC out then there is an additional $2K in payroll. We are also required to provide a minimum of 24 hours of training every year for each officer which is another $2.2K in payroll, although I have been able to dump some of the training on other agencies which is a help. If Tom Kunkel, Fran and Myself were to put in for the administrative hours we work that would be another $2-3K. That is why we don't put in for all the administrative hours we work.
.
The salary structure has been frozen at $14.00 an hour for Officers and $14.50 an hour for the Sergeant and Captain. Plus the Officers have to pay for their own equipment and uniforms. They do not get a clothing allowance as they do in other police departments. So far the board has not acknowledged the need to look at the salery structure or the clothing allowance issue.

If we work on a recovery operation we do not get reimbursed from the DNR and that eats into our patrol hours. The bottom line is the the RRSP does the best it can with the $13K it operates with. To do the job properly we should have an operating budget of about $25K to 30K.

Law Enforcement is a thankless job it is only when something bad happens that LE becomes important. We are the red-headed step child of local government.

Most of the Towns don't think we are worth what they give us let alone giving us more. I try not to make a lot of noise about our budget because we stand a chance of losing everything.

This is only to give you an idea of the big picture and the challenges the RRSP faces.

I appreciate your friendship and support, it means a lot to me and to the Patrol.

Captain Henry Sautin

Water Level Today - 776.29

Both Wicket gates are 100% closed and 3 of 6 slide gates are closed.

Our new dam operators for 2007 are doing a magnificent job and managing the DNR operating orders on our behalf!!

Jefferson County Payments to RKLD

Brian,
It is beyond my comprehension that Jefferson county has the money to put in an additional two lane by-pass highway over the rock river in Fort Atkinson but can't put up additional funding to improve the river & lake.

Why do they need to make highway 26 four lanes with a huge bridge over the river this seems completely absurd. Route 26 does not have that much traffic & this is a very costly project. Do you know about this ? Pls advise ? Thx, rbh

____________________

Brian:

1) Jefferson has always enjoyed the increased tax base from the lake and river without ever having to contribute to the dam's operation or ownership.

2) The district property owners stepped up to the plate and accepted ownership of the dam even though it is the counties that benefit the most from the tax base.

3) Our benefit for doing this was the only way we could maintain our property value.

4) The district is now paying and will continue to pay the cost of repairs and operations by voting to tax themselves for those costs without any additional costs to the county, $75K is a very cheap investment on their part

5) We - I as a tax payer am offended that elected members of this board would even consider such action when it is you and all residents of this county benefit by what the lake district has done by stepping up and voluntarily taxing themselves for the benefit of others.

Jim

Gate Operations

Today's water level is 776.26 - 3/4 inch ABOVE DNR Summer Target level.

Both wicket gates are closed, and 3 0f 6 slide gates are closed.

Jefferson Co. Results

Brian,
What was the Jefferson county finance committee decision on whether to withdraw financial support or not to the Indian Ford dam maintenance fund?

Jerry

The Finance Committee voted to essentially do nothing. They reaffirmed the terms of our contract with RKLD, and that is, if RKLD is successful at winning our case against the DNR's opertaining orders, then Jefferson Co. retains their right to request a return of their monies, per our contract.

Thanks for being in attendence Jerry!

Muddy waters: Future of Lake Leota unknown

Appreciate what we have here on Lake Koshkonong, because once it's gone - it's gone...
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From the Janesville Gazette

Weeds and grass now grow in the spot that once put the lake in "Lake Leota Park." Drained in 2005, the lake has sat empty since, and its future is as clear as the dirt that the city would like to remove.

"At this point, there's no plans for anything," City Administrator Dan Wietecha said. "There's definitely a desire to dredge, and hopefully sooner than later, but dollars are the big question."

1,461-acre parcel in county returns to wetland with official dedication

From the Watertown Daily Times HERE

...Former property owner Dennis Zeloski, of the town of Lake Mills, said plans began in 1999 to transfer the former Zeloski Muck Farms from private to public ownership. His father, Felix, raised his first crops on the property back in 1946 after draining an area of the Koshkonong Creek

More of Shore FIshing in Fort II

Hello again,

I have had a few replies to this topic, thank you.

To just add one more cent to my two cents, I agree with others that if there is a safety issue let's address it, and if there is a police issue, let's police it. Why not start writing a few tickets to those who litter, etc., on the river wall? Let's not shut down fishing for EVERYONE just because there are a FEW who can't behave.

Jim

More of Shore FIshing in Fort

6-15-07

Hi,

Here is an update. I talked to Scott Latusky, the Fort Atkinson Parks Director, he mentioned there have been some discussions to shut down fishing in certain areas of downtown Fort Atkinson but no decisions have been made. He said he personally is against closing down fishing in Lorman Park, and if others are discussing that area to be shut down he was not aware of it. He said there is a "safety" issue with some narrow areas of the river walk and the concern is someone could get hooked as they walk by on the trail. There is also a "police" issue as some people leave trash and relieve themselves along the wall, and block the trail making it difficult to walk by, etc.

If you want to keep your favorite shore fishing spot in Fort Atkinson open for fishing, I recommend you discuss this with members of the Fort Akinson city council before any decisions are made.

Jim Furley

Shore Fishing in Fort

June 14, 2007

Hello Friends,

I am hearing rumors that there is a movement to prohibit shore fishing from the "wall" at certain locations in downtown Fort Atkinson.

Some of these areas of the Rock River have been favorites of both locals and out of town tourists since the Great Depression. The rumors say someone (or a few) are complaining about fishermen fishing the wall from the Legion Dugout to the Robert Street Bridge. Also, I have been told there have been discussions to close down shore fishing on the other side of the river (water company side) from the Main street bridge to the bike trail.

We’ve already lost most of the boat trailer parking at the downtown Fort Atkinson boat landing, we should not let some of the prime shore fishing spots be taken away as well, without having area conservation groups involved in the decision making process. To not be able to fish from shore at Lorman Park seems to go against the grain of what a public park is all about.

I am hoping the Rock River Koshkonong Association, the Lake District, and the Fort Atkinson Wisconservation Club, will discuss this issue and give their positions to Fort Atkinson city officials. The public needs to be involved in public policy.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance in any way or to discuss this further.

Thank you. - Jim Furley (920) 563-7011 or (920) 723-0395 (cell).

P.S. Please forward this to members of the above organizations and those who are concerned about the future of Fort Atkinson.

River, farmland key issues

From the Janesville Gazette

Key issues that surfaced include:

-- The Rock River.

The city has a tremendous asset in the Rock River, and much more can be done to embrace that asset, Jensen said.

Residents talked about infill development and redevelopment; a river walkway; better recreational opportunities, and orienting development toward the river rather than away from it. The quality of the river needs to be protected, they said, and the future of the dams and the parking structure over the river should be considered.

________________

All we can say for those of us on the river north of Janesville is - WELCOME TO OUR WORLD!

Constituent Email to Jefferson Co. Finance Committee

Committee members:

After all of the investigation into this Lake Koshkonong of ours, during the recent court battle, it seems unbelievable to me that anyone would even consider reducing or even stopping payments into lake preservation.

A great portion of the lake lies in Jefferson county and provides jobs, homes, recreation and taxes into the County Treasury. These figures were presented by several experts' testimony during the water level court case.

Jefferson County has been a great partner in the preservation of the lake and should continue in that respect by continuing its support financially.

Please continue your financial support to help preserve our beautiful and "embattled" Lake Koshkonong.

Larry Miller
344 Lakeshore Dr
Edgerton, WI

Jefferson County Finance Meeting

As per our blast email yesterday, please attend the Finance Committee meeting of the Jefferson County Board on Thursday, at 8:00am, Room 112.

Previous posts --

HERE

and

HERE

Restoration company looks to reintroduce native quail species

From Sunday's Janesville Gazette

...Tallgrass Restoration introduced 100 northern bobwhite quail Saturday to its 220 acres of prairie at County N and Highway 59.

...Tallgrass CEO Peter Layton wants to reverse that trend. The company has released birds periodically in the past but often found them back at the barn where they were raised, he said.

Why Are Gates Open?

Since 6/01/07 the Bingham PT precipitation gage shows 2.57 inches. I sure hope we get a lot of run off from other areas to raise the levels with gates open.

We are above DNR summer max - 776.41 - and inflow as measured by gauges in Fort has increased for 5 consecutive days. Precipitation is only one of many factors - and the amount of rain water that lands on your lawn has very little to do with the big picture.