Whitewater applies for DNR lake management grant

From the Janesville Gazette

...McCormick said many municipalities have established lake districts or associations to manage their lakes.

An association usually is a voluntary group of lakeshore landowners pooling resources for management costs, said Jeffrey Thornton, principal planner for the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.

Thornton said a lake association might not be the best option for Whitewater because much of land around the lakes is publicly owned.

A lake district taxes all property owners within the district, which typically extends beyond lakeshore owners and probably would include all of Whitewater, he said.

Most lake districts levy 25 to 50 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation to pay for lake improvements and management, Brunner said.

The goal is to restore the bodies of water.

Years ago, families flocked to Tripp Lake to swim and lie on the sandy beach.

The high dive was one of the community swimming hole’s favorite attractions. The lake was 12 to 14 feet deep.

Today, Tripp Lake has spots 8 feet deep but has an average depth of 3 feet, said Heidi Bunk, a water resource management specialist with the state Department of Natural Resources.