Koshkonong Lake Level Today

Today's Lake Level = 778.5


Last Year on this date = 781.3

33+ inches HIGHER last year

More positive comments re: Dredging

Brian


Wow!!

I like - Please make sure they do a bunch on dredging in front of my property. I live in the North Shore area on Lamp Road

Your are the man

Thanks for the update

Regards,

Jim

Re: Dredging

RKLD,


Excellent News! Thank you for all your hard work, news, and updates! Wonderful!

Everyone involved with this huge task deserves the utmost respect! Kudos for keeping our fishing and recreation waterway clean and clear for us and generations to come!

Mark
-Edgerton

Update on Lake Koshkonong Dredging

It has been several months since our last email update, but you will be pleased - if not amazed - to learn that together with the US Army Corps. of Engineers, the RKLD has been working closely with WI DNR.


For the past 4 months, the three government entities responsible for lake restoration and recreation - the Army Corp., the DNR and the RKLD - have been meeting to plan activities that will result in dredging areas of Lake Koshkonong, and using the spoils to form islands designed to break wind fetch, curb shoreline erosion, and improve the fish hatchery.

On March 12, the contracts and agreements among the 3 stakeholders were agreed upon and signed by the ACOE Commander at Rock Island, IL, by the DNR Secretary, and by RKLD Chair Brian Christianson.

You will be receiving regular updates from this point forward.

Phase 1 - Mapping the Lake Bed

You may have noticed a large johnboat plying the waters of Lake Koshkonong over the last few days -- that is a bathymetric survey boat supplied by the US Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District.

The boat is traversing the lake on regular pathways spaced approximately 1000 feet apart to collect lake bottom elevation. The data will be used to update the bathymetric (lake bottom) map that has been around for decades.

This work is one of the first field activities of the Lake Koshkonong planning project.

Rock Koshkonong Lake District has partnered with the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Wisconsin DNR to conduct an intensive planning and design study for Lake Koshkonong.

The impetus for this project began with the District's success in obtaining funding from the state Legislature for development of a comprehensive plan to improve the Lake.

This project, conducted under the Corps' Planning Assistance to States program, leverages RKLD's funding with that of the Wisconsin DNR and Corps of Engineers.

Upcoming activities will include additional data collection, and planning workshop to discuss your ideas for improving the lake.

Below 779.00

NOAA

An Open Letter Re: Rock River slow-no-wake

Dear city of Fort Atkinson and town of Koshkonong:

First of all, I would like to thank the leaders of our communities for all you do to make the Fort Atkinson area a great place to live, work and play. The area has a lot to offer and we all appreciate the leadership skills it took to make this happen.

In the spirit of continued improvement, there is more we can do, thus the reason for this letter. It will soon be time to put in navigation buoys. These buoys mark slow-no-wake areas, channels, etc. For many years we have had both local anglers/boaters and those who come from far away concerned about the slow-no-wake zone upstream and downstream of the city. I am specifically speaking of upstream on the Rock River starting from the confluence of the Bark River and also the area downstream on the Rock River beginning at Shirley Street. Boaters’ often ask: "Is the slow-no-wake area necessary during normal water levels?"

As you know, setting up a new slow-no-wake ordinance is not an easy task. If it took little effort for a waterfront owner to implement a slow-no-wake area in front of their property, many more land owners would do it. Imagine how boating and tourism in Wisconsin would be impacted if each and every property owner could easily implement slow-no-wake rules on rivers they live on?

Rivers are held in public trust for the benefit of the public under the Public Trust Doctrine. State law allows slow-no-wake regulations if they are: "in the interest of public health, safety or welfare, including the public’s interest in preserving the state’s natural resources."

Boating laws are complex. Do Wisconsin slow-no-wake laws apply to us on the Rock River? Which laws apply? Is it possible the city attorney could review this topic?

I would like to ask several questions about the slow-no-wake ordinances. I have informed the Fort Atkinson Wisconservation Club (FAWC), the Rock River-Koshkonong Association (RRKA) and the Rock-Koshkonong Lake District (RKLD) that I would discuss with them the answers to the following questions.

Why are slow-no-wake buoys placed downstream beyond Shirley Street? The city ordinance appears to say the slow-no-wake western border ends on Shirley street. However, slow-no-wake buoys have been previously placed down river from this location.

Why is there a slow-no-wake rule on the Rock River from the mouth of the Bark River upstream? Were there safety issues? Are we preserving the state’s natural resources? Please note that Wisconsin courts have stripped away slow-no-wake rules that don’t fit within the above mentioned definition (e.g., Wolf River/Town-Village of Fremont).

Wisconsin law also appears to say that there must be public notice of a public hearing and the lake association must be notified of a potential new slow-no-wake ordinance (statute 30.77 (3)(aw)(2). Does this law apply to the Rock River?

I have discussed this topic with Frank Micale, president of the RRKA. Mr. Micale says the RRKA was never contacted either verbally or in writing by the city or township in regards to new slow-no-wake regulations for the Rock River. I agree, I have been a member of the RRKA for 27 years and don’t recall learning about these new regulations until after they were in force.

If it is determined that statute (30.77)(3)(aw)(2) applies to our local situation, was notice given and are there records of a public hearing? If so, can we review these records? Please be aware that Wisconsin courts have ruled that if state statutes are not followed in setting up a slow-no-wake area, the ordinance is, therefore invalid (e.g., Parker Lake/Town of Jackson).

If it is determined that the slow-no-wake areas both upstream and downstream of the city were passed in accordance with state statutes, it’s my feeling that this topic is still worthy of a discussion in an attempt to satisfy recreational boaters who don’t agree the total slow-no-wake area is necessary.

Whether it’s advising on a slow-no-wake or water hazard area, discussing how to safely install floating docks in high water for walleye anglers to use, or assisting in any river or lake related project or ordinance, the RRKA, RKLD and the FAWC all have members who have the experience, skills and desire to help. I believe that these organizations want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Jefferson county communities should work closely with these groups for the benefit of all who come from near and far to use our unique natural resources.

Please review the above questions at your convenience. I am looking forward to receiving your reply and then sharing this information with the previously mentioned organizations. Thank you for your time and attention in this matter.

Sincerely,
Jim Furley, Fort Atkinson
(920) 563-7011

Koshkonong icecap gone

From Thursday, March 25th - Jefferson County Daily Union

...Those records show that in the past 89 years, the earliest the icecap has gone out has been Feb. 25, 1998, and the latest, on April 15, 1972. Last year, it disappeared on April 7.

(ACTUALLY, Ice Out is officially FRIDAY, March 26th.)

lake level = 779.12

Money to be Applied Towards Koshkonong Dredging/Islands

Mr. Christianson,

This e-mail confirms my receipt of the fully-executed agreement between the DNR and the Rock-Koshkonong Lake District for "… a comprehensive study of options and structures to preserve wetlands, shoreline, fish and wildlife habitat, and the navigability of Lake Koshkonong".

Per this agreement, you will receive payment in full, totaling $100,000, no later than Monday, April 19. The check will be made payable to your organization but mailed to you at the address provided in the grant agreement.

Please contact me at the phone number or e-mail address below if you should have any questions concerning this process.

Thank you,

Mary Rose

Mary Rose Teves
Acting Director
Bureau of Community Financial Assistance
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Koshkonong rises 26 inches in One Week

Last week - 776.37
Today - 778.51

Slow/no wake order issued for Rock County

Janesville Gazette

...River levels near Lake Koshkonong were at 7.25 feet Friday morning, up from 6.4 feet Monday, Franks said. He said in the next 10 days, water levels there could climb as high as 8 feet, but he noted no road flooding is expected in the area.

"Klunker Dunk" for 4th of July Fireworks

NBC15

Normally a car sitting on the ice this time of year would be cause for alarm. But it's just local residents trying to make a little fire out of all that ice.

The Rock River - Lake Koshkonong association was trying to find a way to raise money for the annual Fourth of July fireworks display. That's where the Sunset Bar and Grille and Jason Rusch stepped in.

"We purchased the car from the shop," says Rusch, owner of North Shore Customs just west of Fort Atkinson. "One of my customers had it and had some issues so decided to purchase it. We spent a week on it in the shop, had the sticker guy come and put all our sponsors on it, dispose everything, get it environmentally friendly and bring it out here."

After getting permission from the D-N-R, the 1999 Ford Contour was pulled onto the ice. For now, the car sits on about a foot thick sheet of ice and as the temperature climbs, it's only a matter of time before it sinks to the bottom of the lake.

A special timer has been installed in a secret location on the car to let organizers know the exact time the 1999 Ford Contour plunges into the lake. If you would like to make a guess as to when the car will fall through the ice, you can buy a guess for $5 or three guesses for $10 at Sunset Bar and Grill on the north shore of Lake Koshkonong, just west of Fort Atkinson. The winner will receive half of the money raised, with the remainder going to the annual Fourth of July fireworks display.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March Koshkonong Level Fairly Predictable

Today, then end of March

2010 - 776.37
2009 - 778.23 --- rising to 781.31 Mar 31st
2008 - 778.27 --- steady at 778.4
2007 - 774.95 --- rising to 777.71
2006 - 775.47 --- rising to 777.16
2005 - 771.31 --- rising to 777.9

2008 RECORD FLOOD LEVELS

Lake 23 inches HIGHER last year

Today -
776.37 -- Inflow = 1190 cfs -- Outflow = 1190 cfs

One Year Ago -
778.28 -- Inflow = XX cfs -- Outflow = 3990 cfs

Nature's Way: Focus on bigmouth buffalo

WI State Journal HERE

...The state record, which may also be a world record for a bigmouth taken by hook and line, is 73 pounds, caught in Lake Koshkonong, in Jefferson County, in 2004. Minnesota's record bigmouth is a mere 41-pound fish caught in 1991 in Goodhue County.