WISC TV-3 Coverage of RKLD Annual Meeting

Group debates Lake Koshkonong levels

Water levels at Lake Koshkonong may not change until next spring

Published On: Aug 10 2013 09:55:00 PM CDT   Updated On: Aug 11 2013 04:02:11 AM CDT

MADISON, Wis. -

Despite a State Supreme Court decision this summer, water levels at Lake Koshkonong may not change until next spring. 

The case has now been pushed back to the lower court. The Rock Koskonong Lake District had asked the DNR to raise water levels by 7.2 feet. Saturday, leaders met to discuss the lake's future.

District chairman Brian Christianson told WISC-TV the state's high court remanded the case back to Rock County circuit court. He said it means lawyers for the lake district and lawyers for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have about three weeks to decide to either present the case in circuit court with new testimony or come up with another solution.

Members of the Rock Koshkonong Lake District spent Saturday morning reviewing their progress over the last year. The group's recent victory in court means the DNR will have to consider the economic impact of changing water levels at Koshkonong and other lakes throughout the state.

"That's critical for our constituents here today to keep the values in their homes, businesses, and restaurants that we have around the shoreline of Lake Koshkonong," said Christianson.

Bookkeeping and the district's budget were also discussed.

A hundred residents came to their annual meeting at Fort Atkinson High School.

They voted to keep the district's bookkeeping practices the same and continue to focus their efforts on resolving the water level issues.

"Our constituents gave us a vote of confidence that we've been completely transparent and we have abided by the state statutes and how we present our treasures report and our budget," said Christianson.

The district's lawyers are still working with lawyers from the DNR on the issue of water levels. That's good news to residents.

"We just need to keep going and hopefully when it's all said and done everyone will be able to sit back and say we did the right thing and everyone will benefit from it," said resident Frank Micale.

As far as the district's budgets and annual audit goes, the chairman told WISC-TV going forward that it is planning to create a citizen committee to do a review of the district's financial records.

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