Wisconsin Lakes

Link over to the New DNR Lakes front page.
It's easy to fall in love with Wisconsin's 15,081 lakes [PDF 83KB]. Enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, fishing, boating, swimming, or just relaxing [exit DNR] are favorite pastimes. We appreciate the unique benefits and are learning to accept the challenges associated with "life near lakes" [PDF 734KB]. We also recognize that our increasing shoreland use [PDF 2.6MB exit DNR] is changing the lakes (Piers etc.).

Beautiful Boyds Falls

In Wisconsin Lake Partnerships [PDF 427KB, exit DNR] provides such a strategy. Since its genesis in the early 1970s, this unique approach has become a national model of a true partnership. Three groups form the core of this lake team. The Wisconsin DNR supplies the technical expertise and regulatory authority. The University of Wisconsin Extension [exit DNR] builds linkages between stakeholders and provides supporting educational materials [exit DNR] and programs. Local lake people and Wisconsin Association of Lakes (WAL) [exit DNR] are the third member, playing an integral role in the success of the partnership. From around the state lake organizations [exit DNR], property owners, and local governments provide the political will and hard work to accomplish watershed restoration and lake protection goals. These three groups concerned with the future of our lakes have joined together in active cooperation and conscientious planning for lake protection [PDF 66KB exit DNR] with shorelands, wetlands and rivers.

Complex social, economic [PDF 1.8MB exit DNR] and natural resource issues demand innovation and diverse experience to provide answers. Increasingly these challenges require the involvement of those affected as well as the organizations [exit DNR] and agencies [exit DNR] appointed to deal with the issues in the continuing pursuit to safeguard lakes. Today over 600 lake organizations [exit DNR] and thousands of volunteers play a role in the stewardship and leadership [exit DNR] of Wisconsin's lakes.

The lake partnership is multi-faceted. Components include citizen lake and watershed monitoring, youth and adult education, aquatic plant protection, pollution prevention, land and water regulation, community assistance grants and Lake Law [exit DNR].

Related Sites

• Wisconsin Assoc. of Lakes [exit DNR]
• UW Extension - Lakes [exit DNR]
• Lake Links
  • Calendar
  • FAQ
  • Important Lake Questions
  • Lake Maps
  • Publications
  • What's New?

For other Lake Information contact:

James Vennie
(608) 266-2212