Wisconsin Lakes

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Lake Policy

Lake Policy

NEW BIPARTISAN LAW CLARIFIES VIEWING CORRIDOR STANDARDS IN THE SHORELAND BUFFER ZONE

A bill introduced by Senator Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma) clarifies the size of a viewing corridor that a county shoreland zoning ordinance must allow if it requires a vegetative buffer to be maintained. The bill was recently signed into law by Governor Evers as Act 200.

Previously, counties were required to allow viewing corridors of a width of 35 feet for every 100 feet of shoreland frontage. This was widely interpreted to mean that for every 100 feet, a landowner could have 35 feet of buffer, so that a 199 foot wide lot received a 35 foot corridor, but a 200 foot lot received 70 feet.

The law makes the size of corridor allowed fairer by allowing 35% of the frontage to be a viewing corridor, with a minimum width of 10 feet. The law also incorporates the standard in NR115, the administrative code governing shoreland zoning, that the maximum amount of viewing corridor that can be allowed is 200 feet. Previously it was unclear whether the NR115 standard applied.

Wisconsin Lakes worked with the Dept. of Natural Resources and Sen Felzkowski to draft a compromise to the language that all parties could be satisfied with, resulting in a bill Wisconsin Lakes supported.

Getting Involved

Getting Involved

Red Cedar Watershed Conference returns in person to UW-Stout for its Eleventh Year

AFTER A YEAR OFF BECAUSE OF COVID, THIS CONFERENCE DISCUSSING LAND, WATER, AND PEOPLE RETURNS TO MENOMONIE ON MARCH 9

Now in it’s eleventh year and in person for the first time since 2020, The Red Cedar Watershed Conference: Land, Water, and People Coming Together, returns to the campus of UW-Stout in Menomonie on Thursday, March 9, 2023. The event bring together farmers, lake lovers, river rats, conservationists, academics, and local government officials from within western Wisconsin’s Red Cedar River basin and from across the state to discuss issue around the river and watershed, with an emphasis of improving water quality.

Keynote speakers include Chad Pegracke, Jim Boulter, and Rick Clark

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Wisconsin Water Week

Wisconsin Water Week

Thanks for helping us celebrate Wisconsin Water Week in 2022! For info on 2023’s recognition of the importance of water to Wisconsin, follow our companion website at wisconsinwaterweek.org!

SAVE THE DATE! 2023 Wisconsin Lakes & Rivers Convention
April 19-21, 2023 ~ Stevens Point Holiday Inn & Convention Center

“Building Trust Around Water Together”

Thanks to all who participated – in person or online – for making the 2022 Wisconsin Lakes & Rivers Convention a success! Save the date for 2023 and watch for more information throughout the year on wisconsinwaterweek.org!

 

Your Statewide Lake Association

We Speak for Lakes!

Wisconsin Lakes, formerly known as the Wisconsin Association of Lakes, is the only statewide non-profit organization working exclusively to protect and enhance the quality of Wisconsin’s 15,000 lakes. For more than 20 years, Wisconsin Lakes has worked toward statewide solutions for the challenges faced by our abundant natural water resources while supporting strong local protection efforts. We represent citizens and lake groups like you who care about Wisconsin’s lakes as a shared resource, and who appreciate the value lakes bring to our quality of life, tourist economy, and property tax base. Wisconsin Lakes seeks to protect the natural wonder of our lakes, and preserve our collective right to boat, fish, hunt, ice skate, swim and enjoy the scenic beauty of our shared public waters.

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