Elkhart Lake Receives DNR GRants
Elkhart Lake was a recipient when the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recently announced approximately $6 million in grant funding to lake organizations, nonprofit organizations and municipal and county governments throughout Wisconsin.
Of the 428 applicants, 207 programs totaling around $6 million were selected this year (2024) by the DNR for the annual awards.
Funding, which includes Healthy Lakes and Rivers grants as well as support for the Clean Boats, Clean Waters and Lake Monitoring and Protection Network programs, will be used to help restore and protect the state’s surface water resources in 2024 and beyond.
Under the grant funding, the Elkhart Lake Improvement Association (ELIA) will receive funding of $1,950 for our Clean Boats-Clean Water program and ELIA will work with the Sheboygan County’s Lakeshore Natural Resource Partnership which was given two $10,000 grants: one directed towards improvements to Elkhart Lake’s Neuses Bay Tributary, and the other to study phosphorus loading at Elkhart Lake.
Two recent articles drawing attention to Wake Boat DAngers
In the December 29, 2023 issue of the Wisconsin Outdoor News there was a front page article titled "Citizens, groups push for strict wake boat rules." The article reports the dangers associated with wake boats in Wisconsin and how citizens, existing groups, and citizens forming new groups, are fighting for reforms to WI wake boat rules in hopes of limiting potential damages caused by big wakes. To read the whole aricle "Click Here".
Then in the January 11th, 2024 addition of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this appeared in the sports section of the paper. "On Jan. 3, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources approved a rule to prohibit wake sports on lakes, ponds and reservoirs that do not have a minimum of 50 contiguous acres that are both 500 feet from shore on all sides and are a minimum of 20 feet deep. It also requires the 50-acre area to be at least 200 feet wide."
Want to learn more? Read the article about the proposed rule change in Vermont and how it relates to Wisconsin "Click Here"
Elkhart Lake is in the News
Wisconsin Outdoor News ran a feature story on Elkhart Lake in their December issue. The article featured information about the Plymouth DNR fisheries team which ran a comprehensive fishery survey on Elkhart Lake in 2022 . The data was collected in spring, early summer, and fall, to assess the status of all game fish and panfish species, get population estimates on walleyes, pike, and muskies, and to update management recommendations if needed. If you want to know more about this study, "click here".
True or False?
Q: I am over 18 years old so I can drive any boat or PWC without a boating safety certificate?
A: False
A person who was born on or after January 1, 1989, and who is 16 years of age or older may operate a motorboat only if he or she:
Has completed a boating safety course accepted by Wisconsin DNR
Is accompanied by another person in the motorboat who is at least 18 years of age and that person holds a valid boating safety certificate or was born before January 1, 1989.
A person at least 16 years old may operate a PWC only if he or she has completed a boating safety course that is accepted by the Wisconsin DNR. A person born before January 1, 1989, is exempt from the safety course requirement.
Boat Safety Education
Persons required to have successfully completed a boater education course must carry their boater education certificate on board and make it available upon request by a law enforcement officer.
For more information on the boating safety rules "Click Here".
New Information on electric foils and surfboards
Elkhart Lake Improvement Association President, John Schott, recently had a conversation with a representative of the Wisconsin DNR regarding e foils and surf foils. (some of which are pictured above) Discussion revolved around how WI boating rules and regulations apply to the new electric watercraft. Here is a brief synopsis of the discussion:
They are powered watercraft and as such, they need to be registered and display numbers and the annual/biannual stickers.
Operators must follow the same boating laws as when they are operating any other power watercraft.
Operators need to follow all slow-no-wake regulations. ("Slow-No-Wake Speed" means that speed at which a boat moves as slowly as possible while still maintaining steerage control.)
Operators of these watercraft need to operate 200 ft from shore and 100 feet from other watercraft.
We will keep you posted as we receive more information........
Did you Know..........
There are 15,074 documented inland lakes in the State of Wisconsin and Elkhart Lake is the third deepest natural inland lake at 119 feet deep. The deepest lake is Big Green Lake at 236 feet deep, followed by Geneva Lake at 135 feet. These three lakes were all formed as remnants of glacial activity.
However, if artificial lakes were included things would look different, with Lake Wazee (a former iron mine in Jackson County) the deepest at 350 feet in depth. There are also two very deep quarries that filled with water: Redgranite Quarry in Waushara County at 163 feet deep and Lohrville Quarry in Waushara County at 120 feet deep.
Having a deep lake is a good thing because lakes with higher volumes of water tend to better withstand land use changes around them. Big, deep lakes tend to have clearer water. This is a win for residents and visitors alike who love the clean water when swimming and it’s also great for our native fish and animals.
Our Mission
The Elkhart Lake Improvement Association (ELIA) mission is to preserve, promote and enhance the general welfare of the lake and the safety of those who use it. Founded in 1964, ELIA is a volunteer-run, member-based, 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
Our Organization has been protecting Elkhart Lake since 1964. Over the years, the lake has faced many threats to its beautiful blue waters. While the Lake has seen changes, our commitment to Keep Elkhart Blue has not.
Please help us to protect Elkhart Lake now and for generations to come by being part of the solution: become a member, volunteer, shop our store, donate. Together, we keep Elkhart Lake blue.
Preserve. Promote. Enhance.
GET INVOLVED
The aim of the Elkhart Lake Improvement Association is to encourage ownership and use of the surrounding lake community in ways that will not result in changes to the beauty, tranquility, and quality of the lake. If you want to support this mission, consider volunteering in one of our activity areas.
hELP THE CAUSE
Your donation helps us do important work in the community and keep Elkhart Lake beautiful (and blue!). If you’d like to support our cause, consider donating via credit card or PayPal or by using Amazon Smile and selecting The Elkhart Lake Improvement Association as your charitable organization to support when shopping online
JOIN COMMUNITY
Either click on this link to PayPal or mail us your membership information and payment. If you are already a member, donations above annual Membership dues are tax deductible.