Water Quality

GENEVA LAKE MANAGEMENT PLAN - 2025
The Geneva Lake Management Plan was updated last in 2008. Significant changes have taken place since that time related to use of and recreation on Geneva Lake including: 1) increasing development and piers; 2) heavier rain events damaging tributaries; 3) entry of more invasive species; and 4) more boating and heavier boats eroding shorelines. Led by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC), a scope of work has been developed to update the plan addressing four key tasks: 1) update in-lake data sets and evaluate meaning and implications; 2) quantify stakeholder perceptions, needs, desires and aspirations and foster cooperation; 3) inventory watershed conditions and examine its influence on lake health; and 4) publish revised lake management plan. SEWRPC is collaborating with the Geneva Lake Conservancy, the Geneva Lake Environmental Agency, Walworth County Land Use and Resource Management Department, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Geneva Lake Association as well as community residents and other interested stakeholders. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2025.

Geneva Lake Management Plan Kickoff Meeting (Jan. 26, 2023)
The Purpose, the Players and the Goals
A Video of the Meeting
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State and Local Water Quality Organizations...

UW-WISCONSIN EXTENSION - LAKE DISTRICTS

WISCONSIN LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

From the Dept. of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection 2020 Wisconsin Report on Soil and Water Conservation:
Wisconsin Land and Water Association Success Stories - Keeping Geneva Lake Blue

WATER ALLIANCE for PRESERVING GENEVA LAKE (formerly GENEVA LAKE TASK FORCE)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Maddie Olivieri, Lakefront Property Owners Play Important Role in Geneva Lake Health (Oct. 8, 2022)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Mark Lillie, Water Alliance Reports Progress on Lake Health Issues (May 18, 2022)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Brian Smetana, How Farmers Can Help Protect Our Lakes (November 4, 2021)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Unhealthy Private Land Endangers Lake Health (September 2, 2021)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Dale Splinter, Geneva Lake Tributaries Studied to Aid in Pollution Reduction (July 13, 2021)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Nickols and Colman on Water Alliance Plans for Preserving Geneva Lake in 2021 (May 24, 2021)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Kate Holland on Teaching Kids to Appreciate Nature through Fishing (October 15, 2020)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Chris Todd on Safeguarding Lake Water Quality (October 6, 2020)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Regional News recap of initial Water Alliance year (September 17, 2020)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Mark Lillie on a successful first year of the Water Alliance (September 11, 2020)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Shannon Haydin on the threat of old septic systems (August 18, 2020)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Brian Smetana on How Farmers Can Help Protect Our Lakes (July 24, 2020)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Fay U. Amerson on Polluting a Lake (July 12, 2020)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Tom Nickols on Destructive Invaders (June 19, 2020)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Ted Peters on Starry Stonewort (May 28, 2020)

Geneva Lake Task Force Keeping it Blue - Charles Colman introducing the Geneva Lake Task Force (May 11, 2020)

Lake Geneva Regional News article about launch of Geneva Lake Task Force (December 16, 2019)

WISCONSIN LAKES / WISCONSIN WATER WEEK

2023 Wisconsin Water Week—April 17-21

Wisconsin Lakes

Monitoring & Management of Starry Stonewort

Motor Boat Impacts

Video of the above presentation

Responding Corraboratively to Nitrates

WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DATA AND INFORMATION

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR)—Geneva Lake Information Page

WDNR Geneva Lake Facts and Figures

WDNR Geneva Lake Invasive Species Summary

WDNR Starry Stonewort (Nitellopsis obtuse) Overview

2020 WDNR FAQs—Starry Stonewort

2020 WDNR Research Fact Sheet--Starry Stonewort

2020 WDNR Statement on Efforts

2017 WDNR Starry Stonewort Presentation (background and insight—No Geneva Lake references)

GLA INFORMATION AND OTHER RESOURCES

Green Lake: 2022 State of the Lake Breakfast/Annual Meeting held by the Green Lake Association on June 20, 2022 (detailing water quality study findings and plans to address challenges faced by this lake community). See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_R9tfJCTrE

North Lake Management District/Hartland WI (detailing Carroll University study of water quality and wave propagation and related studies) Lake / River / Creek Studies | North Lake Management District (nlmd.org)

GLEA Starry Stonewort Hand Pulling Report (July, 2021)

Geneva Lake 2021 Starry Stonewort SEWRPC Staff Memo (Sept. 28, 2021)

Starry Stonewort Update from Ted Peters, GLEA (June 30, 2020)

USGS Geneva Lake (Water Quality, Hydrology and Biology)

GLA's Comment letter to DNR Starry Stonewort Permit Guidance (May 2, 2020)

GLA Notice to Members inviting comment on DNR Starry Stonewort Guidance (April 29, 2020)

WALWORTH COUNTY LAND USE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Lesser Celandine Brochure

UW-WISCONSIN EXTENSION - LAKE TIDES ISSUES

Lake Tides Vol. 49, #1 Winter/Spring 2024

Lake Tides Vol. 48, #4 Fall/Winter 2023

Lake Tides Vol. 48, #3 Summer/Fall 2023