SURPRISING STUFF
Southeast Wisconsin does not have a shortage of lakes and keeping them clean is no easy task.
When there are too many minerals in the water, some lakes can become dangerous. The Town of Delavan is trying to make sure this doesn’t happen to Delavan Lake or that the surrounding lakes do not become too dangerous and unsafe. Delavan Lake is 1,906 acres with a maximum depth of 52 feet. It is no small task to keep it clean and thriving. There is a lot that goes into keeping the water safe. Delavan uses ponds that are designed to trap and filter phosphorus from their groundwater that goes into the lakes. If there is too much of that mineral, it starts to damage the pond and increase the population of algae.
One may not be able to see the system working but many will see the side effects. Without these unseen and generally unknown ponds algae bloom or something like that can occur. Too much phosphorus, coming down from the farms around the lakes, is just like fertilizing the lake. The ponds are supposed to be cleaned every 3-5 years, but they have not been cleaned since 2007. People don’t realize what goes into maintaining Delavan Lake. Whether on a boat, fishing, or in the water, people soak up the summer sun around the lakes, but beneath the surface of the water, there’s a lot that goes into keeping that water safe. Delavan currently has a cleaning project going for the ponds. The entire project is set to be done Sept. 30, and then they will have to start all over again in five to six years.
