Lake Delton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Delton |
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Tommy Bartlett's Thrill Show in 2005
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 Lake Delton
Location in Wisconsin
Lake Delton
Location in the United States
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| Location | Lake Delton, Wisconsin |
| Coordinates | 43°36′01″N 89°46′42″W / 43.600284°N 89.778214°W |
| Lake type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Dell Creek |
| Primary outflows | Wisconsin River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 267 acres (108 ha) |
| Average depth | 12 ft (3.7 m) |
| Max. depth | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
| Water volume | 600,000,000 US gal (2,300,000 m3) |
| Settlements | Lake Delton |
Lake Delton is a man-made freshwater lake in Sauk County, central Wisconsin. It was created to attract visitors to the area. The lake became a very popular spot in the Wisconsin Dells tourist region. Many resorts and fun attractions are located along its shores. The lake was also home to Tommy Bartlett's Thrill Show, which featured amazing acrobatic water skiing.
In 2008, a big flood caused part of a highway that acted as a lake wall to break. This made most of the lake empty out, leaving only small pools and the flow from Dell Creek. Luckily, major repairs were finished by March 2009. The lake was then allowed to refill and has been ready for use since Memorial Day weekend in 2009.
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How Lake Delton Was Created
In 1926, a man named William J. Newman from Chicago wanted to build a resort in the small area then known as Delton, Wisconsin. He bought land along both sides of Dell Creek. Newman brought engineers and construction workers to the area. They built a 30-foot (9.1 m) high dam where Dell Creek met the Wisconsin River. They also built a 1,000-foot (300 m) long dike along the dam. This work created a huge amount of new shoreline for the future resort.
On July 27, 1927, the dam's gates were closed. This allowed Dell Creek to fill up the area behind the dam, creating a large body of water called Lake Delton. Newman spent a lot of money on this project. They also built a lock between the lake and the Wisconsin River. This lock allowed small boats and canoes to travel between the two bodies of water.
Newman ran the resort until the Great Depression made it very hard to keep going. In the 1940s, Newman's share was sold to a group called the Lake Delton Development Corporation. After World War II, tourism grew in the Dells area, and Lake Delton became even more successful, especially with Tommy Bartlett's water show.
By the 1980s, the Lake Delton area was filled with waterparks, resorts, and other fun places. It became a top destination for travelers from all over the United States. The local village website proudly says that about 1.5 million visitors come to the Wisconsin Dells-Lake Delton area every year!
Many homes and resorts have been built along the shores of Lake Delton. Before the 2008 washout, the lake had some water quality issues. This is common for lakes created by dams in southwest Wisconsin. These issues were partly due to construction erosion and pollution from rural areas. The lake also had a lot of unwanted aquatic weeds that needed chemical treatment. The lake was home to fish like northern pike, walleye, largemouth bass, channel catfish, and panfish.
The 2008 Washout Event
What Happened During the Flood
On the morning of June 9, 2008, a 400-foot (120 m) section of County Highway A broke apart. This highway was on the north side of Lake Delton. The break created a new path for water to flow directly to the Wisconsin River. Around 2 a.m. that day, 12 inches (300 mm) of rain fell. About one hundred residents started trying to stop the water with sandbags.
The lake waters began to overflow County Highway A around 10 a.m. As the water poured over the land, it rushed downhill to the Wisconsin River, which was about 800 feet (240 m) away. The water quickly carved out a 400-foot (120 m) wide channel. This rapidly drained the lake in an uncontrolled rush into the river, which was 40 feet (12 m) below the lake's level. Three homes were washed away, and two more were destroyed because their foundations were swept out. The bottom of the lake, usually covered by water, became visible.
The Wisconsin governor, Jim Doyle, announced on June 10 that the state would repair the lake. He said the lake was very important to the Wisconsin Dells tourism area. Engineers from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) began studying the lake.
Some homeowners whose houses were washed away could not buy flood insurance. They said the city told them it wasn't needed because the lake was controlled by a dam.
To help the situation, local residents organized a "clean the lake bottom" event. Volunteers walked the empty lakebed to remove trash that had collected there. On June 14, 2008, about 250 volunteers filled four large dumpsters with trash.
Repairing and Restoring the Lake
After Lake Delton drained, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Natural Resources Conservation Service gave money to the Village of Lake Delton. This money was used to guide Dell Creek back to its normal path and through the Lake Delton Dam. The repair work took about 10 days. A temporary dam, called a cofferdam, was built to stop more erosion.
Lawmakers worked together to provide emergency federal money for areas in the Midwest affected by the June 2008 floods. A bill was signed on June 30, 2008, providing $390 million for the Emergency Watershed Program. This program helps state and local governments with matching funds.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation managed the repair of the break. By the end of October 2008, the restoration was well underway. The huge gap was filled with 12,000 truckloads of sand and tons of rocks. The sand was donated by a nearby landowner, which saved a lot of money on fuel and materials. Improvements were also made to the dam. These changes would allow it to handle a very large flood without the lake's level rising too much.
Highway A was reopened in late November 2008. Water began flowing back into Lake Delton after the dam was closed in early December 2008. An official ceremony was held on December 5, 2008, to celebrate the reopening of Highway A and the dam projects. In February 2009, it was announced that the lake was expected to be refilled by Memorial Day weekend. The State of Wisconsin spent $3.6 million on the repairs, and the village of Lake Delton spent $2.5 million.
On June 9, 2009, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle visited Wisconsin Dells to celebrate Lake Delton's reopening. The lake is now about 12 feet (3.7 m) deep on average. Small fish called minnows have been released into the lake. In July 2009, 9,000 young walleye fish were also released.
Climate Around Lake Delton
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Images for kids
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Looking over Lake Delton at Bartlett's grandstands in 2007
