Coronavirus Impacts Washburn County Safer at Home Wisconsin’s Governor Tony Evers has issued a “Safer at Home” order limiting travel within the state and ordering the temporary closure of non-essential businesses. The order will remain in effect until 8 a.m. on April 24. Click here to read the full text of the order. A day […]
Beloved Loons Need Our Help
Washburn County has had a significant common loon population for the first part of this century on many of its lakes and rivers. All of Wisconsin is home to about 4,350 loons. The loon is a favorite bird for many, perhaps due to its distinctive melodic calls and streamlined black and white body with shimmery […]
Check Water Equipment for AIS Before Storing for Winter
Check your dock and other equipment for zebra mussels before winter storage. Zebra mussels have invaded Washburn County and are now established in Big and Middle McKenzie Lakes. Professionals and volunteers have been monitoring other area lakes for zebra mussels throughout the summer. For an update on this summer’s monitoring and watercraft decontamination efforts, click […]
Washburn-Burnett Counties Mobilizing Against Zebra Mussels
Recent updates from the McKenzie Lakes Area Zebra Mussel Management Team: the 2018 Progress & Planning Report and the Rapid Response Plan for newly detected populations. From the Fish Lake Property Owners Association: Ways to Zap Zebra Mussels In October 2016, an alert property owner found two zebra mussels on the southern shore of Big McKenzie Lake which straddles […]
Washburn-Burnett Counties Mobilizing Against Zebra Mussels
Recent updates from the McKenzie Lakes Area Zebra Mussel Management Team: McKenzie Lakes Management Team Update 05-24-2017 and ZM Monitoring 05-24-2017 In October 2016, an alert property owner found two zebra mussels on the southern shore of Big McKenzie Lake which straddles the Burnett-Washburn County line. The Wisconsin DNR’s follow-up inspections found one more at the […]
WCLRA Reaches Out To County Shore Land Owners
Click here to see our publication encouraging individual actions to protect our waters This summer WCLRA produced an interesting 8-page publication designed to show how everyone can help to protect the beautiful waters of our county. Created with input from many, the publication details a variety of projects that are relatively easy to undertake. In […]
Shoreland Zoning Summary
As previously reported, dramatic changes have been made to shoreland zoning in the past year. The most sweeping of the changes is the elimination of counties’ rights to adopt local shoreland ordinances stronger than the DNR’s minimum standards. Click here to read a summary of those changes prepared by Wisconsin Lakes association. Information on these […]
Shoreland Zoning Legislation
As previously reported, WCLRA and the Washburn County Board of Supervisors are part of a movement across Wisconsin calling for the repeal of those provisions in the 2015 budget bill (Act 55) that significantly altered shoreland zoning in Wisconsin. The most sweeping of the changes is the elimination of counties’ rights to adopt local shoreland ordinances […]
WCLRA Urges Return to Local Control of Shoreland Zoning
On September 18, 2015, Washburn County Lakes and Rivers Association (WCLRA) passed a resolution, shown below, urging the immediate repeal of Act 55, Sections 1922 D through 1922K, amending Wisconsin Statue 59.692 as it pertains to shoreland zoning. At their October meeting, the Washburn County Board of Supervisors passed a similar resolution. WCLRA and Washburn […]
Love Your Lake? Shorelands are Important!
Washburn County is blessed with many high quality lakes. Unfortunately, this is not true for some parts of Wisconsin. So what makes Washburn County lakes so attractive to those who enjoy time in and on them? What have landowners, lake associations, and government agencies done to preserve and enhance the quality of our public waters? […]
