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Sunset on Delavan Lake

What We Do

The Delavan Lake Improvement Association (DLIA) advocates for policies and practices that support healthy lake water quality. We support land uses and farming practices designed to slow sediment entering the lake from the watershed.

 

As advocates, we keep our members informed of current issues affecting the lake by maintaining constructive relationships with other lake monitoring partners. These partners include Town of Delavan, WDNR, Walworth County Conservation, USGS & the Delavan Lake Sanitary District.  Together, we seek our memberships views and work towards a long-term sustainable solution.

 

The DLIA has maintained the primary focus of a ‘watchdog’ role, seeking to identify potential and existing issues that affect water quality and the long-term health of the lake.  We see the value of sponsoring project that directly support our purpose.  We will fund these efforts primarily through fundraising efforts and the use of membership fees.

 

Our areas of focus include: 

  • Build/maintain a robust membership that can be used to fund projects and bring political leverage to bear

  • Actively collaborate with other organizations to advance our agenda and look for issues in the future

  • Sponsor key projects and seek funding to implement

 

It is our  goal to forge strong ties with agencies such as the Wisconsin DNR, the U.S. Geological Survey, governing bodies at the State, County & Local levels, and other local & regional Lake Associations & Conservancies to help ensure timely attention to the condition and the needs of Delavan Lake.

Water Quality Monitoring

Impact

Land Conservation

Land Conservation

Our Cover Crop Program keeps the lake clean by providing local farmers in the Delavan Lake watershed compensation support to remove run-off land from cultivation that flows into the lake. Less runoff results in less sedimentation and farm fertilizer entering the lake.In 2021, the DLIA funded 170 acres of cover crops which kept 17 tons of sediment and 2 tons of algae out of our lake.

Carp Removal

Carp Removal

Partnering with a local bait shop the DLIA has sponsored a carp derby. Since 2019 anglers have removed more than 2000 carp resulting in less sediment disturbance which is good for game fish and traps phosphorus.

Weed Removal from Delavan Lake

Advocacy 

Members of the DLIA board participate in Town government on various committees as well as the Delavan Lake Sanitary District. The DLIA partners with the Town, the DLSD, the DNR, the NRCS and others.

2023 Goals

  • Increase marketing and brand awareness by sponsoring educational events, news releases and articles, including adding two new farmers to DLIA sponsored sites

  • Communicate with members quarterly via electronic and hardcopy newsletters

  • Increase followings on Facebook and Instagram with impactful and educational postings

  • Continue to educate members and the public of conservation best practices and begin to promote boater safety/awareness through the DLIA website, brochures and newspaper articles

  • Increase membership by 10%

  • Continue partnerships with the Town of Delavan (TOD) ,the Delavan Lake Sanitary District (DLSD), and the Walworth County Land Use & Resource Management group to identify and implement best practices identified in the Delavan Lake Watershed Implementation and Jackson Creek Watershed Protection plans with the objective of removing Delavan Lake from the DNR list of impaired waterways. Examples of these partnerships include the seasonal carp bounty, continuing to increase the amount of cover crops, to significantly increase the practice of no-till farming techniques, and promote the increased use of drone technology to monitor lake water quality and other useful purposes

  • Conduct a strategic review of the key projects which could significantly improve the quality of the lake water, assess the funds which will be required, and together with other stakeholders in the watershed develop a multi-year plan to raise the funding needed to complete these projects.

  • With the County LU&RM group, jointly sponsor 2 Farm Field days with at least 30 farmers in attendance

  • Promote Healthy Lakes Initiative Grants to lakefront owners and associations

  • Host a spring DLIA informational event attended by at least 30% of our members

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