Big Cedar Lake Dam
By Mary Jo Joyce age is
Nearly every year, heavy rains, high water and strong winds beset Big Cedar Lake to varying degrees. Unlike what would have been the case under similar circumstances decades ago, the lake level quickly returns today to near its ordinary high water mark. Riparian property owners no longer worry about loss of property or damage to shorelines, boathouses and piers due to high water. Soon after the passing of a storm, the water clarity returns to a settled blue-green color and water moving downstream is free of the inordinate amounts of pollution and debris that would be present if Big Cedar experienced prolonged flooding.

Sustained high lake levels have a severe impact on water quality, shorelines and structures. When the fresh spring waters feeding Big Cedar, Little Cedar and Cedar Creek choke under the enormous weight of every extra inch of water, the ecosystem is jeopardized for as long as the condition lasts. Similarly, trouble is created by waters that are too low. Such a condition dampens the very pleasures that we enjoy from Wisconsin lakes -- fishing, boating, swimming, and simply, viewing. High and low water threaten delicate plant life. Reaching a balance, keeping the lake levels as near as possible to the lake's healthiest level, is no easy matter.

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Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 347
West Bend, Wisconsin 53095
AskCLCF@clcf.info