Watershed Overview
Janesville Gazette June 26, 2010
DELAVAN TOWNSHIP - The Delavan Lake watershed is one of two sensitive natural areas in Wisconsin that could benefit from a federal push to protect the Mississippi River Basin.
Farmers in the Delavan Lake watershed have until July 28 to apply for up to $200,000 to fund projects that would prevent soil and nutrient runoff from farm fields into the lake.
The Kettle Moraine Land Trust applied for the special funding and will work with farmers who apply for the money, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The money is available through the USDA's Upper Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative.
The Delavan Lake and Jackson Creek subwatersheds qualified for grant money, the release states.
The USDA will provide money for 76 projects in 12 states, the release states.
Qualified projects include nutrient management planning, grass waterways, buffer strips, crop residue management and other practices that trap sediment and reduce nutrient runoff, the release states.
"With the support of the Delavan Lake community and, in particular, the Delavan Lake Sanitary District, we are able to offer qualified farmers additional funding to offset the cost of implementing new practices and converting land to permanent vegetation," said Maggie Zoellner, program manager for the Kettle Moraine Land Trust.
Definition: A watershed is that region of land or territory draining to a body of water.
As Delavan Lake is a drainage lake, everything that takes place in the Delavan Lake Watershed has either a direct or an indirect affect on our lake environment and water quality. The surface area of Delavan Lake is approximately 2000 acres. The watershed area is about 26,000 acres.
In this section we will familiarize you with the characteristics of both the near and far watershed. You will find territorial watershed photos in the "Watershed Details" section. We will describe the near lake character and land use and how this affects the lake. Upland drainage will be discussed and we will provide information on programs and initiatives that are underway to mitigate the effects of activities adjacent to and upstream of Delavan Lake.
We will talk about education programs and materials that are available and give you links and sources of information to help you learn more about what is going on in and around our lake. But most importantly, we will talk about the partnerships and success stories. There has been a huge investment in protecting our Lake and we want you to know about it.
DNR Watershed Management
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/wm/
http://www.wi.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/rwa.html