Election for Commissioners to be held during Annual Meeting, August 9. There are two commissioner positions that will be open for election at the coming Annual Meeting. Bill Lewis will be running again. Dennis Schroeder will be stepping down after 3 terms. (Thank you, Dennis, for all your time and work). If you have a genuine interest in the present and future of Buffalo Lake for the good of all those who enjoy it, consider running for a commissioner's position. No special skills are required and the time involved ranges from 4-10 hours a month. If you have specific questions, please contact Bill Lewis at 608.297.7527; leave your name and number on the Lewis's voice mail, since they have a busy schedule and can't always answer the phone in person.

What is happening on Buffalo Lake with all this June (2008) rain?? You may have read and/or seen newsclips of some of the devastation to nearby areas: Lake Delton as an example. Horrific scenes of entire homes breaking apart, sliding off the shore and being taken away by the flood waters have been in the national news. Fortunately, as of this date, we have NOT had that kind of damage here on Buffalo. Highway 22 traffic was closed to the bridge and traffic re-routed over the dyke road (Sunset). The Causeway (Highway D) was also closed. As of the end of June, Hwy 22 is completely open, with the exception of heavy truck traffic. The Causeway is open as well. Sunset (the Dyke road) remains closed due to a sink hole near the boat launch. There is no access to that boat launch; the nearest launch is on Hwy C near 10th Dr. The photos you can access here show a variety of interesting things: We had some sections of bog floating past, one complete with trees! Another shot is of the water level where the cutters were parked at the Hwy C launch by 10th Dr. There is a shot of the rising water behind the businesses in downtown Montello. The folks living in the Causeway area had alot of grief, as shown in the photos of the water, the bridge and the Road Closed sign. You can see the lake spilling over the highway behind and to the left of the Road Closed sign. Click to see pictures of the areas around Montello.1 2 3 4 5 6

7

About Buffalo Lake

Marquette County has 90 lakes. Buffalo Lake has about 50% of the water surface area. It was a natural lake formed by a downstream deposit of sediment in 1871. The level of the natural basin was increased by four feet. The Army Corps of Engineers constructed a low head dam under authorization of the River and Harbor Act of 1958, the Federal Government turned over control of the upper Fox River above the mouth of the Wolf River to the State of Wisconsin in June 1962.

Physical Data of Buffalo Lake

  • Acres = 2500
  • Mean Depth = 4.5 ft
  • Maximum Depth = 8ft
  • Length= 13.1 miles
  • Width 1/2 mile
  • Shore Length = 32.2 miles
  • Watershed area = 600 sq. miles
  • Normal outflow 12 days from the time water enters Buffalo Lake to the time it goes over the dam at Montello.
  • Buffalo Lake was named for the buffalo grass growing around the lake.

Lake Protection and Rehabilitation

On December 31, 1986, petitions were filed with the Marquette County Clerk requesting the establishment of a public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district in the Townships of Montello and Packwaukee, and the City of Montello. The petitions were accompanied by a map and description of the proposed boundaries.
Notice of a public hearing was published in the Marquette County Tribune on January 8, 1987, and mailed to the landowners within boundaries of the proposed district.The public hearing was held before the Marquette County Zoning and Planning Committee on January 29, 1987.
Buffalo Lake Protection and Rehabilitation was then declared organized and established.


Website designed and created by Chris Doudna.
Site last updated on 7/6/2008 by Valerie Stabenow.
© 2006