The purpose of the Lake Level Committee is to assist the District Board with information regarding the lake level and the variables which may be affecting the lake level in a positive or negative manner.

 

The Lake Level Committee was dissolved  because its work was essentially complete. We had already done the heavy lifting — gathering public input, working with engineers, and coordinating with state agencies. At this point, the decision-making and regulatory authority sits entirely with the DNR. There was no longer a need for a standing committee when the responsibility had shifted to the state level.

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Dissolving the committee wasn’t about stepping back — it was about recognizing that we had done our job and trusting the process we helped set in motion.

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APPROVED LAKE LEVEL UPDATE - MARCH, 30TH 2026

March 30, 2026 IP-NE-2022-39-00230
Buffalo Lake Protection & Rehabilitation District
Chairman Dustin Esselman
PO Box 82
Montello, WI 53949

Dear Mr. Esselman:
The Department of Natural Resources has completed its review of your application for a permit for an order setting a revised summer date range on Buffalo Lake, in the City of Montello, Marquette County. You will be pleased to know your application is approved.
I am attaching a copy of your order, which lists the many important conditions that must be followed to protect water quality, fish and aquatic organisms and habitat. Please read your order conditions carefully so that you are fully aware of what is expected of you.
This order will be effective March 30, 2026.
If you have any questions about your permit, please call me at (608) 228-8107 or email Jeff.Schure@wisconsin.gov.
Sincerely,
Jeff J. Schure
Water Management Specialist

 

CC:
Kyle Zibung, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Jean Potter, Marquette County Zoning Administrator
Uriah Monday, Statewide Dam Safety Engineer, WDNR
Haley Jahnel, Dam Safety Engineer, WDNR
Tom Meronek, Fisheries Biologist, WDNR
Jarrod Kehring, Parks and Recreation, WDNR
Pat Kilbey, Marquette County Land Conservation Department
Mike Kohnke, City of Montello Public Works Director
Ben Mott, WDNR Conservation Warden