(Published Friday, March 30, 2007 10:59:46 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Chris Schultz Gazette staff
WILLIAMS BAY-A group concerned about the effect of development on Geneva Lake and area groundwater is soliciting donations to further study the issue.
The Geneva Lake Environmental Agency will ask area communities, organizations and businesses to help pay for a $44,000 comprehensive groundwater computer map to be developed by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey.
The geological survey, part of the UW-Extension, is offering to create the computer model of groundwater flow around Geneva Lake, how it affects the lake and surrounding streams, springs and wetlands and, in turn, how municipal and industrial wells affect the groundwater.
The program would show current groundwater flows and could extrapolate conditions if more wells are drilled into the area's aquifers.
Communities in the Geneva Lake area are concerned about the impact development is having on the area's supply of groundwater.
Late last year, the environmental agency used a similar program to show that the area's 19 largest high-capacity wells are lowering the water table on the west side of Geneva Lake, while impacts to the north and east are less severe.
What the study didn't show was what impact, if any, the wells are having on Geneva Lake and other surface water in the area.
The refined computer model would fill in those blanks.
The agency's board of directors decided Wednesday to request contributions from the towns of Walworth, Linn and Geneva, the villages of Fontana and Williams Bay and the city of Lake Geneva to cover the cost of the more comprehensive study.
Ted Peters, agency director, said he also plans to approach Kikkoman Foods, the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, the Lake Geneva Garden Club, the Geneva Lake Association and the Geneva Lake Conservancy.
Peters said a donation of $4,400 from each of the municipalities and interested parties would cover the cost of the computer map.
The village of Walworth already has set aside up to $5,000 for the computer program, said Dave Rasmussen, a Walworth trustee and the village's representative on the agency board.
The state geological survey would start gathering data for the computer model in August with installation of about 10 temporary study wells at the lake's edge, followed by an inventory of area wells and springs.
A working model would be tested in January, fine tuned between February and April and work would be completed May.
Results would be turned over to the lake environmental agency and members.
