Help Protect Pickerel Lake Fen Preserve SNA

Sign the Petition Today!

Content Provided by

Laurie Lawlor

for Mukwonago River Initiative

Basically, Booth Lake–a 119-acre seepage lake–is attempting to lower its water level by sending water underground in a large pipe beneath the Alice Chester Girl Scout Camp, where it will empty directly into a pristine sedge meadow and Pickerel Creek, a small tributary that connects the rare fen and Lake Beulah. Fens of this quality are exceedingly rare and are sensitive to disturbances of this kind. Booth Lake has historically had a Eurasian watermilfoil problem, that has involved extensive use of chemicals. Boats are not checked at the landing for invasives of any kind. In addition to water volume, water temperature, and possible disruption of underground springs — this project may have very profound impacts on the plants and therefore the birds and wildlife that use the wetland as their nesting and migration resting grounds.

We appreciate your support of the Mukwonago River Initiative’s concern about misleading information in circulation that exaggerates support for the drainage of Booth Lake water into Pickerel Creek, the wetlands, Lake Beulah, and the rest of the river system. Many of us want to make a clear statement that this proposal does not have general support in the community, despite what may have been said. Unfortunately, longer and more polite statements have been misquoted and misinterpreted.

If you agree, please add your name to the attached position statement as an individual or as part of an organization. Because of Covid-19 health concerns, we are not asking for actual signatures, but rather a name with a description of how you’d like to be listed. (Example: “Joe Smith, Lake Beulah homeowner” or “Rachel Carson, Board Member, Audubon Society, Wisconsin Chapter”; or “Jane Doe, President of XX organization, as a personal opinion”, etc.)

Please respond quickly. We hope to collect names as soon as possible in order to complete the document and distribute to a variety of pertinent officials and others who need to be aware of the project and its impact.

Please reply to laulawlor@aol.com after reading the attached position paper. Feel free to forward to others who may also be concerned and willing to sign. If you are part of an organization in which the board needs to review and agree, please keep us apprised of status and timeframe, and if small changes might change the acceptability of the statement without changing the impact.

If you need more information, please contact me and I will promptly forward a fact sheet.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Laurie Lawlor

For Mukwonago River Initiative Working Committee

*The Mukwonago River Initiative (MRI) is a citizen-led partnership that is dedicated to protecting and preserving the entire river system. The cooperative framework focuses on sharing information and efforts to protect and improve the Mukwonago River and its environs. Organizations participating in MRI include The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Mukwonago River, Waukesha County Land Conservancy, Kettle Moraine Land Trust, and others, with participation also from the Wisconsin DNR and SEWRPC. Some individuals and organizations may make their positions known separately.

MRI follow up draft 8-21-10 on Booth Lake Water project with list of species

8-18-2020 letter from TNC to BLMD

MRI position paper for signers and distribution 8-21-20