A decision is likely to be made next month whether a well-known lake west of Rhinelander will have its own lake district.
Oneida County Conservation and UW-Extension committee chair Bob Mott discusses the Squash Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District, saying a petition was received last November and a public hearing was held on December 3....
".....I think 60 attended the meeting all together. Of the 32 who spoke, 20 something were in favor and 7 against the petition...."
The petitioners reached or exceeded the criteria to form the Lake District. Mott says the full board will consider whether to approve the forming of the district next month.
There are five lake districts in Oneida county, the last one being the formation of the Lake Nokomis district, which was controversial. According to the Vilas County website, there are seven districts there.
Under Wisconsin law, lake districts include public inland lake protection and rehabilitation districts, sanitary districts, special districts, and commissions formed by local governments. The purpose of a district is to maintain, protect, and improve the quality of a lake and its watershed for the mutual good of the members and the lake environment. The lake district has taxing authority, to use the money to improve the water body.
It differs from a less formal lake association which has no formal powers over local owners.
