Lake Belle View Restoration to Begin
August 06, 2010
Senator Jon Erpenbach, 266-6670; DNR Secretary Matt Frank, 266-2252; Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, 266-4114; Belleville Village Administrator April Little, 424-1655.
County Executive
Public/Private Funding Partnership Moves Project Ahead: Donations Still Sought
Belleville – Community leaders, lake activists and local elected officials participated in a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony to launch the Lake Belle View Restoration project Friday with Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and State Sen. Jon Erpenbach of the 27th District.
The ceremony celebrated years of work by local community leaders and officials to move ahead with the project for the lake which lies along the Sugar River in beautiful Belleville.
The project is a public-private partnership to restore the natural beauty and navigable waters of Lake Belle View -- a spring-fed lake which has seen degradation primarily due to sentiment issues.
“It is fantastic that local activists and the Belleville community have stood by this project for so long. It is a great accomplishment for the community that this is moving ahead. Belleville is such a wonderful village and they deserve the restoration of this beautiful public asset,” Sen. Erpenbach said. “It also is a great accomplishment that private donations, local tax dollars, county, and state funds have all come together to make a local project a reality.”
Dane County Executive Falk noted the restoration of Lake Bell View and the Sugar River through Belleville was one of the first projects brought to her attention after she was first elected in 1997.
"I long ago committed county dollars to support this project because these waters are important to Belleville citizens and improving the health of the Sugar River is important to the whole county," County Executive Falk said. "Many years of planning and hard work have gone into this restoration and I'm so glad we're seeing the results of all our work!"
State DNR Secretary Matt Frank thanked the local officials and community members who have worked on the project. "The Department of Natural Resources has worked closely with the Village of Belleville, Dane County and local service groups for many years in a successful effort to tackle the sources of pollution to Lake Belleville," Frank said. "The lake rehabilitation on which we're breaking ground today is the next important step that will produce real results improving water quality and enhancing the quality of life in this community."
Phase one of the project will begin in the next few weeks. Construction of a berm, which will be approximately 20 feet wide with a 10 foot bike and pedestrian path atop, will be the first part for the project. The berm is built to keep flowage out of the lake and will withstand nearly all flooding conditions. Once the ground hardens this winter dredging will begin to restore the natural depth of Lake Belle View. The lake will be refilled in the summer of 2011, primarily though groundwater, the water fill process is expected to take about two months and will deepen the lake.
The project not only includes restoration of the lake, but the creation of a flood plain forest wetland, which is a regionally threatened ecosystem. This ecosystem will provide education and recreations opportunities for the community and state.
The Village of Belleville plans to launch a major fundraising effort soon with the assistance of the Madison Community Foundation to enhance the project. Possible additions could include park improvements, a pedestrian foot bridge and possible deepening of the lake.
For more information on the project please contact April Little, Belleville Village Administrator at 608-424-1655 or Joe Donlin, Lake Committee Chair at 608-516-5661 or visit www.lakebelleview.com
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