Green Bay Reporter

Shawano Lake, a 6,000-acre lake with 18 miles of shoreline in Northeastern Wisconsin, has received permission from the federal government to maintain a higher level through its dam – a move boaters and recreationists approve.

A FOX 11 News report said federal regulations require the lake to be measured at 802.5 feet mean sea level. The exemption will permit a higher level of 802.9 feet.

Owners and operators of the dam at Shawano Lake, N.E.W. Hydro LLC, asked the federal government for a further exemption from the lower level, which was granted on July 21.

A FOX 11 News report said prior exemptions allowing the higher lake level were granted by the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2020. The current approval will continue for two years.

The last waiver had expired last fall prompting complaints from residents, the FOX report added.

A report in WTAQ said lake levels have lowered in recent months because of less winter snow, ice melting prematurely and a dry spring. Residents who live near the lake are concerned lower levels means they will have to spend more money to extend boat docks and reposition their boats.

The dam at the lake controls the lake level and how much water flows into the lake’s feeder the Wolf River.

State Sen. Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay) called for a permanent higher lake level in a tweet.

“Now the attention turns to a longer-term plan, instead of the year-to-year approvals,” Cowles said. “I look forward to continuing to work with Shawano Area Waterways Management on the next steps to promote recreation in years to come.”

David Fox, director of licensing for Northeastern Wisconsin Hydro, said in a FOX 11 report his company would support a permanent change (higher level), but that could be hard to obtain from FERC.

“The amendment process could potentially require several costly studies to assess various impacts of the change in elevation and the commitment of significant internal compliance resources to manage the process,” he said.