Tug Lake Timeline

A water control structure is built at the lake's outlet, according to a 2018 consultant report. The 1947 survey map shows a small dam at the outlet.

The Wisconsin Conservation Department, the agency that became the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), surveys Tug Lake. It records 159 acres, 2.8 miles of shoreline, and a maximum depth of 21 feet.

The DNR answers a resident's complaint about a nuisance algae bloom. The letter is known only as quoted in a 2018 consultant report; the original has not been located.

Volunteer water clarity readings begin. Volunteers have taken part in the state's Citizen Lake Monitoring Network in the years since.

Repairs to the outlet structure raise the lake level by six to eight inches.

Residents have algae samples tested. The results identify several kinds of blue-green algae, turning a long-held local concern into a defined water quality and public health issue.

A lakewide informational meeting brings speakers from the University of Wisconsin, the DNR, and Lincoln County to discuss water quality, invasive species, shorelines, septic systems, and the possibility of forming a lake district.

A severe blue-green algae bloom brings strong odors and spoils the lake for swimming and boating. Residents form an 18-member Tug Lake Task Force.

Cason & Associates tests the lake for the homeowners. Deep water is found to have almost no oxygen.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee begins monitoring the lake with Task Force volunteers, including testing for algae toxins. Microcystin, a liver toxin, is the main toxin found.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee studies how phosphorus released from the lake bottom feeds the blooms. A monitoring buoy is in the lake by that year, and a team of resident volunteers is taking water samples. Cason & Associates completes a draft report on the watershed.

Task Force members visit a lake that uses an aeration system. What they learn turns attention toward controlling phosphorus.

Cason & Associates takes sediment cores from the lake bottom and later recommends aeration.

The Task Force campaigns for a lake district. Its public case proposes a district that would fund an aeration system.

A petition to form the District is filed with the Lincoln County Clerk.

The Lincoln County Land Services Committee holds a public hearing on the petition and recommends approval, seven votes to none.

Lincoln County Board Resolution No. 2021-03-10 establishes the Tug Lake District.

The District holds its first Annual Meeting.

Bill James of the University of Wisconsin-Stout studies the lake-bottom sediment and designs a possible alum treatment. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee tests the lake for toxins again.

The DNR completes a review of the lake's monitoring data to help the District prepare a lake management plan. It finds no significant trend in summer water quality from 2015 through 2023.

A new pair of volunteers takes over the state lake monitoring duties.

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point samples the inlet, the outlet, and the deep water through the summer.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee completes a water quality study to support the new lake management plan.

The District hires consultants to help complete its Lake Management Plan, prepare a financial analysis, and plan how to keep residents informed.

Electors and property owners hold the Annual Meeting. A draft of the Lake Management Plan is presented for discussion.

The District sends the 2026 Resident and Property Owner Survey to property owners. The survey closes October 30, 2026.