Tom Dorsey owns the Bay Rest Resort on Lake Petenwell in Adams County. In the 24 years he’s been on Petenwell, he’s witnessed the blue-green algae blooms go from bad to worse. He tells numerous stories of customers chased away by toxic algae blooms, from mothers refusing to let their children swim in algae-ridden waters, to guests getting ear and throat infections from swimming in the algae, to guests checking in for a planned week stay and leaving the next day because of the algae’s stink. He is frustrated by the lack of progress shown in cleaning up Petenwell and Castle Rock lakes.
“Anything that could be done, should. And I don’t know why it hasn’t been in the 14 years I’ve owned a business here. We need to put every dime into an effort that will fix this. If you can clean up Lake Erie, you can clean this up.”
The tourism draw of Petenwell, the second largest lake in Wisconsin, is significant. Clean water is the lifeblood of the local economy, affecting waterfront real estate, gas stations, bars, restaurants, resorts, and the property tax base. National walleye fishing tournaments that come annually to Petenwell are a boon to the economy, but will stop coming if the water is green. The lack of clean water—and the stink of polluted water—translate to a crippled tourism industry on Petenwell and around the state.
“Let’s look into the future and do it for the kids. Ten years ago, this lake was clean. Kids used to slide down the waterslide. I don’t know what happened…but people are smart enough to realize that we’ve got a problem here that should be fixed.”