Say No to Lake Mallalieu Drawdown

This letter to the editor, by John Gostovich, appeared in the Hudson Star Observer on June 4, 2026.

Editor’s note: John Gostovich is a member of the Lake Mallalieu Association.

Some Lake Mallalieu homeowners want to lower the lake 7.5 feet from September 2026 through May 2027, leaving most of the lakebed exposed for nine months.

This is a terrible idea. It will hurt Lake Mallalieu’s wildlife, plants and fish.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources found previous over-winter Lake Mallalieu drawdowns, of 6 feet in 1998–1999 and 3 feet in 2004-2005, did more harm than good for the lake ecosystem.

A 7.5-foot drawdown from this fall to spring would do the same harm and more. It will displace hundreds of trumpeter swans that make Lake Mallalieu their winter home; kill native aquatic plants; produce bigger mats of filamentous algae, which smell awful and impair swimming, fishing and boating; and reduce panfish populations.

Drawdown proponents mistakenly believe it will make Lake Mallalieu healthier.

But facts show a drawdown won’t improve Lake Mallalieu’s water quality or reverse its eutrophic state.

Since at least 1990, Lake Mallalieu has had low water clarity, excess phosphorus and nitrogen and algae blooms because runoff from farmlands in the Willow River’s 182,000-acre watershed funnels into the impoundment at the end of the 70-mile long Willow River — and a drawdown won’t stop that. Increasing intensity of upstream agricultural practices is the major threat to Lake Mallalieu’s health — and a drawdown won’t change that.

Fact is, a Lake Mallalieu drawdown will make the St. Croix River sicker.

Lake Mallalieu’s impaired waters flow to the St. Croix River through a dam owned by St. Croix County, City of Hudson, Village of North Hudson and Town of Hudson. The drawdown will transfer 9,500–24,500 cubic yards of sediment and 4,280–5,536 pounds of phosphorus from Lake Mallalieu to the already phosphorus-impaired Lake St. Croix.

Before the WiDNR may consider permitting the drawdown, all four owners of the dam creating Lake Mallalieu must first allow it.

The Town of Hudson Board may consider this drawdown Wednesday June 3, at 6 p.m.

St. Croix County Community Development Committee may consider this drawdown Thursday June 11, at 5PM.

City of Hudson plans a Monday July 20 public meeting for all stakeholders to learn more and voice drawdown concerns.

Please protect Lake Mallalieu and Lake St. Croix by speaking against this drawdown idea.

For more information, visit https:// lakemallalieudredging.info.