Lake Delton (Wisconsin)

This article is about the lake. For the village, see Lake Delton, Wisconsin.

Lake Delton
Tommy Bartlett's Thrill Show in 2005
Location of Lake Delton in Wisconsin, USA.
Location of Lake Delton in Wisconsin, USA.
Lake Delton
Location of Lake Delton in Wisconsin, USA.
Location of Lake Delton in Wisconsin, USA.
Lake Delton
LocationLake Delton, Wisconsin
Coordinates43°36′01″N 89°46′42″W / 43.600284°N 89.778214°W / 43.600284; -89.778214
Lake typeReservoir
Primary inflowsDell Creek
Primary outflowsWisconsin River
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area267 acres (108 ha)[1]
Average depth12 ft (3.7 m)[2]
Max. depth16 ft (4.9 m)[3]
Water volume600,000,000 US gal (2,300,000 m3)
SettlementsLake Delton
References[4]

Lake Delton is a man-made freshwater lake in Sauk County in central Wisconsin. For much of 2008, it was a mostly empty lake basin after a portion of a county highway that forms part of the dike wall eroded on June 9, 2008, under the pressure of floods in the area. The resulting wash out caused the lake to empty into the Wisconsin River, leaving behind only rainwater pools and the flow from Dell Creek. By March 2009, major repairs to correct the problem were completed, and the lake was allowed to refill. Minor repairs were expected to continue after that time, but the lake is now completely refilled and has been usable since Memorial Day weekend of 2009.[1]

The lake was formed in 1927 to attract tourists to the area and became a popular attraction in the Wisconsin Dells tourist area following the economic recovery after the Great Depression.[5] Resorts and tourist attractions line its banks. The lake was the site of Tommy Bartlett's Thrill Show, which featured acrobatic water skiing.[6][7]

  1. ^ a b Green, Shannon (June 9, 2013). "Better than Ever? Dells, Lake Delton bounces back nicely five years after floods". Portage Daily Register. Archived from the original on June 6, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference WHS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Delton Lake". dnr.wi.gov. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  4. ^ Romell, Rich; Marley, Patrick (June 9, 2008). "Swollen by rain, Lake Delton nearly empties, wrecking homes, damaging tourism hopes". JS Online. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  5. ^ "Lake Delton". Kilbourn Public Library. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  6. ^ "Tommy Bartlett show". tommybartlett.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  7. ^ Richmond, Todd (September 16, 2020). "Wisconsin Dells' Tommy Bartlett water ski show, closed by coronavirus, is shutting down for good". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2022.