In a recognition ceremony last week, Secretary Matt Frank honored Lake Delton Fisheries Restoration Project (LDFRP) founders Ben Hobbins and Dan Small for founding and executing the project to restore the Lake Delton natural disaster area two and a half years ago.
“Today we recognize Ben and Dan for work founding and executing this vital restoration project after the 2008 natural disaster’’, stated Secretary Matt Frank. “This is an impressive pilot project for natural disaster fund raising and the project shows how cooperation between private and public partners, sponsors and volunteers can be very successful’’.
Lake Delton disappeared June 9, 2008 and many Americans remember dramatic disaster footage by CNN, FOX and other 24/7 news organizations showing heavy rains, extensive flooding and the bank’s of the lake giving way with complete homes dragged off in pieces, scrambling boaters and flopping fish.
For the Wisconsin Dells being dubbed the ‘’waterpark capital of the world’’ –and for the state, this was more than about losing a lake; it was about the image of losing its premier tourist destination and the state’s largest tourist economy valued at over a billion dollars annually that mattered most. Lake Delton is known as Wisconsin Dell’s crown jewel for scenic beauty, its turn key hotel and resort industries lining its shores, its array of water sports, and thriving recreational fishing. Something had to be done and done fast.
‘’For over a 110 years, the family has been regularly frequenting the Dells area, and I grew up fishing this lake’’ says Hobbins. “We weren’t going to stand by and let these good people, their businesses and economy wash away.”
To promise, Hobbins founded the project and acted swiftly 2 days after the disaster, calling his friend Dan Small to join him in founding phases of the project. The same week, Hobbins met Tommy Bartlett Watershow owner Tom Diehl and garnered support of the Dells Visitors and Convention Bureau. The next week, Ben worked with the Village of Lake Delton to form the 4-member Lake Delton Restoration Task Force of Small, Hobbins, Tim Larson –regional fisheries biologist from the DNR, and Gordie Priegel –Village Trustee.
Hobbins and Small were just getting started. The project was announced June 21 2008 amid great fanfare at a national press conference held at the Outdoor Writers Association of America conference in Bismarck North Dakota.
Conference communicators agreed to support the project, inaugural sponsors stepped forward and a coordinated communication campaign led by Hobbins and Small commenced.
In August 2008 at a press conference organized at the breech site, LDFRP Task Force members -Small, Hobbins, Larson and Priegel announced the project outline to regional and national media organizations, many who would soon commit and become media partners over the life of the project.
Hobbins and Small presented the project at Downtown Rotary in Madison in 2008 and at the Rotary International District 6250 state assembly at the Wilderness in the Dells in early 2009 (Hobbins and Dan Small’s father were Rotarians). Small and Hobbins produced four segments on the restoration of Lake Delton for PBS.
The rest is history. Only 2 years into the 3-year project, project completion was reached, led by partnering national, regional, community, public and private partners/sponsors and of hundreds of area volunteers -networked together working to restore the once vibrant Lake Delton, the Dells tourist region and its fisheries as quickly as possible.
“This has been a cooperative effort of so many focusing on one target –Lake Delton and vicinity’’, said Hobbins. “Public entities utilizing tax payer dollars effectively should be commended -DNR, DOT, the village and county. But material, cash and manpower donations are thanks to about 50 private entities, writers, sportsmans clubs and dozens of individuals who stepped up, networked and interfaced very effectively for this cause.”
Over $300,000 in cash and inkind donations were raised by the project ranging from nearly a half mile of natural rock reefs and rip rap shorelines, deep pool areas, crib buiding and placement efforts, fingerlings and minnow donations, special fundrasising events and jamboree organizational help. Adopt-a-reef, Adopt-a-crib, Adopt-a-fingerling and Adopt-a-school-‘o-fingerlings were fund raising tools.
A 3-year stocking and fisheries management plan was developed fisheries biologist Tim Larson and Hobbins and led to successful linkage of projected donor proceeds and inkind fingerling and minnow stocking donations by Gollons fish farms of Dodgeville and stocking efforts earmarked by DNR’s Lake Mills fish hatchery. The Delton Sportsmans Club assisted in rearing fish fry to fingerling release size. In 2009 and 2010, the project released tens of 1000s of walleyes, small and largemouth bass, perch, crappies, and white catfish fingerlings along with millions upon millions of golden shiner and fathead forage minnow stock.
June 5, 2010 marked the 1st Annual Lake Delton Youth Fishing Jamboree at Kaminski Park. The first of its kind jamboree is designed with ”learn to fish”, “youth fisheries biologist” ”catch, record and release” themes centered on youth, mentorship, stewardship, conservation, sustainable fisheries management practices, and outdoor education. It also marked the 2nd anniversary of the disaster, the 1st anniversary of fingerling and forage minnow stocking. ‘’Recognition by Secretary Frank highlights and congratulates the Lake Delton Fisheries Restoration Project, its organization, its partnering public and private sponsors and all the volunteers who took part to make it successful’’, added Small.
Thanks to all efforts, an enhanced Lake Delton is back for the Wisconsin Dells –complete with its world famous water shows, pristine shorelines, a vibrant hotel and hospitality industry, restored watersport activities, and a world class fishery incubating within lake confines of greatly enhanced structure and reefs.
Successful conclusion of this project leaves the gift of a successful pilot project–the cooperative fund raising business model ready for the next natural disaster. Indeed, in August Hobbins began consulting with Governor Chet Culver and his task forces in Iowa on fund raising and efforts to restore another major natural disaster area, Lake Delhi.
A complete listing of LDFRP sponsors and supporters can be found online by googling “lake delton hobbins small’’ and “lake delton rotary hobbins’’. For video links, PBS produced several segments hosted by Dan Small for Outdoor Wisconsin and a documentary on the successful restoration project is being planned.
