Algae Bloom Is Worst In Years For Central Wisconsin’s Lake Petenwell, Homeowner Says

Recreational users of Lake Petenwell are coping with what some are calling the worst blue-green algae bloom in several years.

In recent aerial photos, the waters of the central Wisconsin tourist destination shine the color of turquoise. But it’s not so pretty up close, said homeowner Rick Georgeson, who’s the president of Petenwell and Castle Rock Stewards.

“We’re seeing light green, dark green, it’s sticking to the rocks, it’s floating in mats out on the lake,” Georgeson said. “It smells like a septic system. It smells like raw sewage. It stinks.”

The hot, wet summer has produced the perfect growing conditions for the toxic bacteria, Georgeson said.

“The conditions that we’ve had this summer have been pretty good to grow this stuff,” he said. “We’ve had some hot heat. We’ve had plenty of rain to run the nutrients off the soil into the water.”

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is conducting a multi-year study on ways to improve water quality in Lake Petenwell and other Wisconsin River flowages. Blue-green algae can cause rashes and respiratory ailments in swimmers, and sickness if ingested.

Lake Petenwell is about a 23,000-acre lake in Wood, Adams and Juneau counties.