Before You Buy Lake Property

It seems like common sense for a buyer to decide what they want from a lakefront property they are considering before buying, but recent situations seem to show that isn’t always the case. Too often, without realizing the impact, buyers end up proposing development projects that would hurt the lake, thereby forcing Protect Lake Beulah and the LBMD to oppose the idea. Too much of everyone’s time and money is then spent resolving the ill-conceived idea.

There are several online resources available to help potential buyers wade through all the considerations. This one called ‘Choosing The Right Waterfront Property’ might be a good place to start.

This site covers best practices and regulations for property owners with lakefront shoreline: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/ShorelandZoning/Care/explore.html

The Wisconsin DNR has a great website that allows for comparison of all sorts of information for lakes all over the state. The Find A Lake tool provides a quick way to narrow down a lake search. Then the site allows you to burrow down to the data you’re wanting to know about. The guess here is you’ll likely be interested in water quality, and you can find data for Lake Beulah as far back as 1991. (Protect Lake Beulah participates in this citizen monitoring effort.) There are also lake maps, satellite imagery, and a wide variety of other information on the DNR site.

This site from the UW Stevens Point has a waterfront owner’s list of dos and don’ts.

As for following rules, you need to know each County in Wisconsin has its own set of rules based on overarching state laws. For Walworth County, go to: https://www.walworthcountylakes.org/archives-reports for lakeshore zoning rules. Buyers should expect to find that lakes with a reputation for clean, clear water will have lake associations like PLB that make every effort to keep it that way.

Before making a major purchase, buyers might want to ask trustworthy local realtors about the culture around a lake they are considering. While some lake cultures might embrace potentially damaging shoreline development in the name of economic development, others like Lake Beulah, have organizations like Protect Lake Beulah that will aggressively address potential human activity that might damage the lake’s reputation for clean water and a healthy aquatic environment.

So, the message here is that when you buy a lake property, you take on responsibilities well beyond the boundaries of your property. Your fellow lake property owners expect that what you do on your lakeshore, and how you recreate out on the water is within acceptable rules and the culture of the lake.