Korth Park, on Rock Lake, Lake Mills Wisconsin

Current Information

Jefferson County Parks Information:

Korth Park – Korth Lane
Korth Park – Elm Point

RLIA’s Role in Securing Korth Park

How Korth Park got Created

The webpages with the above title; “Korth Park, on Rock Lake, Lake Mills Wisconsin” were created by a 2001 Lake Mills Middle School summer class. They have been reposted here to give viewers a sense of the changes that have occurred.

As you view these pages created some 25 years ago, know that the role RLIA played in securing the park was instrumental.  The Rock Lake Improvement Association recognized  the importance of this land on the shore of the lake, and was active in lobbying to secure that this former farm be restored as a natural area.

Sequence of Events:

RLIA heard about the possibility of the Farm for sale. (March 98)

RLIA decided to act and formed the Korth Park Project Committee. (April 98)
8-10 individuals met at several key junctures over the next seven months.

Crossroads leaflet – May 13th, announcing May 27th meeting in the Lake Mills Town Hall and setting-out why it was important that the Korth Farm become a park. Over 60 folks turned-out. The reasons set forth in that leaflet bear repeating:

•Shoreline Protection: The park would protect 1300 feet of shoreline in the designated Korth’s Bay “sensitive area” of Rock Lake. This area is essential to spawning fish and rare plant and animal communities. Gradual destruction of this area will impact the quality and ecology of Rock Lake.
•Threat of Development: If not purchased by the county, this 93-acre farm will be developed. The Korth farm is one of the last remaining pieces of private undeveloped shoreline on Rock Lake. Development could involve 100 or more housing units dramatically changing the landscape.
•Availability and Ranking: The farm is being made available for sale to the County, and in a recent Jefferson County Park Board “park scoring” evaluation, the property ranked as one of the highest. The opportunity to buy lake frontage as a park is considered now to be very rare for southern Wisconsin.
•Rock Lake: Our lake is one of the highest quality lakes in southern Wisconsin, and is considered the “gem” of Jefferson County. Development of the farm would put Rock Lake under severe stress from building site erosion, and urban runoff from roof, road, and ditch surfaces. Also, pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, most used by homeowners, would contaminate the storm water runoff.
•Recreational Opportunity: The property has large areas that are suitable for trails, picnic areas, and low impact recreational use. There is also the possibility of this park being connected to the Glacier Drumlin Trail. Other possibilities include fishing access for handicapped, and a canoe/kayak landing.
•Diversity and Nature Areas: The property offers much diversity including a unique shoreline ecosystem, wetlands, woodlands, and presettlement prairie/oak opening restoration possibilities.

At the Jefferson County Parks board meeting, a member of the Korth Park Project Committee presented the board with petitions containing over 1,000 signatures. This large number of supporters, along with many letters and phone calls to the board and local media helped focus the work of the board.

The County Parks board voted to pursue the

RLIA Board Members present check to Joe Nehmer, Jefferson County Parks Supervisor, for 1/2 costs of appraisal of Korth Park

purchase and moved to get the land appraised. RLIA was there to pay half of the cost of the appraisal, signaling to the board that our support was serious and would continue.

Soon after, the County Parks Board voted unanimously to purchase, and the issue moved to the Jefferson County board. The recommendation made mention that the intended use would be low-impact activities.

As interest continued to grow the County set-up a fund for donations of money to aid in the purchase of the property. We always knew that this fund would not become a major source of funds for the purchase, but reflected the commitment of the community and County residents. The Korth Park Project Committee designed and distributed a flyer listing the options for donations and pledges of money and/or time.

RLIA and Rock Lake could not have made it so far without the community’s support!