It’s highly unlikely that a proposed drawdown of Lake Tomah will occur in 2008.

Department of Natural Resources Lake Management Planner Buzz Sorge told the Tomah Lake Committee Tuesday that there isn’t enough time to begin the drawdown of Lake Tomah this fall. The drawdown, which must still be approved by the Tomah City Council, is proposed as part of a lake restoration effort.

“We won’t do this until 2009, and I think that’s to our advantage,” Sorge said. “We want to do this right.”

The Lake Committee and DNR are finalizing a rehabilitation plan that would drain the lake and apply the poison rotenone to eradicate the carp, which have become the lake’s dominant species of fish.

Sorge said drawdown would likely begin in mid-September of 2009. He said drawdowns are done only in the fall to protect reptile and amphibian species prior to hibernation. He anticipates the rotenone would by applied shortly before the ice forms.

The two-hour meeting covered a wide range of topics, including:

*Shoreline preservation. Sorge said his department’s goal is to get 20 to 30 percent of the shoreline property owners to voluntarily create natural buffer zones along the lake. Sorge acknowledged that Lake Tomah is an urban lake and will never look like a wilderness lake in northern Wisconsin. However, he said buffer zones halt erosion and mitigate the geese problem.

“Geese won’t walk through grass,” Sorge said. “If you want the geese out of your yard, put a buffer zone in.”

*Boat landings. Committee member Pat Rezin said the lake doesn’t have a boat landing that offers both direct access and adequate parking. He said the landing at Winnebago Park is particularly awkward because boats must back in at a 90-degree angle.

Sorge said the DNR would look for another boat launch site at the park.

*Fishing piers. DNR Fisheries biologist Dave Vetrano said “at least two” fishing piers would be part of the rehabilitation project, including a pier at the end of Juneau Street where a small canoe landing now exists.

*Bag limit changes prior to drawdown. Vetrano anticipates “more liberal” fishing rules beginning with next winter’s ice fishing season. Since the rotenone would kill gamefish and rough fish alike, Vetrano said the DNR would very likely remove bag limits and size limits for walleye, bass, northern pike and panfish. He said changing the rule wouldn’t be difficult.

“It just needs to be approved by the regional office,” Vetrano said. “Then we would just post signs at various spots along the lake.”

The lake’s management plan should be completed by the end of April and ready for the city council’s approval in May. The next Lake Committee meeting is April 29.