Lake Koshkonong

Infobox lake
lake_name = Lake Koshkonong
image_lake =
caption_lake =
image_bathymetry =
caption_bathymetry =
location = Jefferson County, Wisconsin
coords = coord|42|52|27|N|88|57|29|W|region:US-WI_type:waterbody_source:gnis|display=inline,title
type = reservoir
inflow = Rock River
outflow = Rock River
catchment =
basin_countries = United States
length =
width =
area = convert|10500|acre|km2|0|abbr=on|lk=on
depth = convert|6|ft|m|0|abbr=on
max-depth =
volume =
residence_time =
shore =
elevation = convert|774|ft|abbr=on|lk=on
islands =
cities =
frozen =

Lake Koshkonong is a lake in southern Wisconsin. It lies along the Rock River, convert|5.5|mi|km|abbr=on. down-river from Fort Atkinson, primarily in southwestern Jefferson County, although small portions of the lake extend into southeastern Dane and northern Rock counties.

Lake Koshkonong shares its name with Fort Koshkonong, a fort of some importance during the Black Hawk War. It is a manmade lake, and at the time the fort was active, before the Rock River was dammed, the area was actually a cattail marsh with the Rock River running through the middle. The Indianford Dam several miles down the Rock River from Lake Koshkonong makes it one of the larger lakes in the state of Wisconsin (10,500 acres) but it remains very shallow with an average depth of six feet.

Proposed nuclear power plant

In the 1970s, Lake Koshkonong was the primary site considered for a billion dollar nuclear power station. Wisconsin Electric Power Co., Wisconsin Power and Light Co., Madison Gas and Electric Co and Wisconsin Public Service Corp jointly proposed the project. In 1974, it was estimated that the utilities would lose $40 million if the two unit, 900 MW each, facility was not approved. At that time, the timetable had already slipped to a 1983/1984 commissioning. ["Lake Koshkonong Nuclear Plant Timetable Back By Two Years." Sheboygan Press, The. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Friday, December 20, 1974. Page 5.] The plan met with heavy resistance from environmental groups and was eventually killed in 1977 by concerns regarding the Lake's shallow depth during drought conditions. Attempts were made to salvage the $40 million dollar investment by moving facility to Haven, Wisconsin, near Sheboygan, Wisconsin. However, any plans for construction of a nuclear station in Wisconsin were scrapped by the Three Mile Island accident. The plant was planned to be built on Vickerman Road, east of the lake and east of Wisconsin Highway 26.(coord|42|51|37|N|88|53|27|W|region:US-WI_type:landmark|name=Lake Koshkonong Nuclear Plant (project)) [Schlicht, Lauren. [http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/UW/UW-idx?type=div&did=UW.WIEV80NO5.LSCHLICHT&isize=text Weighing Koshkonong technology against ecology] . Goldlin, Jan (ed.) / The Wisconsin engineer Volume 80, Number 5 (March 1976)]

References

External links

* [http://www.RKLD.org/ Rock Koshkonong Lake District]
* [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=05427235 Lake Koshkonong date] from the USGS
* [http://koshwetlands.org/ Lake Koshkonong Wetland Association]
* [http://www.rkld.org/tier2pages/Gazettelakehistory.htm Historical tidbits about the Lake] from the "Janesville Gazette"
*gnis|1567632