WLP: FAQ: Principal Differences Between Incorporated Lake Associations

Principal Differences Between Incorporated Lake Associations,
Qualified Lake Associations, and Public Inland Lake Protection and Rehabilitation Districts

	Incorporated Lake Association	Qualified (incorp.) Lake Association	Public Inland Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District
Statutory Authority	Ch. 181, Wis Stats	Ch. 281,181 Wis Stats.	Ch. 33 Wis Stats.
Formation	1. File Articles of Incorporation. 2. Draft bylaws	1. File Articles of Incorporation. 2. Draft bylaws with specific statutory criteria set forth.	1. Landowner petition to county or town board. 2. Resolution of city council or village board. 3. Conversion of a town sanitary district.
Principal Means of Financing Activities	-membership dues	-membership dues -state grants/other grants	-property tax levy -state grants/other grants
Boundaries	Assoc. should designate one or more lakes. Specific boundaries are not required.	Assoc. should designate one or more lakes. Specific boundaries are not required	Boundaries may include part of lake, entire lake, more than one lake. Boundaries are strictly defined.
Powers
General Management Powers (pursuant to statutory guidelines) Not an exhaustive list of powers *with permit from DNR	An incorporated lake association has power to: acquire property, borrow money, invest money, contract for aquatic plant removal, purchase sensitive areas, improve fish habitat, stock fish, and maintain lake access. Powers are same as qualified lake assoc. (s. 181.04 Stats.)	A qualified lake assoc. has power to: acquire property, borrow money, invest money, apply for and receive grants, contract for aquatic plant removal, purchase sensitive areas, improve fish habitat, stock fish, and maintain lake access. Powers are same as incorporated lake assoc. (s. 181.04 Stats.).	A lake district has power to: sue and be sued, make contracts, take out loans, levy taxes, special charges, accept grants, state aid, monitor water quality, survey lake users, harvest or treat aquatic plants and dredge, adopt boating ordinances (s. 30.22 Stats.)
Additional Powers Public inland lake districts have authority to assume powers of sanitary districts. *Districts may not exercise these powers within territory of existing sanitary district (s. 33.22(2m), s. 60.77 Stats.)			-authority to require the inspection of private sewage systems, fix and collect charges for solid waste collection, disposal, sewage service and water service. -authority to enact ordinances to implement powers. -authority to provide chemical or mechanical treatment of waters to treat swimmers� itch, algae.
Governance	Board of directors and association membership	Board of directors and association membership	Board of commissioners and electors at annual meeting.

Drafted by Tamara Dudiak, UW Extension Lakes Specialist (715/346-4744).

For more information, contact the UW-Extension Lakes Partnership, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point WI 54481 (715/346-2116); the DNR-Lakes Section, Box 7921, Madison WI 53707 (608/266-0502); or Wisconsin Association of Lakes, PO Box 126, Stevens Point WI 54481-0126 (800/542-5253).