Thank You!
You made a difference.
Thank you to all of you that showed up, emailed and called. The St. Croix County Board voted to rescind the County’s earlier conditional approval for the 7.5 ft drawdown of Lake Mallalieu in the fall of 2026. Your input showed how local efforts and control can be determined through a democratic process. Because of your efforts and the votes of 13 Supervisors, a drawdown will not be moving forward at this time.
The water quality issues in St. Croix County have been receiving a lot of much needed attention and focus. Whether you are a resident living on Lake Mallalieu or resident in Emerald with polluted well water, poor water quality affects all those in a community. These communities need all of our focus. It deserves careful consideration grounded in science, with the involvement of all stakeholders, We all need to assume a role and responsibility to be good stewards of our community waters.
Read Our Press Release Below
St. Croix CURES Applauds County Board Action on Lake Mallalieu
St. Croix CURES (Citizens Uniting for Responsible Environmental Stewardship) thanks the St. Croix County Board for approving the resolution to rescind the conditional approval letter for the proposed 7.5-foot drawdown of Lake Mallalieu. We appreciate the leadership of the County Board, the Community Development Committee, and the Land and Water Conservation Division for recognizing that protecting water quality requires a watershed-wide approach supported by sound science.
We also appreciate the opportunity for public comment, allowing our elected officials to hear directly from the watershed community. Thank you to everyone who emailed, called, attended, and spoke at the meeting. Your participation demonstrated democracy in action and the shared value our community places on clean water.
We recognize the frustration of the Lake Mallalieu Association and of the many residents who have witnessed the decline of Lake Mallalieu and other impaired waters throughout St. Croix County. Their concerns deserve thoughtful, lasting solutions. Water quality affects not only our lakes and rivers but also the water we drink. Today, some rural families in St. Croix County rely on costly treatment because nitrate contamination has made their private wells unsafe to drink.
This vote provides an opportunity to move forward together. St. Croix CURES looks forward to working collaboratively in a cooperative partnership with county leaders, lake and river associations, agricultural partners, municipalities, conservation organizations, and residents to reduce phosphorus and nitrate pollution and protect the health of our lakes, rivers, groundwater, and the entire St. Croix watershed.
Clean water is a shared responsibility and a shared legacy. When citizens, elected officials, organizations, and communities work together, we can restore and protect the lakes, rivers, and groundwater that sustain our region—ensuring clean water for today and for generations to come.
— St. Croix CURES
Citizens Uniting for Responsible Environmental Stewardship