Review of legislation providing for conveyances of lake bed areas
Wis. Stat. § 13.097
in effect(1) Definitions. In this section:
(a) “Department” means the department of natural resources.
(b) “Lake bed area” means all or a portion of a navigable lake.
(c) “Public trust purpose” means a purpose in furtherance of the public trust in navigable waters that is established under article IX, section 1, of the constitution.
(2) Report by the department.
(a) When legislation that conveys a lake bed area or that amends a prior conveyance of a lake bed area is introduced or offered in the legislature, the department shall prepare a report on the legislation within 15 days of its being introduced or offered. The department may request any information from the grantee under such legislation or from a past grantee of the lake bed area that is reasonably necessary for the department to prepare the report.
(b) If the legislation conveys a lake bed area, the department shall describe the conveyance contained in the legislation. If the legislation amends a prior conveyance of a lake bed area, the department’s report shall describe the prior conveyance and how it is amended by this legislation. The report shall include the department’s findings under sub. (4) and its conclusions under sub. (6).
(c) Legislation that requires a report by the department under this section shall have that requirement noted on its jacket when the jacket is prepared. When legislation that requires a report under this section receives a jacket to be introduced or offered, the legislative reference bureau shall submit a copy of the legislation to the department.
(d) The report shall be printed as an appendix to that applicable bill and shall be distributed in the same manner as amendments.
(4) Findings of the department report. The department’s report shall contain the following information:
(a) Location and description of the lake bed area.
1. The name of the lake in which the lake bed area subject to the proposed conveyance is located, the location of the lake bed area in the lake and the name of the county and the town, village or city that is adjacent to the lake bed area.
2. The approximate dimensions and size of the lake bed area subject to the proposed conveyance.
3. The approximate area of the lake in which the lake bed area subject to the proposed conveyance is located.
(b) Purposes of the proposed conveyance.
1. The purpose of the proposed conveyance, as expressed in the legislation.
2. Any additional information on the intended uses of the lake bed area subject to the proposed conveyance.
3. The extent to which the express language of the legislation will permit the intended uses of the lake bed area subject to the proposed conveyance.
(c) Use of the lake bed area subject to the proposed conveyance.
1. The size of the area reasonably required for the intended uses under the proposed conveyance, as compared to the size of the lake bed area actually conveyed by the legislation, and a description of the anticipated or potential uses of any excess area.
2. If the lake bed area subject to the proposed conveyance exceeds the area required for the intended uses, whether the excess area will remain unused for a substantial period.
(d) Effect of the proposed conveyance on public trust purpose uses.
1. Opportunities for navigation, fishing, hunting, swimming, recreation, enjoyment of scenic beauty and other public trust purpose uses that will be lost or obtained when the grantee exercises the rights granted by the proposed conveyance.
2. The type of uses that will be made of the lake bed area subject to the proposed conveyance when the grantee exercises the rights granted by the proposed conveyance, and whether those uses are public trust purpose uses.
3. Proposed restrictions on public access to the lake bed area subject to the proposed conveyance, upon completion of the project, including physical restrictions such as fences, walls or lack of parking, legal restrictions such as hours of operation or conversion to private property and financial restrictions such as admission fees, licenses, permits or requirements to make purchases.
(e) Potential subsequent conveyances.
1. The extent to which the proposed conveyance expressly prohibits or permits a subsequent conveyance of all or a part of the lake bed area by the grantee, including a subsequent conveyance by warranty deed, quitclaim deed or lease, or is silent regarding a subsequent conveyance by the grantee.
2. Whether the legislation imposes the same restrictions on grantees of subsequent conveyances as it imposes on the original grantee.
(f) Potential of the grantee to manage the use of lake bed area.
1. What management controls are proposed by the grantee to assure that the lake bed area is used only for the public trust purposes authorized by the legislature, including the grantee’s internal controls and control exercised by the grantee over a lessee, a grantee of a subsequent conveyance of all or part of the lake bed area or a trespasser.
2. Whether the grantee has managed or is managing the use of any other lake bed areas conveyed to the grantee in conformance with the public trust purposes authorized by those conveyances.
3. If the grantee of an original or subsequent conveyance or a lessee is not a governmental unit, the extent to which the use of the lake bed area subject to the proposed conveyance will be controlled or supervised by a governmental unit, to assure conformity with a public trust purpose.
(g) Additional information. Any other information the department considers relevant.
(5) Department authority to request information. The department may request a grantee to provide the department with any information that is reasonably necessary for the department to prepare the report under sub. (4).
(6) Conclusion of the department report. Based on its findings, the department shall include in its report its conclusion on whether the legislation is consistent with protecting and enhancing a public trust purpose. The department shall base its conclusion on the following:
(a) Public trust purpose uses. Whether the opportunities for public trust purpose uses upon completion of the project, including opportunities for navigation, fishing, hunting, swimming, recreation and enjoyment of scenic beauty, substantially outweigh any loss of current opportunities for public trust purpose uses in that lake bed area and whether the current opportunities for public trust purpose uses will be enhanced or diminished upon completion of the project.
(b) Public access. Whether all residents of the state will be able, without restriction, to participate in the uses of the lake bed area subject to the proposed conveyance upon completion of the project.
(c) Purposes of the proposed conveyance. Whether the public trust purposes of the conveyance, as expressed in the legislation, are sufficiently narrow to permit only the specific public trust purpose uses proposed by the grantee.
(d) Management by the grantee. Whether the grantee’s management of the use of any other lake bed areas conveyed to the grantee conforms with a public trust purpose and whether the grantee’s proposals for the use of the lake bed area subject to the proposed conveyance conform with a public trust purpose.
(e) Governmental control. Whether the lake bed area and its proposed public trust purpose uses will be controlled or supervised by a governmental unit.
(f) Commercial uses. Whether any commercial uses of the lake bed area subject to the proposed conveyance are minor and incidental to free public trust purpose uses or whether commercial purposes dominate the proposed use of the lake bed area.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/13.097Fetched: 10/7/2026