The Little Lake Butte des Morts Project
A Fox-Wolf Keepers of the Fox project
Project Introduction
While Little Lake Butte des Morts provides great value to residents and visitors alike in its opportunities for recreation, there is opportunity for improvement. Lake users frequently report algae blooms, a nuisance levels of aquatic plant growth, and invasive species. Fluctuating water flow and levels impact recreational use and accessibility and contribute to shoreline erosion. Excess phosphorus and sediment enter the lake from various sources such as runoff from farm fields, residential streets and lawns, and wastewater, negatively impacting fish and aquatic life as well as recreational activities.
Many waterbodies in northeast Wisconsin have been studied and are actively managed to address these issues, while Little Lake Butte des Morts has been mostly overlooked at the scale needed to make significant improvements. The lack of recent publicly available water quality information, lake maps, aquatic plant surveys, and shoreline condition inventories for Little Lake Butte des Morts impede the ability to take action to improve water quality.
After another season plagued by algae blooms in 2023, the City of Neenah led the development of an ad hoc team including the City of Menasha, Village of Fox Crossing, Winnebago County Land & Water Conservation, GEI Consultants, and Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance to develop a plan to improve conditions and recreational access to the lake. With financial support from WDNR Surface Water grants, Fund for Lake Michigan, Community Foundation of the Fox Valley Region, and Future Neenah, partners have adopted a collaborative management approach for the Little Lake Butte des Morts Comprehensive Planning project.
Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance is excited to be a partner on the Little Lake Butte des Morts Project. As a historic and valuable regional feature within the borders of our Keepers of the Fox Initiative, the project is a great example of the initiative’s mission to work cooperatively to protect, sustain, and restore the water resources of the Lower Fox River Watershed.
The primary goal of the project is to improve the lake through cooperative efforts of local municipalities, governmental agencies, nonprofits, businesses, area residents and lake users. This initiative will start by gathering baseline data and using it to create a multi-phase, comprehensive plan for long-term water quality improvement. The project aims to protect habitats, mitigate harmful algal blooms, manage invasive species and nuisance plants, and address shoreline erosion. A secondary objective is to develop a plan for managing aquatic plants in the lake. By working together and using data-driven recommendations, we can make significant strides towards restoring and preserving the health of Little Lake Butte des Morts for current and future generations to enjoy.
about little lake butte des morts
Little Lake Butte des Morts is a shallow drainage lake located in Winnebago County. The lake has a maximum depth of 18 ft and over 12 miles of shoreline, covering 1,200 surface acres. Little Lake Butte des Morts begins at the outflows of Lake Winnebago at the Neenah and Menasha dams, and as water flows north, the lake narrows and transitions into the Lower Fox River at the Appleton dam.
The name “Butte des Morts” was given by French settlers, and means “Hill of the Dead” in reference to a nearby Indian burial mound. The lake is located in an urbanized area where 64,557 residents live in its vicinity in the cities of Neenah, Menasha, and the Village of Fox Crossing. Little Lake Butte des Morts is heavily used for fishing, boating, and swimming by shoreline property owners and residents of the broader region. Popular fish for recreational fishing include panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, and catfish. The lake can be accessed from land by two public boat landings.
The Roland Kampo Memorial Bridge which carries the Wisconsin highways 441 and 10 crosses the lake. The Fox Cities Trestle Bridge, an abandoned rail trail also crosses the lake which carries the Loop the Little Lake and Friendship State pedestrian and bike trails. Loop the Little Lake is a popular 3.5-mile path that connects three communities: the Village of Fox Crossing, the City of Menasha, and the City of Neenah. This route is perfect for biking or walking, offering beautiful views of Little Lake Butte des Morts and creating convenient pathways for both commuting and leisure. “The Loop” includes off-road trails for bikes and pedestrians, as well as four trestle bridges of varying lengths and sections with bike lanes and sidewalks on the road. Along the route, you’ll find four parks with restroom facilities, plus one natural park area to explore.
NOTE: Background information on Little Lake Butte des Morts is sourced from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and GEI Consultants.
Stay Connected to the project
The primary goal of the project is to improve the lake through cooperative efforts of local municipalities, governmental agencies, nonprofits, businesses, area residents and lake users.
Residents can sign up here to receive ongoing communications about the Little Lake Butte des Morts project!
A Regional Partnership
The Little Lake Butte des Morts Project being advanced through a regional partnership among the City of Neenah, City of Menasha, Village of Fox Crossing, Winnebago County Land and Water Conservation Department, Wisconsin DNR, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, Future Neenah, The Community Foundation, The Fund for Lake Michigan, and GEI Consultant.
